AT SEVENTEEN - Janis Ian
Capo on 4th
Intro:
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G* 2x
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
I learned the truth at seven- teen
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
That love was meant for beauty queens
E* D7/F#
and high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
who married young and then re- tired
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
The valen- tines I never knew,
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
the friday nights, cha- rades of youth
E* D7/F#
Were spent on one more beautiful
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
At seven- teen I learned the truth
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bb
And those of us with ravaged faces,
Am D7/F#
lacking in the social graces
Gm Cm
Desp'ratly re- mained at home
Gm Cm
in- venting lovers on the phone
Eb D Bb6 - Cm6
Who called and say: "come dance with me"
Gm Cm
and murmured vague ob- scenities,
Am7
It isn't all it seems
D7/F#
at seventeen
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
A brown eyed girl in hand-me- downs,
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
whose name I never could pro- nounce
E* D7/F#
said "Pity, please, the ones who serve,
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
they only get what they de- serve.
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
The rich re- lationed home-town queen
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
marries into what she needs
D7/F#
With a guarantee of company
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
and haven for the elder- ly"
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bb
Re- member those who win the game,
Am D7/F#
lose the love they sought to gain
Gm Cm
In debentures of quality
Gm Cm
and dubious in- tegrity
Eb D G*
Their small town eyes will gape at you
Gm Cm
in dull surprise when payment due
Am7
Ex- ceeds accounts received
D7/F#
at seventeen
Break:
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - EmG - G*
Dsus2/A - Am - E/A - Am7 -
D7/F#
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - EmG - G*
Bb
Am - D7/F# -
Gm - Cm
Gm - Cm
Eb - D - G*
Gm - Cm
e|-------7s5/-----7p5| |--2-3-/2-------/2-----/--2-3-2-3--2/
B|-----1----/-7p5-7p5| |0-3-3-/3-3---3-/3-3---/3-3--------3/
G|-0---0-7s5/-7p5-7p5| |4-4-4-/4-4-4-4-/4-4-4-/4-4--------4/ 2x
D|--2--2----/-7p5----| |5-5-5-/5-5-5-5-/5-5-5-/5-5--------5/
A|0--0-0----/5-------| |5-----/--------/------/------------/
E|----------/--------| |3-----/--------/------/------------/
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
To those of us who know the pain
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
of valen- tines that never came,
D7/F#
and those whose name were never called
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
when choosing sides at basket- ball
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/G G*
It was long a- go and far a- way
Dsus2/A Am E/A Am7
The world was younger than to- day
D7/F#
and dreams were all they gave for free
Bm7/G G Gmaj7 Em/C G*
to ugly duckling girls like me
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G*
Bb
We all play the game and when we dare
Am D7/F#
to cheat ourselves at solitaire
Gm Cm
In- venting lovers on the phone,
Gm Cm
re- penting other lives unknown
Eb D G*
that call and say "Come dance with me",
Gm Cm
and murmur vague ob- scenities
Am7
at ugly girls like me,
D7/F#
at seventeen
Bm7/G* - G - Gmaj7 - Em/G - G* Bm7/G//
Bm7/G* 32023x
G 3200xx
Gmaj7 3240xx
Em/G 3220xx
G* 320xxx
Bm7/G 3202xx
Dsus2/A x0223x
E/A x0210x
Am7 x0201x
E* 0xxxxx
D7/F# 2x021x
Gm 35533x
Cm x35543
Eb x65343
D x54232
Bb6 xxx333
Cm6 xxx545