Robin Black the frontman had previously lived in Manitoba, performing with … Read Full Bio ↴Robin Black the frontman had previously lived in Manitoba, performing with the band Ballroom Zombies. He moved to Toronto in 1998 to form Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars. One of the band members he would find was Killer Ky; a Canadian guitarist who had played with the band Sassy Scarlet as well as performing with Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls) and Michael Monroe's (Hanoi Rocks) solo groups.

The band released their first recording, a novelty CD single cut in the shape of a star, in 2000. The album Planet Fame, produced by Moe Berg and Garth Richardson, followed on February 14, 2002. It was filled with glam rock tracks, led by the single "So Sick of You". A video for the single was also released.

Prior to the release of their second album, the band brought in two new members; Chris Kidd and John "The Creep" Kerns. The 2005 album was named Instant Classic, and was produced by Bob Ezrin along with Garth Richardson. For this release the band's name was shortened to just Robin Black.

They toured extensively for this release, including the UK, where they toured with British rock band, Disarm.

In July/August 2008 they are touring in Canada and later the UK with The Pleasures and Patchwork Grace. They have a new line up made up of Robin Black, Starboy, Rob Southon, Aaron Verdonk and Peter Arvidsson.

Seventeen
Robin Black Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Starboy singing)
Wish you could see her, wish you would see
She's the most beautiful girl in all of the world
And I love her. Honest oh honest I do
Wish you could see her wish you could see
She's the most beautiful girl in all of the world
And I won her. Honest oh Honest it's true
Don't it make you feel

Don't it make you feel like your seventeen?

(Robin singing)
I feel my heart torn from my chest
And I have nothing to show for my shame
I couldn't swallow your bitter pill
And I'm desperate and lonely again
I need to see that you understand
I am so injured and angry at you
Don't it make you feel
I feel like I'm dying
Don't it make you feel
I feel like I'm dying
Don't it make you feel
Like your seventeen?

I'd feel seventeen if we could dance
Oh it's true
I wound up with pain when I wanted

Romance thanks to you

I got my heart torn from my chest
And I have nothing to show for my pain
Am I'm so easy to hunt and kill that I'm desperate and
Lonley again
Don't it make you feel
I feel like I'm dying
Don't it make you feel
I feel like I'm dying
Don't it make you feel
I feel like I'm dying
Don't it make you feel
Like your seventeen

I can't believe it
She's the most beautiful girl
Don't it make you feel
I can't believe it
Don't it make you feel like your seventeen
I can't believe it
Ooh ooh
She's the most beautiful girl
Don't it make you feel
Like your seventeen
I can't believe it
Ooh ooh
She the most beautiful girl
Don't I make you feel
Like your seventeen

I can't believe it
She's the most beautiful girl

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Robin Black's "Seventeen" are divided between two singers. In the first half of the song, Starboy sings about how beautiful his love is and how much he loves her. He wishes the listener could see her beauty too and emphasizes how true his feelings are. The second half of the song belongs to Robin, who sings about their heartbreak and emotional pain. They are hurt by the actions of their loved one and feel desperate and lonely. The repeated line "don't it make you feel like you're seventeen?" ties the two halves of the song together. It brings to mind the intense emotions and passionate love that one might experience as a teenager, but also the pain and heartbreak that often accompany such intense feelings.

The song's overall message is about the ups and downs of love, and how it can make you feel young and alive, but also vulnerable and hurt. The contrast between the two parts of the song emphasizes this: the first half is about the initial rush of feelings and the excitement of falling in love, while the second half is about the aftermath of heartbreak and disappointment. The repetition of the line about feeling like you're seventeen is a reminder that even as adults, we can still experience those intense and complicated emotions that we first felt as teenagers.

Line by Line Meaning

Wish you could see her, wish you would see
The singer wants others to acknowledge the beauty of his love interest

She's the most beautiful girl in all of the world
The singer believes that his love interest is the most stunning girl in the world

And I love her. Honest oh honest I do
The singer is being sincere about his love for his girlfriend

And I won her. Honest oh Honest it's true
The singer is proud of winning the love of his girlfriend

Don't it make you feel
This line acts as a transition, asking the listener to put themselves in the singer's shoes

I feel my heart torn from my chest
The singer's heart feels ripped out of his chest

And I have nothing to show for my shame
The singer is embarrassed and has nothing to show for his mistakes

I couldn't swallow your bitter pill
The singer couldn't accept the hurt that his partner has caused him

And I'm desperate and lonely again
The singer feels lonely and helpless after losing his partner

I need to see that you understand
The singer wants his partner to recognize his pain and apologize

I am so injured and angry at you
The singer is injured emotionally and angry with his partner

I feel like I'm dying
The singer feels as if he's slowly dying inside

I'd feel seventeen if we could dance
The singer would feel young and alive again if they could dance with their partner

I wound up with pain when I wanted romance thanks to you
The singer was left in pain instead of experiencing the romance he wanted, all because of his partner

Am I'm so easy to hunt and kill that I'm desperate and Lonely again
The singer feels like he's easy prey for those who hurt him, leaving him feeling alone and desperate once again

Like your seventeen
The singer wants to relive the happiness and carefree nature he felt at seventeen through dancing

I can't believe it
The singer can't believe how beautiful he finds his girlfriend

Don't it make you feel like your seventeen
The singer is asking if the happiness he feels when he's with his girlfriend makes others feel young and carefree again

She's the most beautiful girl
The singer repeats his admiration for his girlfriend's beauty

Contributed by Christian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS