Artist: Janis Ian
Song: At seventeen
Tabbed by: DJ
10th Dec 2012
Tuning:Standard
CAPO: 5th fret (Sounds in key of C)
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G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7
I learnt the truth at seven - teen, that love was meant for beauty queens,
D9/F#
And high school girls with clear - skinned smiles,
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
Who married young, and then re - tired! | / / / / | / / / / |
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7
The valen - tines I never knew, the Friday night cha - rades of youth,
D9/F#
Were spent on one more beautiful,
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
At seven - teen, I learnt the truth! | / / / / | / / / / |
Bb6 Am7 D7
And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces,
Gm7 Cm7 Gm7 Cm7
Desperately re - mained at home, in - venting lovers on the phone,
Ebmaj7 D7 Gm7 Cm7
Who called to say, "Come dance with me!", and murmured vague ob - senities,
Am7 D9/F#
It isn't all it seems... at seventeen!
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6
A brown eyed girl in 'hand - me - downs',
G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7 D9/F#
Whose name I never could pro- nounce, said,"Pity please, the ones who serve,
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
They only get what they de - serve!" | / / / / | / / / / |
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6
And the rich re - lationed hometown queen,
G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7 D9/F#
Marries into what she needs, with a guarantee of company,
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
And haven for the elder - ly! | / / / / | / / / / |
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/janis_ian/at_seventeen_crd_ver_3.html ]
Bb6 Am7 D7
Re - member those who win the game, lose the love they sought to gain,
Gm7 Cm7 Gm7 Cm7
In debentures of quality, and dubious in - tegrity,
Ebmaj7 D7 Gm7
Their small town eyes will gape at you in dull surprise,
Cm7 Am7 D9/F#
When payment due... exceeds accounts recieved, at seventeen!
G9 G Gmaj7 A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
D9/F# G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Bb6 Am7 D7
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Gm7 Cm7 Gm7 Cm7
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Ebmaj7 D7 Gm7 Cm7
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
Am7 D9/F#
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
| / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / |
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7
To those of us who knew the pain of Valen - tines that never came,
D9/F# G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
And those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basket ball!
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
| / / / / | / / / / |
(G) G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G A7sus4 Am7 E/A Am7
It was long a - go, and far a - way, the world was younger than to - day,
D9/F# G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G
And dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling girls... like me!
Bb6 Am7 D7
We all play the game, and when we dare to cheat ourselves at solitaire,
Gm7 Cm7 Gm7 Cm7
In - venting lovers on the phone, re - penting other lives unknown,
Ebmaj7 D7 Gm7 Cm7
That call to say, "Come dance with me!", and murmur vague ob - senities,
Am7 D9/F#
At ugly girls like me... at seventeen!
G9 G Gmaj7 G6 G Gmaj7(type2)
| / / / / | / / / / | / ||
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These are partial chords intended to be played in a latin rhythm,
in a fingerstyle using the thumb for the root notes,
and an upstroke with the index & middle fingers:
G9 = 3x02xx Bb6 = x1303x
G = 3x00xx G7 = 320001
Gmaj7 = 3x40xx D7 = xx0212
G6 = 3x20xx Gm7 = 353333
A7sus4 = x0203x Cm7 = x35343
Am7 = x0201x Ebmaj7 = xx1333
E/A = x0210x Gmaj7(type2) = 320002
D9/F# = 2x021x
