Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl
Broken Social Scene Lyrics


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Used to be one of the wretched ones and I liked you for that
Used to be one of the wretched ones and I liked you for that
Used to be one of the wretched ones and I liked you for that

Now you're all gone, got your make-up on and you're not coming back
Can't you come back?

Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that
Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that
Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that

Now you're all gone, got your make-up on and you're not coming back

Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath
Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath
Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath
Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under my window

Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me

Park that car, drop that phone
Park that car, drop that phone (dream about me)
Park that car, drop that phone
Park that car, drop that phone (dream about me)
Park that car, drop that phone





Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that
Now you're all gone, got your make-up on and you're not coming back

Overall Meaning

Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl is a beautifully haunting song by Broken Social Scene. The song is a lament for a friend, who used to be one of the "wretched ones" and one of the "rotten ones" - someone who didn't fit in and maybe even reveled in that fact. The repetition of "Used to be one of the [whatever] ones and I liked you for that" shows that the singer appreciated their friend's difference and perhaps felt a kinship with their outsider status.


The second half of the song seems to diverge from the first, focusing on the friend's transformation. They now have "make-up on" and are "bleaching" their teeth, and seem to be trying to fit in with the mainstream rather than standing out. The repetition of "Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me" suggests a longing for the past when they were all together and had fewer responsibilities. The final repetition of "Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that, now you're all gone, got your make-up on and you're not coming back" brings the song back to its original theme and adds a sense of finality to the lament.


Overall, the song can be read as a reflection on the sadness of growing up and growing apart from friends who used to feel like family. It also touches on the tension between wanting to be unique and wanting to fit in, and the pressure to conform as one gets older.


Line by Line Meaning

Used to be one of the wretched ones and I liked you for that
I used to be one of the outcasts, but I admired you for being one too


Now you're all gone, got your make-up on and you're not coming back
You've changed and moved on, but I'm still stuck in the past


Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath
You put on a façade of perfection, but secretly talk negatively about others


Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Forget your material possessions and focus on me, even in your dreams


Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that
I used to be one of the troublemakers, but I was drawn to you for being one too




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brendan Canning, Charles Ivan Spearin, Emily Haines, James Shaw, Jessica Moss, John Jefferson Crossingham, Justin Peroff, Kevin Drew

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Its_kkryss

Shoutout to the “I saw the Tv glow” trailer for bringing me back to this amazing song that I somehow forgot about

@mjolnair

Same here my dude I came from the trailer and this is song is pretty good

@beepboop9464

Same! I literally rewound the trailer like I recognize this from what seems like eons ago.

@s.rodriguez8308

Yuele cover is this sounds amazing

@welfarecorpse2718

SAME HERE!!!! Literally have it playing nonstop since that trailer! the memories!!!!

@EnzoTheBaker

Just to let you know, the version that plays in the trailer is a cover by Yeule

2 More Replies...

@jonthomas4915

A song that you appreciate when you're seventeen but don't really appreciate until you're well into your twenties.

@andyking7621

I'm 52 and it keeps getting better

@Mr.McGuffin

Wait till you hit your 30s and you been listening since 17..

@berquist87

I hear this ✌🏻

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