Songs about being 17

Cafe Society
1

Last year when my daughter turned 16, we had a party for her and her friends out on the back deck, and I had music playing. It took her and her friends about half the party until they realized that all the songs were ‘16’ related. I had thrown the mix together pretty quick that morning on a whim and it turned out decent but I think with a little more time it could have been kick-ass.

So she doesn’t turn 17 for six more months but I wanted to at least start collecting songs about being seventeen to include in next years mix. Last year was mainly her friends but this year I plan on having more of a mix with some of our friends as well as her friends,so the music can be a pretty broad range.

What I have so far:

Coming Clean–Greenday
I saw her Standing there-The Beatles
Seventeen-Jet
Seventeen aint so Sweet–the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Edge of Seventeen—Stevie Nicks
17-Kings of Leon
Seventeen-Ladytron
Seventeen–Metro Station
King of Nothing–Seals and Crofts
Forever Seventeen–Tim McGraw
Sexy and 17–Stray Cats

and if I really want to depress her I can always add

At Seventeen–Janis Ian

So any other songs you guys can think of that either are about turning 17 or being 17?

2

“This Year” by the Mountain Goats.

Though hopefully your daughter will have a better time than that kid…

3

When I was 17.
I drank some very good beer,
some very good beer, I purcahsed
with a fake ID,
my name was Sammy McGee,
I sayed up listening to Queen
When I was 17…

(or the original)

4

Thanks-I enjoyed that song and the video! Not that familiar with this group but they might require some exploration.

And Simplicio–how did I forget that song, it is one of my favorites. Thanks

5

I would avoid *Seventeen *by Winger.

6

You could include a song by the 80s synth pop band Heaven 17. Though I wouldn’t recommend it.

7

Coz we were barely 17 and we were barely dressed

Heh heh.

Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

8

I’m Seventeen - Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers

9

Seventeen, by the Sex Pistols.

10

Reelin’ In The Years by Steely Dan, “You’ve been telling me you were a genius since you were seventeen…”

11

“Dancing Queen” isn’t exactly about it, but it is about the freedom and daring of youth (as far as I can tell), so close enough?

12

“I Love Rock & Roll” has the lines, “I saw her dancing there by the record machine/ I knew she must’ve been about 17” in the original version by the Arrows.

Joan Jett’s cover changes the ‘her’ to ‘him’ and the ‘she’ to ‘he’ and is way more awesome because it’s Joan Jett.

13

Two German ones for the cosmopolitan effect:

17 Jahr, blondes Haar — Udo Juergens
'Du kannst nicht immer 17 sein - Chris Roberts

14

Ahhh, you beat me to it! LOL

15

The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There.”

(Well, she was just seventeen,
if you know what I mean…)

16

Jackson Browne, “Running on Empty”–“In '65, I was seventeen and running up one-oh-one…”
(101 is a highway, I assume?)

17

dupe

18

There’s a (IMO rather awful) song called “Seventeen” in the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera. That’s the first one that came to mind.

19

“Too Hot” by Kool and the Gang. At seventeen we fell in love/High school sweethearts/Love was so brand-new… Although it goes on to say that after the marriage, the relationship went downhill fast.

20

There’s always Sixteen Going on Seventeen from The Sound of Music.

And if you’re desperate, you can include Percy Grainger’s I’m Seventeen Come Sunday.