Exploring the Lyrics of 17 Going Under
- I was far too scared to hit him/But I would hit him in a heartbeat now - Being older and more confident, Fender fantasises about hitting somebody from long, and feels regret and remorse at not being violent
- She said the debt, the debt, the debt… - the repetition here shows Fender’s poverty and the endless cycle that clearly affected his youth
- Cold Septembers, the distances we covered/The fist fights on the beach, the bizzies round us up - the bizzies refers to the police, and represents the policies in a negative and disrespectful
- See I spent my teens enraged/Spiralin' in silence - Clearly angry at himself, Fender remembers his angry teen years and the frustration of them
- “Arm myself with a grin” this clear coping mechanism has connotations of weapons, war and violence
- “I remember the sickness was forever/I remember snuff videos” - referring to videos of actual death and murder, Fender may be referring to how teenagers may share horrible videos with each other
- I see my mother/The DWP see a number - The Department For Work and Pensions decide who does and does not get benefit payments, and the reperursioons for those who rely on this. The song has clear social realist tendencies
- “The DWP see a number” - the department for work and pensions are the government body that are in charge deciding who gets Jobseekers allowance and other payments. Many families rely on befits, especially in areas of material deprivation. This line gives the song a social realist quality
- Do it all again next week - the lifestyle of poverty is bleak and repetitive
- I remember snuff videos - a recording of someone dying, this violent and upsetting image gives the song a bleak atmosphere
- That's the thing, it lingers/And claws you when you're down - angry thoughts can liger, and can cause problems later
- The fist fights on the beach, the bizzies round us up - Newcastle slang, and again helps target a northern audience? A disrespectful mode of address
- “Shifting gear” - selling drugs, a sign of financial desperation
- Canny chanter, but he looks sad/God, the kid looks so sad - a reference to the singer, who is clearly chatty, but is also depressed. A highly depressing and personal song
