Edge of Seventeen (song)
Encyclopedia
"Edge of Seventeen" is a song written and recorded by American
singer Stevie Nicks
, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna
. Written by Nicks to express the grief resulting from the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon
during the same week of December 1980, the song features a distinctive, chugging 16th-note guitar riff, and a simple chord structure typical of Nicks's songs.
Released as a single in early 1982, it just missed out on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100
making #11 and the live version on the B-side reached #26 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart. The album track had previously made the Top 5 of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in 1981, peaking at number four. It is one of Nicks' most enduring and recognizable songs, and has been covered by many artists. The distinctive riff was sampled
by Destiny's Child
in their 2001 song "Bootylicious
", with Nicks in a cameo appearance in the music video. The song was also sampled by Drum and Bass
musician High Contrast
in the song "Days Go By."
's first wife, Jane, about the couple's first meeting. Jane said they met "at the age of seventeen," but her strong Southern accent made it sound like "edge of seventeen" to Nicks. The singer liked the sound of the phrase so much that she told Jane she would write a song for it and give her credit for the inspiration.
Although Nicks originally planned to use the title for a song about Tom and Jane Petty, the deaths of her uncle Bill and of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980 inspired a new song for which Nicks used the title. Nicks' producer and friend Jimmy Iovine
was a close friend of Lennon, and Nicks felt helpless to comfort him. Soon after, she flew home to Phoenix, Arizona
, to be with her uncle Bill, who was dying of cancer
. She remained with her uncle and his family until his death.
, progressing through C, D, and E-Minor chords. During the bridge, the chords alternate twice between E-Minor and C. Wachtel claimed that a track by The Police
called "Bring On The Night
" was the inspiration for the riff.
As is typical of Nicks' songs, the lyrics are highly symbolic. Nicks has said that the white-winged dove
represents the spirit leaving the body on death, and some of the verses capture her experience of the days leading up to her uncle Jonathan's death.
Perhaps ironic for a song named for a mondegreen
, the line "Just like a white-winged dove" is sometimes misheard as "Just like a one-winged dove" or "just like the world we know", thus "Edge of Seventeen" has been cited frequently as a source of misheard lyrics since its release, and appears on a number of misheard lyrics web sites and in books of famous misheard lyrics.
A highly collectable 12" promo in a unique glossy picture sleeve was issued in the US and featured the full-length album version on the A side and the full-length 9-minute live version on the B side. Copies of this very rare item now change hands for over $150 USD on auction sites.
and in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
. It is also the entrance theme of the professional wrestling tag team The Canadian Ninjas, as well as that of one of its members, Portia Perez
.
The title of the film Edge of Seventeen
is based on the song title.
The song is parodied in an episode of South Park
, wherein it is erroneously played by Nicks' former band Fleetwood Mac
.
In an episode of American Dad (Flirting With Disaster
) Roger sings it, while high on cocaine
On The Hold Steady's album Separation Sunday, the song "Stevie Nix" includes the lines "Lord, to be seventeen forever" in presumed reference to Stevie Nicks' song.
The song is a downloadable content for Rock Band 3
.
The song was covered by Lindsay Lohan
on her 2005 album A Little More Personal (Raw)
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna
Bella Donna (album)
-The Band:* Stevie Nicks – vocals* Lori Perry – backup vocals* Sharon Celani – backup vocals*Tom Petty – vocals, guitar *Michael Campbell – guitar *Don Felder – guitar *Benmont Tench – organ, piano...
. Written by Nicks to express the grief resulting from the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
during the same week of December 1980, the song features a distinctive, chugging 16th-note guitar riff, and a simple chord structure typical of Nicks's songs.
Released as a single in early 1982, it just missed out on the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
making #11 and the live version on the B-side reached #26 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart. The album track had previously made the Top 5 of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in 1981, peaking at number four. It is one of Nicks' most enduring and recognizable songs, and has been covered by many artists. The distinctive riff was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
in their 2001 song "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...
", with Nicks in a cameo appearance in the music video. The song was also sampled by Drum and Bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
musician High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
in the song "Days Go By."
Inspiration
According to Nicks, the title came from a conversation she had with Tom PettyTom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
's first wife, Jane, about the couple's first meeting. Jane said they met "at the age of seventeen," but her strong Southern accent made it sound like "edge of seventeen" to Nicks. The singer liked the sound of the phrase so much that she told Jane she would write a song for it and give her credit for the inspiration.
Although Nicks originally planned to use the title for a song about Tom and Jane Petty, the deaths of her uncle Bill and of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980 inspired a new song for which Nicks used the title. Nicks' producer and friend Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine
James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...
was a close friend of Lennon, and Nicks felt helpless to comfort him. Soon after, she flew home to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, to be with her uncle Bill, who was dying of cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
. She remained with her uncle and his family until his death.
Composition
Throughout the song a distinctive 16th note guitar riff is played by Waddy WachtelWaddy Wachtel
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
, progressing through C, D, and E-Minor chords. During the bridge, the chords alternate twice between E-Minor and C. Wachtel claimed that a track by The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
called "Bring On The Night
Bring On the Night
Bring on the Night is a 1986 live album by Sting recorded over the course of several live shows in 1985 and released in 1986. The title is taken from a song by The Police from their 1979 album Reggatta de Blanc. The songs performed include Sting's early solo material from the studio album The Dream...
" was the inspiration for the riff.
As is typical of Nicks' songs, the lyrics are highly symbolic. Nicks has said that the white-winged dove
White-winged Dove
The White-winged Dove is a dove whose native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In recent years with increasing urbanization and backyard feeding, it has expanded throughout Texas and into Louisiana...
represents the spirit leaving the body on death, and some of the verses capture her experience of the days leading up to her uncle Jonathan's death.
Perhaps ironic for a song named for a mondegreen
Mondegreen
A mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
, the line "Just like a white-winged dove" is sometimes misheard as "Just like a one-winged dove" or "just like the world we know", thus "Edge of Seventeen" has been cited frequently as a source of misheard lyrics since its release, and appears on a number of misheard lyrics web sites and in books of famous misheard lyrics.
Single release formats
"Edge of Seventeen" was released as a 7" vinyl single in a 'single edit' 4:10 version in most territories in the picture sleeve featured above, but some countries used very different cover images for the single, Japan and the UK being key examples. The b-side of the single featured an edited (5:50) live version of the track, as captured on the last night of Nicks' "White Wing Dove" tour in December 1981. Promo 7" vinyl singles were also issued in some territories, including the US, and featured the single edit version on each side.A highly collectable 12" promo in a unique glossy picture sleeve was issued in the US and featured the full-length album version on the A side and the full-length 9-minute live version on the B side. Copies of this very rare item now change hands for over $150 USD on auction sites.
In popular culture
The song is featured in the movie School of RockSchool of Rock
School of Rock, also called The School of Rock, is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and starring Jack Black...
and in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
. It is also the entrance theme of the professional wrestling tag team The Canadian Ninjas, as well as that of one of its members, Portia Perez
Portia Perez
Jenna Grattan is a Canadian professional wrestler best known under the stage name Portia Perez. Perez currently teams with Nicole Matthews as The Canadian NINJAs.-Professional wrestling career:...
.
The title of the film Edge of Seventeen
Edge of Seventeen (film)
Edge of Seventeen is a 1998 coming of age romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Moreton, written by Moreton and Todd Stephens, starring Chris Stafford, and co-starring Tina Holmes and Andersen Gabrych.-Plot:...
is based on the song title.
The song is parodied in an episode of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, wherein it is erroneously played by Nicks' former band Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
.
In an episode of American Dad (Flirting With Disaster
Flirting with Disaster (American Dad!)
"Flirting With Disaster" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of American Dad!. It is now aired on Fox in the United States on May 15, 2011...
) Roger sings it, while high on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
On The Hold Steady's album Separation Sunday, the song "Stevie Nix" includes the lines "Lord, to be seventeen forever" in presumed reference to Stevie Nicks' song.
The song is a downloadable content for Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
The song was covered by Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
on her 2005 album A Little More Personal (Raw)
A Little More Personal (Raw)
A Little More Personal received mixed reviews from critics. The album holds a score of 50 out of 100 based on 9 critical reviews, according to the music review aggregator Metacritic...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (1981-1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 4 |
External links
- Stevie Nicks on Edge of 17 Quotes by Nicks about the song, gathered from interviews throughout the years.