[00:08.55]I leaned the truth at seventeen
[00:11.79]That love was meant for beauty queens
[00:16.26]And high school girls with clear-skinned smiles
[00:20.58]Who married young and then retired
[00:27.09]The valentines
[00:31.17]I never knew
[00:31.44]The Friday night charades of youth
[00:35.94]Were spent on one more beautiful
[00:40.08]At seventeen
[00:42.36]I learned the truth
[00:47.82]And those of us with ravaged faces
[00:51.72]Lacking in the social graces
[00:55.20]Desperately remained at home
[00:58.89]Inventing lovers on the phone
[01:02.85]Who called to say, "Come dance with me"
[01:07.50]And murmured vague obscenities
[01:11.52]It isn't all it seems at seventeen
[01:18.30]A brown-eyed girl in hand-me-downs
[01:22.71]Whose name
[01:23.79]I never could pronounce
[01:26.76]Said, "Pity, please, the ones who serve'Cause they only get what they deserve"
[01:39.03]And the rich relationed hometown queen
[01:42.27]Marries into what she needs
[01:44.88]With a guarantee of company
[01:50.37]And haven for the elderly
[01:57.27]So remember those who win the game
[02:00.81]Lose the love they sought to gain
[02:04.47]In debentures of quality and dubious integrity
[02:12.00]Their small town eyes will gape at you
[02:15.78]In dull surprise when payment due
[02:20.73]Exceeds accounts received at seventeen
[02:24.51]To those of us who knew the pain
[02:38.97]Of valentines that never came
[02:43.74]And those whose names were never called
[02:47.49]When choosing sides for basketball
[02:54.12]It was long ago and far away
[02:59.94]The world was younger than today
[03:02.82]When dreams were all they gave for free
[03:06.60]To ugly duckling girls like me
[03:12.78]We all play the game and when we dare
[03:17.37]To cheat ourselves at solitaire
[03:21.12]Inventing lovers on the phone
[03:23.37]Repenting other lives unknown
[03:28.65]They call and say, "Come on, dance with me"
[03:33.24]And murmur vague obscenities
[03:35.79]At ugly girls like me at seventeen

I leaned 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'Cause they only get what they deserve"
And 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
To cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
They call and say, "Come on, dance with me"
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me at seventeen