Janis Ian At Seventeen

Live at BBC "The Old Grey Whistle Test"

[@davidsmith8489]

Dear G-d, what a song. How she so absolutely captures the inner torment of the socially-inept. The lyrics are to die for.

[@johnselleck898]

I always thought she was a great performer and attractive, then I found out she was gay.it didn't change my opinion one little bit.

[@donarthiazi2443]

​@@johnselleck898 🍪

[@Bopeliano]

I totally agree with your truly inspired comment... What a song...

[@tony_fortunato]

No cheerleader can compete with your voice, kindness, and sweetness

[@vh-tangoalphacharlie561]

Not even close ...

[@sirvayr]

I think she was a diamond in the rough, I find her very attractive at this time in her life.

[@laurencelevene4333]

She is so pretty

[@bethfornaro9383]

This song is timeless. Puts a lump in my throat. What a beautiful performance.

[@ellejacobo1360]

exactly

[@annartuso7084]

sometime you get valentines later on in life. I know, I did. and as I learned later all the cheerleaders only received theirs in high school. it was so worth the wait.

[@keithjackson7077]

Doesn't matter how many times I listen to this, truly better every play ❤️

[@susancaldwell9229]

What a beautiful song, I loved Janis in the 70’s, time I rediscovered her.

[@love-bulldogs]

If there was a gem of a song " this is one of them " you are as beautiful then as you still are today " thank you Janis keep it going " this world need soul like you " so we all don't fall off the edge 🙏

[@MHTutorials3D]

Been listening to this song since I was a kid. I'm pushing 60 now

[@betacall9634]

My younger daughter turns 17 this Friday Dec 11, 2020. I just sent her this song having first heard it in an 8th Grade rock music class in 1981. I remember thinking this has to be the most brutally honest song ever written. Hard not to put a lump in your throat even as a man and now Father to two young women.

[@TOTIARO]

Yeah I’m 58 and I was in tears just now listening to it . I remember when the song came out but I was much younger then and it didn’t hit the way it does now.

[@betacall9634]

@@TOTIAROturning 55 in two weeks. Same for me.

[@BennieWilll]

Janis was so inspirational when I saw her in 2021. Great speech about bringing people together. Janis shook my hand and greeted us. She is a wonderful human being inside and out.

[@betacall9634]

@@BennieWilllawesome that you got to meet her.

[@BennieWilll]

@@betacall9634 Someone got into a drunk fight in the audience. She stopped the show and confronted them, and gave them a lecture about how we are too divided. Then broke into At Seventeen. She was on stage in Boston with Livingston Taylor and Tom Chapin (Harry Chapin's brother). It was an awesome moment.

[@jfq7223]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. The best singer-songwriter line of the seventies: "The small town eyes will gape at you in dull surprise, when payment due, exceeds accounts received, at seventeen". Granted, it never would have been without Janis having heard many great songs before it. But that is just called inspiration.

[@oreoyeliab]

Exactly. There isn’t a singer/songwriter in this generation who could compose a lyric like this today.

[@Blueboy9055]

An absolute Masterpiece! A song that paints pictures with its words!!

[@paulmca8514]

I remember this from back in the 70`s, great song, but I never knew who it was until I was a bit older.

[@johnalbert1460]

Cinderella ???? I think so . Ms Janis Ian , I secretly connected with this song in the 7Os in high school , loved your voice . Shhhh , don’t tell anyone !

[@WHUFC71]

Its absolutely incredible that her voice hasn't changed in 30+ years! Still incredible and still valid for the youth of today!!🇬🇧❤🇬🇧❤🇬🇧😍

[@DFM3333]

The greatest singer/ writer of. All time

[@kimkochel6754]

I imagine there are alot of females that can relate to this song. I know that I can. Beautiful song,with a message. Thank you Janis Ian.

[@bellerophonchallen8861]

not just females.

[@timgillison1175]

Exactly :-)@@bellerophonchallen8861

[@bobmorrison5636]

Guys can relate as well, i know this one does

[@jamespaton3853]

Beautiful song so many of us can relate to this but few would be brave enough to claim it.

[@johnalbert1460]

Yeah your right , in the 70s I was in high school and I secretly liked and connected with this song . Don’t tell anyone .

[@dulally544]

A wonderful performance,great melody and meaningful lyrics that so many young women may relate to.

[@mrjomaled755]

I'm not a girl but God! I can relate.......

[@thiscorrosion900]

Dude, I once walked into a local drugstore on LI in 1989 or so, and this song was playing, and it still gets me in the gut so I had to split the store. It's so harsh.

[@walkawayrenee4290]

Teen years are tough on both males and females.😢

[@keithjackson7077]

Voice of an angel 💙

[@truthseeker000000]

There are beauty queens and good looking jock types at seventeen in every school in every country. Then there are the rest of us, girls and boys, who relate to the words of this beautiful song, because we had not blossomed at seventeen. Those teenage years were painful. But what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. It also does eventually get better.

[@randyjones4975]

Not always. 58 years old and still bitter. Can’t shake it . Still in the back of my head.

[@jenlovesthisstuff]

I would still rather be Janis than one of the popular beauty queen fake crowd.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

Most cheerleaders at my Jr & Sr HS were snobs, my young granddaughter asked me if she should play volleyball or cheer. Told her the mean girls were cheerleaders 📣, she agreed, haha

[@davidworden3335]

Wow I'm blown away 🎉

[@jimmyo1123]

Just saw her in concert she was great

[@ripd97]

I never realized how deep this song was.

[@donarthiazi2443]

Why do you think it is _deep?_ It's kinda just an age-old tale of the pain of growing up and not being part of the in-crowd... right? Lonely weekends being left out of all the fun stuff. If there's more to it then please explain it to me because I would REALLY like to understand what so many people seem to _get_ except for me 🤷 Thank you

[@fionajackson4452]

Perfect

[@Skin-ve2tt]

Genius.

[@ledzep310]

She's great

[@barbarasmith3579]

Whats a performance, and such a classy bass player! Love it..curly dark hair and great voice!

[@AlbyTastic]

How many of those long forgotten cheerleaders ever sounded this good and could write songs like Janis writes?

[@ripd97]

None could and in the end she out-shined them all.

[@donarthiazi2443]

​@@ripd97 Madonna would probably disagree with you. I've never liked Madonna's music at all but her talent is undeniable. Besides, there are tons of cheerleaders that continued on with success, especially actresses. Meryl Strep, Cameron Diaz, and Sandra Bullock, come to mind.

[@lucymcdee9109]

Sublime

[@f5mando]

I rushed out to order the import of this album after hearing her sing this Whistle Test. I had to wait many weeks for it, as it wasn't available where I lived. IT was well worth the wait, and her singing still gives me chills.

[@MoonlightNothing]

I remember seeing this the first time and it is just as fresh. ♡ Thanks!

[@frankiefrankie9973]

Amazing song and performance. Thanks!

[@ingridmaiato723]

Beautiful

[@tonybristol6561]

Love this song she is so talented.

[@lorenavasconcelos8538]

💙💙💙💙 this song touches my soul !!!! i am in tears!!!

[@glennrobb9671]

so well said. it's amazing how a such a remarkable song can stop you in your tracks .

[@SuperMcabral]

Beautiful song!

[@MrKeeft1]

What shame the sounds low but we DO get to hear the solos last harmonic...magic..its clean print..the same as on yesterday tonight..

[@markrogers7871]

yes,timeless

[@anthonyboerio4955]

OGWT performances are just the best!!!!!

[@juliansinclair2122]

What a song!!

[@heatherfoggon7937]

.What a gorgeous human being.Great voice and fab lyrics with a message to the world to just live in peace and be accepting of all . Saw her in Australia years ago and still love hearing her.

[@user-nl1gz3gt6k]

You are beautiful ❤

[@Kupcho58]

Good stuff there Janis. Lots of truths spoken (sung) here.

[@user-nl1gz3gt6k]

😂with Vincent ❤

[@tomlewis1279]

This is a fantastic song...but you didn't need me to tell you that.

[@clydecavalieri4511]

No, but thanks anyway!☺

[@user-nl1gz3gt6k]

❤

[@MamaB-SOI]

🙌🏾🙌🏾❤

[@claudiamarcia8126]

I loved your music

[@claudiamarcia8126]

Thank you so much

[@goonerbeau]

Janis Ian asserts feminine vulnerability unclothed on this teenager's lament. "At Seventeen", is an ode to lost innocence, confronting adolescent misery and perfectly capturing the turmoil inside the teenage ugly duckling.

[@yestfmf]

Who probably wasn’t actually ugly at all. I wish i was as good looking as i was 40 years ago……when i thought i wasn’t. The way she weaves words in this song is poignant, poetic, and conveys a LOT with a few words. And timeless, too.

[@jamescampbell2]

Wish I could have known you iwas just a teen.

[@kewsiyehboah9514]

Mrembo..👏

[@vernwallen4246]

💕💕💕👍👍👍❤❤❤

[@user-pm3uh8yo4f]

This was my depression song when I was young and wanted to feel sorry for myself and eating lots of junk, but I do love the song.

[@donarthiazi2443]

Exactly. Janis sings(mostly talks) her way through this song as if high school for her, _and only her,_ was so unbearable 🙄 Pssst... hey Jan, you were definitely NOT by yourself with that. It's always been that way and probably always will be, so quit the poor-pitiful-me. But hey, at least she had a huge hit(and Grammy?) with her boo-hooing so I guess she knew what she was doing 🤷

[@KittyGrizGriz]

@@donarthiazi2443Wow, so you really can’t relate to the premise of the song. Doesn’t mean you have to shoot the messenger. Grow up.

[@donarthiazi2443]

@@KittyGrizGriz The truth is the truth. You don't like it that's too bad.

[@KittyGrizGriz]

@@donarthiazi2443 😭😭😭😭😭

[@donarthiazi2443]

@@KittyGrizGriz 😂😂😂😂😂

[@user-nl1gz3gt6k]

You are beautiful again 😅 from Pete at the coop ❤

[@spambedam]

What profound thoughts. No, it wasn't all it seemed at seventeen for ugly ducks like us.

[@marvinmacapinlac1812]

Miller’s girl brought me here

[@marvinhancock6433]

Girls with long blonde hair ? Excuse me but I just fell in love with this girl who is short with curly dark hair and is mentally a 100 light years ahead of you and me too for that matter I want to learn from her so chew your gum jump up and down and be pretty because that's all you will ever do

[@g1rag]

Came here after hearing Violet Grohl's beautiful rendition of this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6O5fWadac6GZ8U

[@onekeypianoplayer]

4:06 the gitaurist did not meet the high note enough, missed on about 0,5 of one note, just not high enough,

[@jacquelinesuzann]

Dreams were all they gave for free to ugly duckling girls like me 😢

[@SteveEcksteinDouglasDrive]

MY GRAND PARENTS FORBID "DATING " OUTSIDE OUR RELIGION", BUT NOT OUTSIDE OUR RACE. TOOK YEARS, & SOME LEVEL OF GUTS(COLLEGE) TO DATE "OUTSIDE RACE & RELIGION. MARRIAGE , ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS RESERVED FOR " OUR OWN KIND". I FOLLOWED THEIR WISHES, YET NEVER BELIEVED THEIR TENANTS. MY "KIDS" R TRULY "FREE"OF THOSE ARCHAIC PREHISTORIC BELIEFS & PRACTICES. LOVE "JANIS IAN" 4 EVER.

[@Longboardsinglefin]

'tenets' ( ;

[@fiveshorts]

It's equivalent, and as timelessly poignant as Don McClean's "Vincent"

[@Nicholasvandermeer]

Why dont she just say this songs about highskool

[@rommelbernardo4204]

Creep must somehow gotten inspiration from this song.

[@georgefaulk2528]

Back when this song first came out, I thought it was about the pains of a teenager growing up. Now in this day and age it's clear she was full of rage, hatred and racism against anyone that was not black.

[@mermaid10x]

Take your meds grand dad you are obviously out of your gourd

[@scottneil9874]

She wasn’t black !! And unlike you she wasn’t full of racism and hate

[@MyJussuf]

Sorry to say but the guitar player is not up to what this would require, Otherwise the best son ever.

[@churchontime7106]

Goodness gracious, what an unfortunate guitar solo! It was like water and oil for this monumental song.

[@MyJussuf]

the guitar player could be better