Janis Ian on writing "At Seventeen," 1997

“I was literally at the kitchen table at my mom’s, and I just started playing that [melody]. I had been listening to a lot of Joao Gilberto, and I’ve always loved Brazilian music--I don’t know why. I was reading an article at the same time, and the article opened up with something like, ‘I learned the truth at 18.’ It was about a girl who had gone through prom week and had learned how valueless it was. And it just started. It took a long time to write--it was a three-month song."

From an Acoustic Guitar interview. More about Janis Ian, whose latest album is Folk Is the New Black, at her site.