For some reason today, I'm reminded of Janis Ian . . . . .

[ET Awful]

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth...

And those of us with ravaged faces
Lacking in the social graces
Desperately remained at home
Inventing lovers on the phone
Who called to say "come dance with me"
And murmured vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems at seventeen...

A brown eyed girl in hand me downs
Whose name I never could pronounce
Said: "Pity please the ones who serve
They only get what they deserve"
The rich relationed hometown queen
Marries into what she needs
With a guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly...

So remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
In debitures of quality and dubious integrity
Their small-town eyes will gape at you
In dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received at seventeen...

To those of us who knew the pain
Of valentines that never came
And those whose names were never called
When choosing sides for basketball
It was long ago and far away
the world was younger than today
when dreams were all they gave for free
to ugly duckling girls like me...

We all play the game, and when we dare
We cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
That call and say: "Come dance with me"
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me, at seventeen...

[MissMillie]

1. Thank you for that

I love that song. Kind of sums up my whole life....

[ET Awful]

2. I had never heard the song before until one time about 10 years ago

I was flipping through channels and there was a live broadcase from that years Newport Folk Festival on PBS, and she came on. I just sat there in awe . . . she's still a wonderful performer.

Richie Havens came on after her and did his song "Handsome Johnny" and told the story of who wrote it . . . believe it or not, that song was written by Lou Gossett, Jr. :)

[Gormy Cuss]

3. The first time I heard this song (as a teenager)

I wanted to give her a hug. It's such a beautiful and haunting song and too true -- many adolescent girls feel like the ugly girl for some portion of those years.