Music Doesn't Lie - Part 1 (At Seventeen)

"Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world,

then it can only happen through music." – Jimi Hendrix

This is the first blog for an ongoing music themed series of postings.  With the recent deaths of Whitney Houston and Donna Summer, friends have been posting on Facebook how much Whitney's and Donna's music affected my friends' formative years. I can't truly relate because I was never a big Whitney or Donna fan -- out of 100s and 100s of albums, I have 1 Donna Summer and zero Whitney Houston albums. But it got me thinking about which music and musicians have had an important impact on my life. My plan is to randomly post about songs which have influenced me and my life.  There is no rhyme or reason for the postings - just random songs as they occur to me.

These are vinyl records!

I knew from a very early age that music would be an important aspect in my life, when at the age of 5, I was obsessed with learning every lyric from Don McLean's Vincent (Starry, Starry Night). This obsession of learning all the lyrics still holds true today.  And much as I love that song, it is not the first song I will be posting.  In 1975, at the age of 9, I was introduced to the music of folk singer, Janis Ian by my sister with Ian's album, Between the Lines and immediately fell in love with the album.  So much so, that I nearly wore out my sister's record with repeated playing.  (For the youngsters who don't know what a vinyl record is: see the photo on the right or, better yet, ask your parents... erm... grandparent's about them.)  Over 35 years later and I am still a huge fan of Ms. Ian and this album.  "The album's most popular single, At Seventeen, reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Ian won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song, and performed it on the first episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11 of that year."  This song has made a huge impact on my life.  I won't go so far as to say that it's my mantra, but pretty darn close. In less than 4 minutes, Janis summed up the realities of some women's lives. Beyond that, the lyrics speak for themselves. So without further ado, I give you At Seventeen by Janis Ian.

 "AT SEVENTEEN"

by Janis Ian

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 on, dance with me"
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me, at seventeen...