When looking at popular songs from both now and in the past, it seems like age 17 stands out as one of the most mentioned ages. Not only has this affected how the general population and especially teenagers view this age, it has also affected the music industry through increased sales of certain records.
When I was 17 years of age, I went through a bit of a challenging phase. The challenges varied in seriousness, and included, getting my permit, changing my likes and dislikes, and so much more. One thing that was constant was my love of music; I felt as though I could relate to the lyrics I heard, in some way or another. So as a way to relate to my 17-year-old self, I realized there was a variety of songs that described some of the challenges and feelings a person feels when they are 17.
Dancing Queen by ABBA
This song is a classic and it will forever be one of my favorite songs by the band. According to Billboard , “Dancing Queen” was the band’s most popular songs. It was released in 1976, in the pop category of music, but it also fit the disco vibe of the 1970’s and 1980’s. This song is about a young girl who is 17 and is living a carefree life, and people are just watching her go by. It’s a timeless classic and shows off the carefree spirit of being young, sweet, and 17.
It Was A Very Good Year by Frank Sinatra
Though this song isn’t totally about being just 17, the message of the song is about life passing and growing up. Sinatra goes through ages such as 17, 21, and 35, and how his outlook on life has changed more and more, as time has passed. The lyrics are written from a male’s perspective of being 17 and growing older, but it still has the message of enjoying the good years in your life. This song was released in 1965, and was originally written by Evrin Drake in 1961, though Sinatra was the singer who made it popular.
17 by Avril Lavigine
This song was released in 2013, by an artist who was reaching the peak of her popularity. This song is about being more of a rebel while being 17, and wanting to see how far they can push the limits. This is still a theme for a person wanting to do more, while being a teenager, and not having the ability to do everything, since you’re depicted as “just a dumb teenager,” yet you are told to “grow up” This is the reason behind the action when kids are pushing boundaries, since there is a constant message being pushed onto them to be more than they are, but not actually having the ability to do it. This is a great song to listen to if you want to know what a rebellious teenager is doing at 17.
A lot of the songs I have mentioned above are songs I really enjoy listening to, but I wanted to have a contrast with each of the songs I mentioned. Of all the songs that came to mind, I knew this song had to be included.
I Saw Her Standing There by The Beatles
This song was released by the Beatles in 1963. This song is about a person seeing a 17-year-old girl, and seeing how beautiful she was, and how they just saw her and fell for her. This can be kind of controversial though since, the person singing this song is talking about falling for a 17-year-old girl, and we don’t know how old they are, and it can be considered creepy if taken out of context. This can cause people, not only myself, to make assumptions about this song though this band has written many great songs.
Through time, teenagers have been depicted in so many different ways, but I wanted to focus on the age of 17 since, not too long ago I was there. The music industry, though it is still all over the place today, continues to depict teenagers in so many different ways. This adds to the reason why so many people want to grow up sooner and why they rush out of high school and childhood, to start their adult life. I think these songs are great examples of how, over time, points of view have changed, and why being 17 is such an awkward age for so many people. So, if you can, enjoy your youth even at the awkward age of 17.
