Random Blog Post - Song Review of "Seventeen" By Sharon Van Etten
“Seventeen” by Sharon Van Etten
"I see you so uncomfortably alone, I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown." Those lyrics
plunged deep into my soul as I listened to Sharon Van Etten tear apart my heart the first time I heard
her song “Seventeen” off of her latest album Remind Me Tomorrow. Sharon put to words thoughts I
couldn’t even articulate about my adolescence. She poured out the most intimate thoughts about her
life that were so personal yet relatable for many of us. Her vulnerability in Seventeen taps into my own
insecurity I had at that age, yet strength I have now for the person I’ve become.
plunged deep into my soul as I listened to Sharon Van Etten tear apart my heart the first time I heard
her song “Seventeen” off of her latest album Remind Me Tomorrow. Sharon put to words thoughts I
couldn’t even articulate about my adolescence. She poured out the most intimate thoughts about her
life that were so personal yet relatable for many of us. Her vulnerability in Seventeen taps into my own
insecurity I had at that age, yet strength I have now for the person I’ve become.
Oh how I wish I could go tell my seventeen year old self that everything would be okay. I was wide
eyed yet confused and desperate to find certainty in life. “You’re just seventeen” would probably sound
so trivial to hear at the age of seventeen but I needed someone like my twenty two year old self to
remind high school me that there is time. Not everything has to be steady nor scary when you are
seventeen. “You think you’re so care free, but you’re just seventeen” tugs at my soul because I
sincerely thought having a persona that nothing mattered was the “cool thing to do”. And to be honest,
there was nothing to actually worry about yet. I was just seventeen, yet so much like I am now. I was
young and privileged to not face anything worth stressing over. I do miss having that simple mindset
but I am so thankful for the hardship I faced after seventeen to make me the confident person I am
today. There is still my happy and curious seventeen year old self in me but now I finally have
certainty in myself that I was craving for so long. The funniest part is is that 10 years from now I’ll
probably look back at this and laugh because by then I will know even more about who I am, which is
probably how Sharon feels too.
eyed yet confused and desperate to find certainty in life. “You’re just seventeen” would probably sound
so trivial to hear at the age of seventeen but I needed someone like my twenty two year old self to
remind high school me that there is time. Not everything has to be steady nor scary when you are
seventeen. “You think you’re so care free, but you’re just seventeen” tugs at my soul because I
sincerely thought having a persona that nothing mattered was the “cool thing to do”. And to be honest,
there was nothing to actually worry about yet. I was just seventeen, yet so much like I am now. I was
young and privileged to not face anything worth stressing over. I do miss having that simple mindset
but I am so thankful for the hardship I faced after seventeen to make me the confident person I am
today. There is still my happy and curious seventeen year old self in me but now I finally have
certainty in myself that I was craving for so long. The funniest part is is that 10 years from now I’ll
probably look back at this and laugh because by then I will know even more about who I am, which is
probably how Sharon feels too.
But the biggest thing that hits me in the song is the acceptance Sharon has with herself and the
confusion she faced to become the woman she is today. It is clear for so many of us that at the age of
seventeen and even now we struggle with understanding who we are. But “Seventeen” illuminates
that and encourages us to have acceptance for the fights we all encounter with finding ourselves.
confusion she faced to become the woman she is today. It is clear for so many of us that at the age of
seventeen and even now we struggle with understanding who we are. But “Seventeen” illuminates
that and encourages us to have acceptance for the fights we all encounter with finding ourselves.
Thank you, Sharon, for already creating my favorite song in 2019. I didn’t expect to find a song so
personal that would make me feel like you and I had the same youth. You managed to articulate all of
our doubts and turn it into an anthem for discovering ourselves. A part of me will always be just
seventeen.
personal that would make me feel like you and I had the same youth. You managed to articulate all of
our doubts and turn it into an anthem for discovering ourselves. A part of me will always be just
seventeen.
Thanks for writing about this song! Listening to it reminds me of my seventeen-year-old self, too. Boy, was I naive.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you tell your younger self now that you've gotten a bit older?
I immediately went to listen to the song, and you're right it is very powerful. I gain a sense that it is okay to mess up, fall down and try again. I also feel empowered knowing that there are others like myself who have struggled too. Thank you for sharing this song, it is now on my playlists!
ReplyDelete-Garrett
Olivia, thanks for sharing your post. I just heard the song for the first time. I was also not aware, that Sharon Van Etten wrote the song as a tribute to New York City, where she has been living since 2005!
ReplyDeletebest,
Angad Singh
Olivia,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your post for a variety of different reasons. One, I completely feel how you feel about the song. Our youth is a time to really learn about ourselves and learn from our failures. Additionally, I liked how you addressed your letter to Sharon, it truly felt like you were speaking to her and also it really deepened the connection to the song to me.
-Clifton