美國創作歌手［珍妮絲伊恩］代表作──流行／民謠／軟式搖滾抒情曲──［At Seventeen／在十七歲］

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 isnt 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"

And the rich-relationed hometown queen
Marries into what she needs
With a guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly

Remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
In debentures 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
To cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown

They call and say, "Come dance with me"
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me
At seventeen

１９５１年４月生於紐澤西州的珍妮絲伊恩（Janis Ian）是美國創作歌手，以民謠曲風為主

兩對祖父母（來自波蘭、烏克蘭和烏茲別克塔什干）１９１８ 年左右從英國移民到美國。

父親是一名音樂老師，母親珀爾是一名大學籌款人，他們都是猶太出生的自由無神論者．

珍妮絲於１９６７年踏入歌壇，發行首張同名專輯．

首支單曲［Societys Child］登上美國告示牌單曲榜＃１４　受到矚目，但接下的大碟單曲接反應冷漠．

１９７５年３月，伊恩推出第七張大碟［Between the Lines／言外之意］（Columbia發行）

本人負責１１首詞曲創作．

由Brooks Arthur製作，評價良好．被認為”整部作品將她誠實和懺悔的歌詞與同樣引人入勝的流行／搖滾和明確的爵士樂和藍調融合在一起。”（Allmusic）

首支單曲未入單曲榜．

１９７５年７月，２４歲的珍妮絲推出第二單曲［At Seventeen／在十七歲］

這是伊恩根據《紐約時報》的一篇文章寫了歌詞且作曲，

編曲使用桑巴樂器，布魯克斯·阿瑟製作成一首流行／民謠／軟式搖滾抒情曲，

在輕柔搖曳的節奏間，伊恩講述一名高中時被社會拋棄的人的故事，廣受好評．

《The Advocate 》的 Gina Vivinetto 將［At Seventeen］總結為「有史以來關於女性成長的最佳歌曲」。

《鄉村之聲》的Brittany Spanos將這首歌的成功歸因於伊恩對其主題的親密表達，並將其比作瓊妮·米雪兒的第四張錄音室專輯［Blue］。

Jeff and Don Breithaupt wrote寫道，這首歌“通過清晰細緻的歌詞，超越了一般憂鬱的水平”。

［At Seventeen］登上Billboard單曲榜＃３──成為伊恩事業最成功的單曲（1975年終#20）

副榜──成人當代榜冠軍（1975年終#1）　銷售超過１００萬張（金唱片）

加拿大單曲榜＃６　澳大利亞＃１８　紐西蘭＃３７　法國＃５３

此曲為伊恩贏得葛萊美最佳流行女歌手獎，並提名年度唱片和年度歌曲。

單曲的成功帶動大碟銷售，［Between the Lines／言外之意］登上美國Billboard專輯榜冠軍（1975年終#12／1975年終#83）──成為伊恩事業最成功的專輯　

銷售超過１００萬張（金唱片）

加拿大榜＃４（1975年終#41）　澳大利亞＃１６　

［At Seventeen］經常出現在電視和電影中， 也常被翻唱．

這是伊恩商業上最成功的歌曲之一，被認為是她的招牌歌曲。

Audio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi-5tiHE48c

Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCp-ymJpRP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZQyoiXzUrY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMUz2TNMvL0

TOTP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrUpG7gZBBg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTNSVikXfRU