Janis Ian / Between The Lines (US, Columbia, PC 33394) <March 1975>

Janis Ian / Between The Lines (US, Columbia, PC 33394)
(side 1) PAL-33394-1C (side 2) PBL-33394-1E

ジャニス・イアンは、ご存じの通り1966年9月；14歳の時の"Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)"で社会に衝撃を与え天才と言われた人ですが、一度は引退に近い状態になりました。1974年にアルバム"Stars(ジャニスの私小説)"で復帰し、この1975年3月に発表したアルバム"Between The Lines"とシングル・カットされた"At Seventeen"(17才の頃)"はいずれもNo.1ヒットになりました。シングルの方は第18回グラミー賞（1976年2月開催）で最優秀女性ポップ・ヴォーカル・パフォーマンス賞を受賞しました。「17才の頃」は、多分10代に聴くと響いただろうなと言うような内容の歌ですね。

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

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 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
We cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
That call and say - come on, dance with me
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me, at seventeen