From the 1959 musical “The Sound of Music”
Words by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
You wait, little girl, on an empty stage
For fate to turn the light on
Your life, little girl, is an empty page
That men will want to write on, to write on
Refrain:
You are sixteen, going on seventeen
Baby, it’s time to think
Better beware, be canny and careful
Baby, you’re on the brink
You are sixteen going on seventeen
Fellows will fall in line
Eager young lads and roues and cads
Will offer you food and wine
Totally unprepared are you
To face a world of men
Timid and shy and scared are you
Of things beyond your ken
You need someone older and wiser
Telling you what to do
I am seventeen, going on eighteen
I’ll take care of you
Refrain:
I am sixteen, going on seventeen
I know that I’m naive
Fellows I meet may tell me I’m sweet
And willingly I’ll believe
I am sixteen, going on seventeen
Innocent as a rose
Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies
What do I know of those?
Totally unprepared am I
To face a world of men
Timid and shy and scared am I
Of things beyond my ken
I need someone older and wiser
Telling me what to do
You are seventeen, going on eighteen
I’ll depend on you
Interlude
A bell is no bell till you ring it
A song is no song till you sing it
And love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay
Love isn’t love till you give it away
Refrain:
When you’re sixteen, going on seventeen
Waiting for life to start
Somebody kind who touches your mind
Will suddenly touch your heart
When that happens, after it happens
Nothing is quite the same
Somehow you know you’ll jump up and go
If ever he calls your name
Gone are your old ideas of life
The old ideas grow dim
Lo and behold! you’re someone’s wife
And you belong to him
You may think this kid of adventure
Never may come to you
Darling sixteen, going on seventeen
Wait a year or two