You learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skin smiles
Married young then retired
Valentines you never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Was spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen you learned the truth
Until those of you with ravaged faces
Lacking in the social graces
Desperately remained that old
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 handmedowns
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
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 loneley girls who dream
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
And dreams were all they gave for free
To all the lonely girls who dream
You learned the truth at seventeen