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,
Desp"rately remained at home
Inventing lovers on the phone
Who called to say, "Come dance with me,"
And murmurred 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 server
They only get what they deserve.
The rich relationed home town queen
Marries into what she needs
A guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly."
Remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
Indebentures 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 know 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
And dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly duckling girls like me.
We all playe the game and when we dare
To 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.
17살에 나는 이미 진실을 깨달았지.
사랑이란 깨끗한 피부와 미소를 가진 공주같이 이쁘고,
일찍 결혼해서 집안에 눌러 앉는 그런 여고생들.
그런 애들에게나 해당되는 거라는 걸.
나는 발렌타인 데이가 뭔지도 몰랐고,
금요일 밤에도 관심은 결국 이쁜 아이들이 독차지 하지.
열 일곱 살에 난 진실을 알았어