후우~
딱 이 한숨소리만이 Janis Ian의 At Seventeen에 대한 내가 할수 있는 대답인것 같다.
그녀가 16살에 데뷔한 후 24살이 되던해인 1975년 Between the Lines가 나왔는데 이 앨범이 그녀의 대표작이고 이 노래 역시 여기 들어있다.
정말 읊조리는 것 처럼 편하게 부르면서도
그리고 격하게 자기 감정을 표현하지 않고 절제하면서도 어찌 그런 호소력이 나오는지 모르겠다.
어떤 상황에서도 이곡은 나를 차분하게 가라앉히고 있고 또한 뜬금없는 추억에 참기게 한다.
매번 이곡을 들을 때마다 한숨을 쉬면서 먼데로 시선을 돌리게 된다…
(P.S – 매번 따라부르려고 노력해 봤지만 항상 쉽지 않다는걸 느낀다 휴우~)
-> At Seventeen : Janis Ian
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 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
They only get what they deserve.
The rich relationed hometown queen
she 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
Indebentures 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 know 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 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
That call and say, come dance with me
and murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me
At seventeen.