27 Songs About Being 17

“White Teeth Teens” by Lorde

Song Year: 2013

When David Bowie calls you “the future of music,” you’re probably onto something. New Zealander Lorde does, indeed have something. For one thing, she’s got a gift for language, writing lyrics that paint nuanced pictures in novel ways.

“White Teeth Teens” follows that model, decrying the appearance vs. reality discrepancy of life in the time of Instagram. The teens with white teeth present a curated image to the world and lose sight of reality. They become obsessed with their imperfections and struggle to hide them from the world. In the end, they lose themselves.

“Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” by Broken Social Scene

Song Year: 2002

The 17-year-old girl in this song is one to whom the younger narrator looked up. The lyrics tell of the passage of time and how it changes us and those around us— physically, mentally, and emotionally.

It’s a sad song full of longing and bittersweet memories. And a lot of repetition.

“Damn You Seventeen” by Lady A

Song Year: 2014

A reference to a Def Leppard song may not scream 17 to some people, but to others, it’s a direct shot to the memory banks. This is another song about the fleeting nature of youth. But it’s also about the loss of innocence and the good old days.

The title seems to say that the narrator wishes she’d never experienced the age of 17. Since she did, she’s fully aware of what she’s missing and what she’s lost.

“Damn You Seventeen” isn’t a song about the most well-adjusted adult in the world, but most of us can relate to the sentiment, at least a little.

“Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Song Year: 2006

The lyrics of “Seventeen Ain’t So Sweet” evoke the It Gets Better campaign. The girl to whom the narrator sings isn’t dealing with coming out of the closet, but there’s still a whole vibe to the song regarding how life won’t always suck.

Let’s face it, for all the nostalgia and longing for youth, the teen years are tough for everyone, though they’re harder for some than others.

“17 Again” by Eurythmics

Song Year: 2000

One of Eurythmics' most personal and autobiographical songs, “17 Again” finds Annie Lennox reminiscing about her time with bandmate Dave Stewart. Though in 2000, the group was far from hanging up their musical cleats, they’d still been around long enough to look back wistfully on a full career.

At the song’s end, Lennox sings a snippet from “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” the group’s signature song and a nice, nostalgic touch. 

“Seventeen” by Tim McGraw

Song Year: 1999

When it comes to heartfelt songs, Tim McGraw stands out. “Seventeen” continues that tradition. While it’s yet another song about how life was simpler, better, more fun, whatever way back then, McGraw sings lyrics that capture it with less of a morose tone than some others.

The idea that you’re only 17 permeates the song, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of wishing to go back to those days. After all, when McGraw was 17, he wasn’t rich and married to a beautiful woman.

“Seventeen” by Winger

Song Year: 1988

Kip Winger was the lead singer and bassist for Winger when “Seventeen” hit the charts. It’s a deceptively complicated song, musically, much more than mindless rock dreck.

It was a hit, driven not in small part by the singer’s good looks and the soft-core vibes he gives off in the video. He speaks of meeting a girl who says she's 17.

All that said, the song is infectious and more fun than it should be.

Best Songs About Being 17, Final Thoughts

Not all the songs about being 17 are fun, happy, or even remember it all that fondly, but nearly everyone can find something to relate to in these songs about that formative time in our lives. But did we leave out your favorite one? Let us know.