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Janis Ian - At Seventeen Chords

Chord reference C, Dm, G7, D#, G#, Cm7, Fm7
Rhythm tips ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

I [C]learned the truth at seventeen That [Dm]love was meant for beauty queens and [G7]high school girls with clear skinned smiles who [C]married young and then retired The [C]valentines I never knew, the [Dm]friday nights, charades of youth were [G7]spent on one more beautiful At [C]seventeen I learned the truth

And [D#]those of us with ravaged faces, [Dm]lacking in the [G7]social graces [Cm7]Desp’ratly re[Fm7]mained at home [Cm7]inventing lovers [Fm7]on the phone Who [G#]called and say “come [G7]dance with me” and [Cm7]murmured vague ob[Fm7]scenities [Dm7]It isn’t all it seems at [G7]seventeen

A [C]brown eyed girl in hand me downs, whose [Dm]name I never could pronounce said “[G7]Pity, please, the ones who serve, they [C]only get what they deserve. The [C]rich relationed home town queen [Dm]marries into what she needs A [G7]guarantee of company and [C]haven for the elderly”

Re[D#]member those who win the game, [Dm7]lose the love they [G7]sought to gain In [Cm7]debentures of [Fm7]quality and [Cm7]dubious in[Fm7]tegrity Their [G#]small town eyes will [G7]gape at you in [Cm7]dull surprise when [F7]payment due [Dm7]exceeds accounts received at [G7]seventeen

To [C]those of us who know the pain of [Dm]valentines that never came, and [G7]those whose name were never called when [C]choosing side at basketball It [C]was long ago and far away The [Dm]world was younger than today and [G7]dreams were all they gave for free to [C]ugly duckling girls like me

We all [D#]play the game and when we dare to [Dm7]cheat ourselves at [G7]solitaire In[Cm7]venting lovers [Fm7]on the phone, re[Cm7]penting other [Fm7]lives unknown that [G#]call and say “Come [G7]dance with me”, and [Cm7]murmur vague ob[Fm7]scenities [Dm7]at ugly girls like me, at [G7]seventeen [C] [Cmaj7]

Artist Janis Ian
Album Between the Lines
Genres Pop
Year 1975
Key C

How to Play At Seventeen on Guitar?

Janis Ian - At Seventeen can be played in the key of C using the C, Dm, G7, D#, G#, Cm7, Fm7 chords.

  • For C, To play C, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, G, high E ring open, mute A, D.
  • For Dm, To play Dm, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, press fret 1 on the high E string with finger 2, let A, D ring open, mute G, B.
  • For G7, To play G7, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute A, high E.
  • For D#, To play D# | Eb, press fret 3 on the low E string with finger 3, press fret 1 on the D string with finger 2, press fret 3 on the high E string with finger 3, let G ring open, mute A, B.
  • For G#, To play G# | Ab, press fret 4 on the low E string with finger 3, press fret 3 on the A string with finger 2, press fret 4 on the B string with finger 3, press fret 4 on the high E string with finger 3, mute D, G.
  • For Cm7, To play Cm7, barre fret 1 from the A string to the D string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 4, let G ring open, mute low E, high E.
  • For Fm7, To play Fm7, barre fret 1 from the D string to the high E string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 4, mute A.

Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat.

You can play At Seventeen with the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ strumming pattern.