Beau Peep Notice Board

Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Roger Kettle on July 14, 2010, 09:56:33 PM

Title: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Roger Kettle on July 14, 2010, 09:56:33 PM
Janis Ian - At Seventeen (Live, 1976) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMUz2TNMvL0#)

Oh, let's see what happens.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Roger Kettle on July 14, 2010, 09:58:14 PM
Oh, it worked. I'm a girly. Seriously, I've always liked this song---I think it's rather sad.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: The Peepmaster on July 15, 2010, 07:50:02 AM
I remember you mentioning this before, Roger. (Not the fact that you're a girl.)

I suppose new members like Shed-Features won't be aware of your predilection, so it's been worth posting again.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Bilthehut on July 15, 2010, 09:09:56 AM
Oy, Peeps, get your own post box back on the ground.  Remember I wasted spent a lot of my time (and patience) reading through the past exploits and posts of the BP community and am still taking the tablets and counselling to recover.

Roger is just reminding us of his interest in music and new-found ability to post links without screwing it up.  So, he gets forgetful but that's age for you - speaking of which .....
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Bilthehut on July 15, 2010, 09:17:48 AM
Roger,  I have just now watched the clip properly (in one sitting) and it is good.    These clips do make you listen to the words more.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Roger Kettle on July 15, 2010, 09:34:24 AM
I was pretty sure I had posted this before but, this time, it was more about trying to master the new system for lifting stuff from YouTube.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on July 15, 2010, 09:41:05 AM
Okay, I'm a girly too. I've loved this song since the first time I heard it, and Janis Ian's 'Between The Lines' album (including 'At Seventeen') was one of the first I bought on iTunes for my phone. The song is beautifully melancholic, Ms Ian was beautiful (and I'm sure still is - hard to believe she felt compelled to write the song), and a wonderful poet and singer.

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

No idea what that means, but it's fabulous! I've never seen the Old Grey Whistle Test performance before, Roger, so thanks for that. A very moving rendition, living the song.

I've always enjoyed unusual female voices more than most male ones. Karen Carpenter, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Carly Simon, Joan Armatrading, Lulu (now, there's some girl band!) and many more. One of my favourites back in the days when I also had girly hair (as did Roger, as I recall) was Ricki Lee Jones, whose most famous hit was probably this one...

Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck Es in Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXvM0NWOn5c#)
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: The Peepmaster on July 15, 2010, 11:14:53 AM
I have to admit I also don't understand the lyrics entirely, Tranquil, especially the line about quality dentures.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Bilthehut on July 15, 2010, 11:39:52 AM
They stop falling out while you are singing.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Malc on July 16, 2010, 06:55:41 AM
Quote
Their small town eyes will gape at you
in dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received
At seventeen

The meaning is:
The small town Prom Queens expect their lives after school to pretty much be an extension of their existence as long as they continue on - they'll marry the High School jock, buy a house in the 'burbs close to mom, start a family eventually, blah blah...
Janis Ian is a lesbian, and always was. Her high school experiences are really less about being ignored by boys than her not putting out the "right" signals, i.e. wearing the right makeup, fluttering eyelashes, speaking in Marilyn Monroe tones to the boys she wanted, that sort of thing, therefore those who didn't understand who she was didn't expect much from her - she wouldn't find a handsome man, she wouldn't marry well, would probably die an old maid after a frustrated and unfulfilled life, etc.
These expectations were the ones that her schoolmates were prepared to bet on, i.e. these were the "payment due", in effect.
However, Janis always knew she was capable of reaching heights way in excess of anything her peers expected. She had already achieved experience and some success as a professional by the time "At Seventeen" was released. That success had "exceeded accounts received", so to speak, therefore those who weren't aware or clever enough to figure out who the real Janis was, found they were in debt, and watched on with expressions of amazement, their "small town eyes" agape.

That's what I reckon, anyway.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Bilthehut on July 16, 2010, 07:00:33 AM
Nice song, Roger.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on July 16, 2010, 09:19:15 AM
Quote from: Malc on July 16, 2010, 06:55:41 AM
Quote
Their small town eyes will gape at you
in dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received
At seventeen

The meaning is:
The small town Prom Queens expect their lives after school to pretty much be an extension of their existence as long as they continue on - they'll marry the High School jock, buy a house in the 'burbs close to mom, start a family eventually, blah blah...
Janis Ian is a lesbian, and always was. Her high school experiences are really less about being ignored by boys than her not putting out the "right" signals, i.e. wearing the right makeup, fluttering eyelashes, speaking in Marilyn Monroe tones to the boys she wanted, that sort of thing, therefore those who didn't understand who she was didn't expect much from her - she wouldn't find a handsome man, she wouldn't marry well, would probably die an old maid after a frustrated and unfulfilled life, etc.
These expectations were the ones that her schoolmates were prepared to bet on, i.e. these were the "payment due", in effect.
However, Janis always knew she was capable of reaching heights way in excess of anything her peers expected. She had already achieved experience and some success as a professional by the time "At Seventeen" was released. That success had "exceeded accounts received", so to speak, therefore those who weren't aware or clever enough to figure out who the real Janis was, found they were in debt, and watched on with expressions of amazement, their "small town eyes" agape.

That's what I reckon, anyway.

Ah. So, she wasn't a frustrated accountant then? Or a dentist?
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 16, 2010, 03:24:21 PM
Thanks for sorting that out Malc – So Roger Kettle is NOT a girly-girl but a lesbian.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on July 16, 2010, 05:31:20 PM
Quote from: Diane CBPFC on July 16, 2010, 03:24:21 PM
Thanks for sorting that out Malc – So Roger Kettle is NOT a girly-girl but a lesbian.

Aha! Makes sense. I always suspected he preferred women.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Vulture on July 16, 2010, 06:45:56 PM
 ;D ;D
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Roger Kettle on July 16, 2010, 07:50:32 PM
Malky seems to be strangely keen on "outing" female celebrities. He'll be telling us next that a babe like Ellen Degeneres is a lesbian.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Vulture on July 16, 2010, 09:04:13 PM
Quote from: Roger Kettle on July 16, 2010, 07:50:32 PM
Malky seems to be strangely keen on "outing" female celebrities. He'll be telling us next that a babe like Ellen Degeneres is a lesbian.

Noooo! Surely even Malky wouldn't be so mean?
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Joan on July 17, 2010, 05:38:34 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Joan on July 17, 2010, 05:41:38 AM
Quote from: The Peepmaster on July 15, 2010, 07:50:02 AM
I remember you mentioning this before, Roger. (Not the fact that you're a girl.)

I suppose new members like Shed-Features won't be aware of your predilection, so it's been worth posting again.

I'm so glad I didn't use a nickname when I registered here.
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Tom on July 17, 2010, 10:55:32 AM
Quote from: Joan on July 17, 2010, 05:41:38 AM
I'm so glad I didn't use a nickname when I registered here.

 :o squelch! :o Me too, Joan. Me too!
 ;)
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Malc on July 17, 2010, 02:23:09 PM
Yes, Ellen is gay, as are Angelina Jolie, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dolly Parton and Oprah. ;)
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Vulture on July 17, 2010, 04:49:54 PM
It's good to read about so many happy people!
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Malc on July 17, 2010, 10:10:18 PM
I was wrong about Eleanor. She's no longer gay, but she was when she was alive.

 ..0
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Joan on July 18, 2010, 02:48:38 AM
Quote from: Tom on July 17, 2010, 10:55:32 AM
Quote from: Joan on July 17, 2010, 05:41:38 AM
I'm so glad I didn't use a nickname when I registered here.

 :o squelch! :o Me too, Joan. Me too!
 ;)

OMG, Tom! You have a good memory.  That was on the old forum when I first posted, briefly, before we came over to this one.  Shhhh!
Title: Re: Good song. My girly side.
Post by: Max on July 20, 2010, 09:37:37 PM
Oh Jings, so many lesleybeans, please don't tell me Charlene of "I've never been to me" fame was one, or even Meri Wilson "telephone man", now those were REAL girlies.  I think.....   Could be wrong I aspose.