At Seventeen

Words: Chris Malme/Neil Chambers
To the tune of "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian

I learned the truth at seventeen
My dad wasn't a human bein'
But an alien thing that had been grown
In a secret place I've never known

My mother never recognised
The sly deceits and little lies
He used to keep the truth from her
He was a blob from Jupiter

    While those of us with writhing faces,
    Denizens of other places
    Desperately remained at home
    A victim of our chromosomes
    For should we venture to the streets
    A hail of stones and rocks would beat
    Upon our head it seems,
    At seventeen.

For those of us who knew the pain
Of trying to hide a second brain
And arms and legs always concealed
In case our true form be revealed

But we'll be bolder every day
"Beware the stranger", people say
And "watch the skies", they say in fear
Forget it, we're already here! 
Lyrics copyright © 1989 N. Chambers/C. Malme

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