At Seventeen

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[Verse 1]
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I learnt the truth at seven - 
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teen,
     A7sus4   Am7       E/A    
That love was meant for beauty 
Am7
queens,
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      And high school girls with 
clear-skinned smiles,
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      Who married young, and 
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then re - tired

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[Verse 2]
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The valen - tines I never  knew,
    A7sus4  Am7         E/A      
The Friday  night cha - rades of 
Am7
youth,
D9/F#
       Were spent on one more 
beautiful,
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     At seven - teen, I learnt 
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the truth

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[Verse 3]
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And those of us with ravaged faces,
Am7                 D7
     Lacking in the social graces,
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Desperately re - mained at home, 
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in - venting lovers on the phone,
    Ebmaj7               D7
Who called to say, "Come dance with 
me!",
Gm7                        
     And murmured vague ob - 
  Cm7
senities,
Am7                               
     It isn't all it seems  ...at 
D9/F#
seventeen

[Verse 4]
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A brown eyed girl in 'hand - me - 
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downs',
Continues after the ad
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Whose name I never could pro - 
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nounce,
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       Said, "Pity please, the ones 
who serve,
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     They only get what they de -
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 serve!"

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[Verse 5]
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And the rich re - lationed 
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hometown queen,
A7sus4  Am7  E/A      Am7      
Marries into what she needs, 
     D9/F#
with a guarantee of company,
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And haven for the elder - ly   
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[Verse 6]
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Re - member those who win the game,
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Lose the love they sought to gain,
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In debentures of quality, and 
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dubious in - tegrity,
    Ebmaj7               D7       
The small town eyes will gape at 
         Gm7
you ...in dull surprise,
Cm7                  Am7     
    When payment due ...exceeds 
                         D9/F#
accounts received, at seventeen

[Verse 7 -Instrumental]
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A7sus4  Am7     E/A   Am7
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Gm7           Cm7
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D9/F#
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[Verse 8]
G  G9       G      Gmaj7    G6 
To those of us who knew the 
  G  A7sus4  Am7        E/A   
pain of Valen - tines that never 
Am7
came,
D9/F#
        And those whose names were 
never called...
G9          G                  
    ...When choosing sides for 
Gmaj7  G6   G
basket ball

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[Verse 9]
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It was long a - go, and far a - way,
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The world was younger than to - day,
D9/F#
       And dreams were all they gave
 for free...
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   ...To ugly duckling girls    
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...like me

[Verse 10]
G      Bb6
We all play the game,
                    Am7            
And when we dare to cheat ourselves
    D7
 at solitaire,
     Gm7            Cm7           
In - venting lovers on the phone, 
     Gm7           Cm7
re - penting other lives unknown,
     Ebmaj7              D7
That call and say, "Come dance with 
me!",
Gm7                        Cm7
     And murmur vague ob - senities,
Am7                              
     At ugly girls like me ...at 
D9/F#
seventeen

[Coda]
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Gmaj7 *
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