Sweet Sixteen
Judy Garland Lyrics

For fifteen years I've played a waiting game
For fifteen years, I've been waiting for a time when my life could finally begin

I've suffered like they do in Russian plays
I've experienced a great deal of pain and despair, like the characters in dramatic Russian plays

But if what's in store is really what they claim
If the future really holds what people say it does

I must admit that suffering really pays
Then I have to accept that all the pain and struggle I've been through was worth it

From one to four was such a bore
When I was between the ages of one and four, I was unimpressed and uninterested by the attention from people around me

I remember how I hated having all those people paw all over me and talk baby talk
I loathed the way people would treat me like a baby, touching me too much and speaking in a sing-song voice

they'd say goo-goo, isn't she cunning. Poor dear, she has her father's nose, ah-tic-a-tic-a-tic-a-tic-a-tic-a.
They would make comments like 'oh isn't she cute, she looks just like her dad,' using baby talk and meaningless words

The years from five to eight I hate, I've grown into a very unattractive child and consequently was utterly and completely ignored.
Between the ages of five and eight, I became an unattractive child, leading people to ignore me entirely

But I didn't really mind, I had a book of Mother Goose and Mother Goose is pretty hot stuff when you're five years old.
Despite the lack of attention, I didn't feel too bad because I had a book of nursery rhymes, which was very exciting when I was five years old

At nine I had the measles so that didn't count.
When I was nine, I had measles, so that year didn't really count in my mind

At ten I'd reached the performing stage and at the drop of a hat mother would call me in and have me sing The Rosary for her guests.
When I turned ten years old, I started performing for my mother's guests whenever she asked, singing The Rosary at a moment's notice

I never will forget how papa used to squirm when I hit that high note.
I remember how my father would fidget and squirm when I sang a particularly high note

From eleven to thirteen I'd rather not speak of. It was bad enough having Jimmy Doogan pull my hair in school but it was positively humiliating to have my own mother refer to me as her dear little ugly duckling
I don't want to talk about the years between eleven and thirteen, as I was already dealing with bullying by a boy named Jimmy Doogan, and my mother would refer to me as an ugly duckling, which was quite embarrassing

At fourteen I had my first taste of romance.
By the time I was fourteen, I experienced my first taste of love and romance

It was at a party at dancing school and he was younger than I was, shorter than I was.
I met a boy at a dance school party, but he was younger and shorter than me

Oh but he had a wonderful name - Archibold.
Despite his shortcomings, I was still attracted to him, perhaps because he had a great name - Archibold

And he really like me too, he really did but I had to go and spoil it all.
I felt that he really liked me too, but I messed things up by asking him to be my exclusive partner

I asked him right out if he'd be my best beau. That was the last I ever saw of him.
I immediately asked him if he'd become my main romantic partner but he never spoke to me again after that

By now I was fifteen and pretty miserable.
At fifteen years old, I was unhappy with my life

Mother refused to let me wear any lipstick or rouge and I went around looking as pale as death.
My mother wouldn't allow me to wear any makeup, making me look pale and sickly

It was then that I decided to join the monastery.
Feeling defeated, I considered joining a monastic order

And I would have too, if it hadn't been for Bing Crosby. I was afraid they wouldn't have any radios in monasteries. So, I devoted my fifteenth year to Kraft cheese.
However, I was worried that I wouldn't have a radio to listen to in the monastery, so instead I spent my fifteenth year eating Kraft cheese

But now it's a different story, I can brush away the tears
But now things have changed for me, and I can put my sadness behind me

And lau-augh at those awful fifteen years
I can even laugh at the terrible memories from the past fifteen years

For now I'm ... Sweet Sixteen and I've got my first long dress
Now that I'm sixteen, I have my first ball gown

I can even have a date one night a week
I'm even allowed to go on one date per week

I can paint my lips a little and rouge my cheeks
I'm even allowed to wear some makeup, such as lipstick and rouge

I'm sweet sixteen but I really must confess
Although I'm sixteen now, I must admit that life is still difficult

Although this grown up life isn't simple
I know that being an adult is not an easy feat

I wouldn't change places with Shirley Temple
Despite the challenges, I wouldn't even want to switch places with the most famous child star, Shirley Temple

Gee it's great to be just as free as the birds - above me
Nevertheless, it's great to feel free like a bird flying overhead

I'm a Juliet out to get a Romeo to love me
I'm like Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, in search of romance and someone to love me

I ask you, please forget that I was an in-between
I hope you can forget the years of my life where I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere

I mean my flags unfurled, I'm a woman of the world
Now, I'm open and ready to show the world who I am and embrace being a woman

I'm sweet sixteen...
And even though life is still challenging, I'm excited to see where it takes me