Edge Of Seventeen
by Stevie Nicks

Album: Bella Donna (1981)
Charted: 11
Play Video
  • Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh ooh ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh

    And the days go by
    Like a strand in the wind
    In the web that is my own
    I begin again
    Said to my friend, baby
    Nothin' else mattered

    He was no more than a baby then
    Well he seemed broken hearted
    Something within him
    But the moment that I first laid
    Eyes on him all alone
    On the edge of seventeen

    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Said ooh baby, ooh, said ooh

    Well, I went today maybe I will go again
    Tomorrow
    Yeah, yeah
    Well the music there, well it was hauntingly
    Familiar
    When I see you doing
    What I tried to do for me
    With the words from a poet
    And a voice from a choir
    And a melody nothing else mattered

    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Said ooh baby, ooh, said ooh

    The clouds never expect it
    When it rains
    But the sea changes colors
    But the sea
    Does not change
    So with the slow, graceful flow
    Of age
    I went forth with an age old
    Desire to please
    On the edge of seventeen

    Ooh

    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh

    Well then suddenly
    There was no one left standing
    In the hall yeah, yeah
    In a flood of tears
    That no one really ever heard fall at all
    Well, I went searchin' for an answer
    Up the stairs and down the hall
    Not to find an answer
    Just to hear the call
    Of a nightbird singing
    Come away, come away

    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh

    Well I hear you in the morning
    And I hear you
    At nightfall
    Sometimes to be near you
    Is to be unable to feel you
    My love
    I'm a few years older than you, my love

    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh
    Just like the white winged dove
    Sings a song
    Sounds like she's singing
    Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh Writer/s: Stephanie Nicks
    Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 53

  • Ekristheh from HalathOzzy, you said, when people tell you chicks can't rock: "but then i say look at the go gos. look a joan jett. look at heart." Add Patti Smith to that list. That old soul could sing the ingredients on a toothpaste tube and unlock the secrets of the universe.
  • Dan from Johnstown, OhioIt is not about an underaged desire!
    It is about the death of her uncle who is two years younger than her. He was dying of cancer, and her and her cousin was setting in his room late at night when he flatlined. No answer on the call button so she headed to the nurse's station but there was no one there. " There was no one left standing in the hall". so she headed to the nurse's station on a different floor. "went searchin' for an answer Up the stairs and down the hall Not to find an answer Just to hear the call of a nightbird singing come away, come away."
  • Mary Christine from Irwin, Pa.Here's a link to what Stevie Nicks says about the song Edge of Seventeen. http://www.inherownwords.com/edge.htm
  • Matt from TorontoThe riff is taken from The opening of The Police’s Bring on the Night and repeated throughout. Works really well.
  • Captobvious from Right HereNo need to carefully/slowly read the lyrics. It's a rock song called "On The Edge of Seventeen" what the hell do you think it's about?
  • Pedolyrics from UsListen or carefully read the lyrics folks… it’s about lusting for a minor.
  • Notblindedbythelight from VirginiaStar-struck fans, take off the rose colored glasses. It's so obvious that this song is about lusting/desire towards an underaged person. A Lolita Joe on the edge of seventeen. The first six lines of the song boldly describes orgasmic feelings or perhaps actual orgasms that occurred. Take the time to slowly read the lyrics from a realistic perspective. The entire song is bragging and gloating to the world about having a moment in time with someone on the edge of seventeen. He was no more than a baby then (I'm a few years older than you) my love. Boldly ending the song with more words describing orgasmic feelings towards an underaged person. As the old saying goes, "you can fool a lot of people a lot of the time. But, you can't fool everyone all of the time." People lie even about their chosen song lyrics. By the way, I'm in no way impressed by the bragging and gloating about taking advantage of or fantasizing towards an underaged person. I personally don't know anyone that would be or should be. But then, I don't worhip false idols.
  • John Rhoe A.k.a. Jense Bardulf from Saint Louis, MoStevie has always been so very special so me. I once remarked that Valery Bertinelli was very pretty and my wife got so jealous. I have never dragged Stevie into that. I couldn’t stand to have Miss Nicks dragged out before THAT firing squad.
  • Bung from UsaHers is definitely a unique sound. I like some of her music, but some, to me, doesn't make sense. "the sea changes, but the sea does not change". IDK, I lost all respect for her when she opened up about all the abortions she had. She felt her "gift to the world" would have suffered if she had her children. And, one song, "Sarah" is named after one of those poor little ones. That's what happened when she broke up with Don Henley. Just think how talented that person would have been. So sad. She did used to call herself the white witch, but it was just for attention. Such a sad life.
  • Michael Goff from Palestine She has also said that the white dove had something to do with Prince. He'd offered her Purple Rain, the score, and asked he to write the lyrics; but she was overwhelmed by the music and felt she couldn't write lyrics to do it justice. Oh, she was my first crush...like an angels in her diaphenous gown, the wind blowing her hair...just a vision of beauty!
  • AnonymousI don't buy it. This song is clearly about Stevie battling with her lust for an underaged musician.
  • Martin D Billingham from Troy, Ny (think Saratoga) & Boston (think, Ah, I've Finally Found My True Home)Stevie, now old, I lived my life working in local TV in both Boston & Albany, N.Y., hoping to have an impact and make some kind of positive difference while never managing to do more than barely scratch the surface!..so be it... Conversely, especially having now read your explanation about the lyrical meaning of Edge..17 (for ex.), you seemingly, effortlessly EXPLODED onto the scene and shook up the world with your talent, voice, stage presence, charisma, charm etc,, (let me know when I've heaped on enough praise, (because it will surely, still be not enough). Must have watched /AGE,[edge} 17 117 times in the last 3 days and I still cry out for more! Guess I'm just tryin to say, thank-you for being you...Love MARTY OF TROY (Helen's brother). Peace, Out....
  • Devans00 from Silicon Valley, CaYou can hear the whooo, whooo, whooo call of the Arizona desert white-winged dove around 1:20 of this video. It is kind of mournful.
    https://youtu.be/ikxHjfjGjpo
  • Rae from NjPerfect song! I just love it!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 14th 1982, "Edge of 17th (Just Like the White Winged Dove)" by Stevie Nicks entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #73; and on April 11th it peaked at #11 (for 2 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #5 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart...
    Was track six off her debut solo album, 'Bella Donna', and on August 30th, 1981 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (it also peaked at #1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums chart)...
    Three other tracks off the album also made the Top 100; "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (#3), "Leather and Lace" (#6) and "After the Glitter Fades" (#32)...
    Ms. Nick, born Stephanie Lynn Nicks, will celebrate her 66th birthday in three months on May 26th (2014).
  • Emmy from Bellville, OnSaddest song ever.
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxA good song, but I agree that it gets repetitious (seems like 10 minutes of 'sings a song, sounds like she's singin'....ooooo....ooooo...ooooo!'). It's hardly the only song to be guilty of that, but guilty it is.
  • Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaUp until watching "Up All Night" tonight I thought the first line was, "Just like the one we love. . . "
  • Kayla from Winnipeg, MbTo whoever said this song is boring and repetitious (your name isn't even worth mentioning).. you wouldn't know good music if it hit you in the face! And if you think it's really "repetitious", try listening to Gag Gag or some other new crap because that's all they do is repeat lines over and over! Go listen to that and see how much better it is! It's NOT! Stevie is amazing and a legend so get your head out of your ass!
  • Jon from Phoenix, AzSince Interstate 17 runs through Phoenix, I always thought she was talking about a hitchhiker she saw on the side of the road.
  • Barbara from Chesterfield, Vai always thought this was a song about an older woman involved with a younger man.
  • Lisa from Milwaukee, Wi, WiI can't stand Stevie's voice. She sounds like someone constipated sitting on the toilet. Especially when she sings oooohhhhhhhaaaa and holds the note really long.
  • Emma from Adelaide, AustraliaGreat song by a great singer. The Gossip copied the start rift in their song Heavy Cross. This was also going to be the theme song for Twilight, as Edward and Bella were both seventeen. I don't know how Stevie would have handled that...
  • David from Walla Walla Wa, Wacontray to popular opinion stevie deosn't practice witchcraft, , in fact the song rhiannon was about a welsh witch!
  • Dave from Caledonia, MnStevie Nicks has always had a voice that sounds like an old hag who has smoked nonstop for 30 years or so. Fleetwood Mac rightfully used to bury her raspy vocals behind the music. In her duets, I can't tell which vocals are sung by the male singer and which ones are her! She is also an evil witch, who gives me the "willies."
  • Candi from Murfreesboro, TnActually, Stevie Nicks wrote many of her songs that she used as a solo artist while she was with Fleetwood Mac. She let them look at all of them and choose the ones that they wanted, and she took the "leftovers"--which were obviously very good also. This may or may not have been written before then.
  • Tim from Syracuse, NyStevie "borrowed" the guitar riff and drum part for this song from a Police song called "Bring on the Night." When he found out, Waddy Wachtell reportedly told her "Don't *ever* do that to me again!"
  • Sibella from Pretoria, --There's a gay movie named after this song. Not that I watched it, I just saw it standing on a shelf in a DVD place.
  • Ryan from Farmer City, IlI love this song to death. I mondegreened it into sounding (in my head) like "Just Like the Wild Ranger" not realizing that it was called the Edge of Seventeen. This song is reminiscent (beat-wise) to the opening of "Eye of the Tiger", and I love to use this song to open up a new rock mix cd. I also like this song for when I'm "getting busy" at night, if you know what that means! :)
  • Nikhil from Mumbai, Indiathis song plays in the movie school of rock, i love drunk Ms Mullins singing the song. great song!
  • Freddy from Askøy, Norwaythis song is great...
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkI didn't think much of this song when it first aired then I saw Stevie Nicks perform it live when I was in TX. She was touring with Joe Walsh. He came on first and that was who I was paying to see. At the time I thought, "Poor Stevie, the croud is gonna walk when she comes on stage." She rivaled his energy. When she sang this, one of her back ups stood behind her and sang the echo "I hear you - hear you . . ." There was raw pain in both voices - my eyes were stinging. I didn't know at the time this song was for her uncle or John Lennon but there was no doubt that she was singing about losing someone she loved. Except she had wardrobe changes after each song, it was one of the best concerts I'd ever seen.
  • Jane from Austin, Txthank you michael from cleveland. i don't really care for this song as much as the other ones. but, when i heard bring on the night by the police i was floored. i think wikipedia mentions something about this song. anyrate, i love stevie.
  • Ozzy from Fresno, CaI hate it when people say chicks can't rock (not just cuz i am one...) but then i say look at the go gos.
    look a joan jett.
    look at heart.
    and when i say stevie nicks, they stop saying "oh she/they don't count"
  • Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesI'm a fan of this song. My brother is annoyed by it because he has heard it "too much". But to me it never gets old. If I were in Stevie Nicks's position, I'd call it "White-Winged Dove" rather than "Edge of Seventeen", but that's just my opinion. In this song, for some reason, the voice of Stevie Nicks resembles that of Blondie. Why is that? I never knew that Lindsey Lohan had a version of this. (I never knew Lohan was even a singer.) Anyway, Stevie Nicks rocks!!
  • Meredith from Jacksonville, TxI cant believe anyone could prefer the LL version. I got physically sick when I heard it! As for rocking out, see Stevie sing it live and it will blow you away. The live version on her newest CD Crystal Visions, with the MSO gives me chills!
  • Rob from Wilkes-barre, PaLindsay's voice is God-awful and is probably only going to get worse
  • Chelsea from Wichita, KsLindsay Lohan can kiss my ass.
  • Meaghan from Spring City, PaI LOVE the Lindsay Lohan version. It's more powerful than Stevie's original with the violins and thrashing electric guitars. I don't understand why she left out the whole last verse, though. Does anybody have a clue?
  • Shannon from Lynbrook, NyLindsay Lohan covers this song on her album "A Little More Personal (RAW)". I always LOVE to rock out to this! "Just like a white winged dove!" I LOVE IT!
  • Jay from Mom, CtJoyce, your music taste stinks. Stevie Nicks has made her own style of music and her own way of delivering muisic. Accept her ways. She is a goddess.
  • Michael from Cleveland, TnI love the song, but I thought that Stevie Nicks would have give Sting a writing credit because "Bring On the Night" by the Police has the same riff, bass line and and drum beat...check it out! Peace
  • Stephan from St Georges, CanadaHere in Canada, a young artist named Jonas hit the chart list with a rock cover of this song. I'm not a fan of covers but this one is really good!
  • Michelle from Vancouver IslandEdge of Seventeen was written while still with Fleetwood Mac and her success caused much tension between herself and Buckingham. Edge of Seventeen was the third single from Bella Donna and was at #11 for 2 weeks. Bella Donna became America's top-selling album in September 1981. Stevie rocked then and still does. -michelle
  • AnonymousThe part of the song about Stevie's uncle is pretty much verbatim how it happened. Her uncle was dying and Stevie would visit him every day. He died while she was there and she did in fact go running down the hallway "in flood of tears that no one every heard fall at all". The chorus of the song was originally to be the final verse.
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaI always thought this was about Stevie Nicks loving a guy who was only 17. Any comments?
  • Leon from Waterbury, CtI hate Stevie Nicks...but I really love this song.
  • Sanjeev from Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaJoyce of Urbandale,

    You don't know what good music is.......


    Jim of Perth,WA
  • Joyce from Urbandale, IaSo Boring and repetitious!! I change the radio station imediately!!! And it sounds as though she forgets the words or has none so she bellows: "ooohhh hoooooo oh ummmmm aawwhhhhaaaa blaaahhhummm blaaaabbbaaablaaahhh"
    Sounds kinda like a tortured sheep bleat!!!
  • Mike from Glenn Dale, Md, MdActually, Fleetwood Mac *was* still together when she recorded this. Bella Donna was released when the band was between the Tusk record (1979) and Mirage (1982). Nicks's White Winged Dove tour was only 12 dates because she went right back into the studio to record with Fleetwood Mac.
  • Aj from Cleveland, GaI love this song. Stevie Nicks rocks
  • Charlie from Thomaston, Ctmy sister thought it was written when fleetwood mac was still together, hah! i proved her wrong!
  • Andres from Bahia Blanca, ArgentinaThis song was sampled by Destiny's Child on their #1 US hit "Bootylicious". Also, Stevie Nicks does a cameo on their video.
    The full name of Nicks' hit is "Edge of seventeen (just like the white winged dove) and was a #11 hit in the US in 1982.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Songfacts® Newsletter

A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs

Information

Follow Us

Contribution

©2026 Songfacts, LLC