Janis Ian - At Seventeen (Live, 1976)

[homeworkupload]

it grips at the heart...

[MrYORKSHIREGUY]

Amazing song.

Amazing lady.

[iyot1020]

as ron white would say everything external can be fixed with surgery but you cant fix stupid lol

[bettyswollex]

beautiful..

[TheJanetsvids]

So talented, so beautiful and brown eyed. Perhaps she had the misfortune of attending a school where there were a lot of negroes. They object to brown eyes and curly hair. LOL

[SRCW624]

@TheJanetsvids What the fuck is wrong with you

[caseyface3]

@TheJanetsvids were a lot or weren't a lot

[martaajoku1]

This song is beautiful

[iyot1020]

remember girls spontaneous mutations and polymorphisms will eventually get you in the end so you better develop prefrontal cortex as well.. hehehhhehehe

[mcaul24689]

It is just beautiful.

[moontic1]

it's all in the eye of the beholder....seriously, i can see Jennifer Beal's resemblance.

[ourlighthouse9]

this song meant so very much to me, since the first time I heard it..........I could relate to its words so very much, and for a long time I couldn't listen to it if anyone else was in the room........I had to be alone when I heard it, as I knew it would make me cry..........thank you for your beautiful music Janis

[DinosaurusRawr16]

Story of my life...

[suejinco]

Real music,thank you Janis

[Buzzmoogy]

When I was a very small child she came out with societys child and I loved it. I was like 7 years old with my ear to my transister radio. Then in highschool I was so ugly and bullied about it every day and this song came out and let me know I wasn't alone. I knew at age 7 she had something special and when I was 17 this song came out and kept me from offing myself. I Love You Janis!

[steve46111]

great song! you can tell like many of us in highschool Janis lived this song and every lyric she sings is REAL.

[earthmother]

wow, a real blast from the past....being a child of the 70s (17 in 1973) this song meant so much, and i never really understood why

[usabratt]

i think every girl who wasn't a cheerleader who's mom shopped at Zodys can relate. great song!

[mikejlp]

how true this haunting song is, for some, life is so easy, the rest of us struggle through.

[SpireaXY]

@mikejlp So beautiful and unknown.

[love187punk]

why we dont have songs like this in these days, i'm a fucking Arabian and i listen to Janis Ian every fucking day since 1997

[zidane851]

I first heard this song when i was 22 in 2008, needles to say i was captivated by the power of the lyrics from the first verse! what happened to real musicians like her????

[GreenVixen1]

Powerful. Timely even for today....2011

[ourlighthouse9]

what a fantastic talent Janis Ian is.............I actually cried when I first heard this song shortly after it came out.........and grew up listening to her music.........absolutely wonderful

[SIGNALSTAT]

janis new were so dam cute.

[lorettasams]

Olden days, oh olden days...this is how I felt...

Doin' a music colage...

[kanaka1893]

Seriously you don't hear this kind of music anymore and I don't mean the sound or the genre or even the style. It's from human experience and feeling, sad that most people can't even sing the songs they hear or even remember them because they recall a moment like these songs did for many. What happened and when did it change?

[whinenonna]

L O V E

[TropicalShirtTy]

What is she, like a quadroon?

[ronleon62]

Janice was very beautiful back then!

[mwngw]

I knew many kids in the boomer era who felt out of place and alone, as I myself was. Part of it was trying to come out of Catholic school and into public school. I was petrified, but I knew it was necessary.

[jwuerts]

Yeah, I would feel priviledged to have a date with her!

[bisp25]

3 dislikes, they must be cheerleaders

[rees276]

This song is so beautiful and touches a great many nerves

[geertschriever]

oh my god she is so belle and this song still breaks your heart

[LarryStaples]

Beauty lives within this girl...a voice and song for a generation.

Larry

[Zippertheslipper]

yes I miss the 70's, young and wild a child we were.

[quesapa]

GRANDE, JANIS!! i LOVE YOU!!!!

[justaleosfriend]

Three people who watched this were tall, blonde cheerleaders.

Because what other possible reason is there to dislike this song?

[recruiter40]

Some people get the illusion of happiness, and for others there is no illusions at all

[twj1996]

Genius. This is the "Catcher in the Rye" of songs.

[indigenous4logic]

Janis is all so wonderful, so beautiful.....♫Logic~♥~

[propellerdiver]

Your uncle Jeff had some great licks.

[Remerdre]

Wow... that's my Uncle Jeff doing the guitar solo. I knew he was in her band for several years, but I was just a kid at the time and didn't know who Janis Ian was. So cool to see him on YouTube, just a typical day at work!

[yeshuahfullofit]

A true classic. It has withstood the test of time. It as poignant today as it was then. Simply beautiful.

[shelleybobelly1]

youtube has to decide if my inaquaois comment is suitable. i know i spelled that wrong but fuck it.

[MrRuben61]

I love this song, in the 70's in San Luis R C.

[bella27xo1]

Great songxojill

[DiVaDuVaLL]

i also learned the truth at 17 this song has been w/me every since~DD

[frog1674]

This is still as good as it was in 1976, and still speaks to this special age

[shannonmorris]

In her own words - "To me it's never been a depressing song. It says 'ugly duckling girls like me,' and to me the ugly duckling always turns into a swan. It offers hope that there is a world out there of people who understand."

[PaulineBurke]

@shannonmorris When I look at the girls who got all the boys now, at 51, they look much older and much more tired than I do. I loved this song when I was seventeen in 1977 and its still great. No one else can sing it for me.

[manolosolo53]

@shannonmorris yes , this is true.

[windridr66]

People need to remember this outer shell is just that. Our true beauty lies within us all. We are all perfect and beautiful in our own ways.

[ringbolt9]

great song. tough truth of life looks matter so much. horrible but what can you do. human nature i suppose. :(

[mitrojsr]

@ringbolt9 thats right on. Fascinating comment

[PhoenixPhire22]

I remember my mom playing this on my 17 th birthday. I had never heard it before but it was on some 'sound of the 70s' cd she happened to get that day. I went in my room and cried my eyes out. I mean I'm a guy but I could still relate to her feelings being conveyed here. I hated my self at that time in my life... Can't say much has changed 10 years later but anyway...

[TheDisconaut]

I remember hearing "At Seventeen" on the radio when I was very young. I love this song! Not sure why, but, even before I reached my teens, I connected with and strongly related to the feeling of being ostracized and rejected. Janis has the voice of an angel. She softly, yet persistently emotes the heartache & loneliness of being unpopular... The lyrics always moved me deeply... Classic, timeless, wonderful tune.

[jennifurby11]

She wrote this song about me.

[REFFF5501]

I think everybody go trough something like this...good song.......

[allourdogs]

magnificent - heartbreakingly beautiful -so many 17 year old ave suffered this way

[utuberudeboob]

She's a cutie.

[fm2dmax]

In this economy I see people who are dangerously incompetent getting jobs that might have otherwise gone to "ugly ducklings" who actually are competent and inspired ... except that US culture values cute and entertaining employees over competency. America values comfort and feeling good.

This song thus is all the MORE relevant 37 and 47 as it was then ...

[BrandiWine19881]

I sang this song for my JustletMeSing audition. Because I was an ugly duckling myself, but am now quite beautiful_ just as she is. I love her. I relate to this song with passion.

[TheAliharris]

this is so relevant in today's airbrushed society of nothing but plasticity. We are all real people, look within to see the real beauty, this most amazingly fabulously talented lady has sung and written ther most amazing songs with the most amazing lyrics. Brings me t tears mostly, world please pay attention...... !

[chiefmate91]

my favourite when i was seventeen.....

[mergblue]

She has perfect rhythm. It's like her voice is floating above the music, not part of it, yet separate. It's a rare thing to witness in pop music.

[tarponbytes]

i'm so happy to have found this video. i guess i too am hard on myself, but back then this was a fav song of mine <:)}}}}}<

[michellecwilliams]

i so love this song.

[llaves973]

janis lan your gorgeous only if i was born back then

[odysseus96]

Soooo Beautiful! Was always one of favorites.

[potatoepatty]

such an amazing voice........

[mrreptilebrain]

When Janis Ian released this song, she was considered a washed-up one-hit-wonder from her song Society's Child, which she recorded when she was 13. She essentially launched a second career at age 25.

[swtxwishes]

I'm here because of Taylor Momsen's Twitter.

[Congest]

@swtxwishes

Same. Nice song, though.

[5m33tontono]

she is 50 and looks old

[arthurdonachy]

@5m33tontono so

[krizo67]

sweet song

[meggianna17]

I just saw this for the first time on the complete first season of Saturday Night. She was the first musical guest with the first guest host, George Carlin. This song is so sadly beautiful. I was in awe when she started singing. On SNL, her voice was very powerful, it boomed in the room and bounced off the walls.

[80sVidLover]

Another powerful live performance from the Old Grey Whistle Test. OGWT has some of the BEST music from teh 70's.

[kulturaroma]

Thanks to Homer and Chief Wiggum. Brilliant song!!!

[sbubbb]

I appreciate this song more now than when I was in high school or junior high when this came out........And, as it turns out, looking at this video, Janis was certainly no ugly duckling!.........Wow, what a beautiful song!

[ML017]

Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Vega, Norah Jones -- wish we could hear more from them.  They take their craft seriously; they don't just get up and sing stupid songs to get high sales. Wish the public was more sav vy.

[yosomig]

i can still remember the first time i heard this song .

it made my heart ache. im 61 and it still makes me sad. but now its a good kind of sad...

[1bichon1]

Those cheerleaders MAY have been pretty on the outside but they were VERY UGLY on the inside! Who knows how they look today. I'm sure that they all got plastic surgery. That's all they ever had were thier looks. Brains and talent they never had. They may have been jealous of you! You were and still ARE naturally beautiful on the inside and the outside. You sing from my heart. Thank you Janis.

[lisastuf]

I was 16 in 1976 and I remember thinking this song was the story of my life!

I love this song and it still evokes strong emotion from me when I hear it.

[shaygirl7673]

classic.

[nt0xik8ed]

wish i could go back an apologize to all the people i was mean to. i didn't know...

[sk8rchic911]

I agree. Janis is quite pretty. Relate to h.s. however like many people..just in a different way. Great talent!!

[PETERTEDDY]

I love this song. I can't believe what a beautiful sound Janis has. The sentiment and feeling she has in her simple but fantastic voice is beyond any other

[RICHMOND94114]

i saw janis last night 9-16-08 at YOSHI'S in san francisco. it was one of the most amazing concerts i've ever seen. i've seen pink floyd, david bowie, eagles, linda ronstadt, crosby stills nash and young, jefferson starship just to name a few.

janis had no props, no lasers, no effects. she had her voice, guitars and heartfelt lifetime of stories. she sang and spoke indelibly. she's relevant in what she sings about and speaks of. THANK YOU JANIS...

[madchives]

thanks a lot for the post. she still gives me chills with this one, yikes.

[73schwinnparamount]

janis was pretty tough on herself, I think most people would find her quite beautiful..

[TheYankeefan87]

@73schwinnparamount your right she was and is beautiful I'm glad i am not the only one cause it would be a shame to think that .

[dave4248]

@73schwinnparamount Exactly schwinn.That's the problem. The people you refer to (who think she's beautiful) aren't enough for someone like her. She's too self-involved to notice them.

[docteurchris14]

@73schwinnparamount So did I ! not only charming but simply beautifull. She's always today

[oldmenatthezoo]

worked with janis last year.....such a sweet lady

[DaVooz]

tell us more!

[beeb1421]

gives me the chills at 4:21

[modeste91]

It was, is and allways will be a great song!

Go Ian!