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 beautify 
 　　At seventeen I learned the truth 
 　　And those of us with ravaged faces 
 　　Lacking in the social graces 
 　　Desp'rately remained at home 
 　　Inventing lovers on the phone 
 　　Ian Janis 
 　　Who called to say "Come dance with me" 
 　　And murmered 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 
 　　A guarantee of company 
 　　And haven for the elderly" 
 　　Remember those who win the game 
 　　Lose the love they sought to gain 
 　　In debentures of quality 
 　　And dubious integrity 
 　　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 
 　　And dreams were all they gave for free 
 　　To ugly ducking 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 
 　　That call and say, "Come dance with me" 
 　　And murmur vague obscenities 
 　　At ugly girls like me at seventeen