And those whose names were never called
'Cause they only get what they deserve"
And the rich relationed hometown queen
When choosing sides for basketball
Inventing lovers on the phone
Inventing lovers on the phone
Marries into what she needs
Whose name I never could pronounce
I leaned the truth at seventeen
And those of us with ravaged faces
We all play the game and when we dare
The Friday night charades of youth
Their small town eyes will gape at you
That love was meant for beauty queens
Who called to say, "Come dance with me"
It was long ago and far away
Who married young and then retired
The world was younger than today
In debentures of quality and dubious integrity
To those of us who knew the pain
Said, "Pity, please, the ones who serve
And murmur vague obscenities
They call and say, "Come on, dance with me"
Exceeds accounts received at seventeen
And high school girls with clear-skinned smiles
With a guarantee of company
And murmured vague obscenities
Were spent on one more beautiful
To ugly duckling girls like me
Of valentines that never came
Lose the love they sought to gain
Repenting other lives unknown
A brown-eyed girl in hand-me-downs
At ugly girls like me at seventeen
Desperately remained at home
And haven for the elderly
The valentines I never knew
It isn't all it seems at seventeen
So remember those who win the game
Songwriter: Janis Ian
When dreams were all they gave for free
At seventeen I learned the truth
Lacking in the social graces
Publisher: EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING JAPAN LTD
In dull surprise when payment due
To cheat ourselves at solitaire