Intro:
(Rolfe)
          G                  C                Am      D        G
You wait, little girl, on an empty stage, for fate to turn the light on.
                              C               Am       D       G
Your life, little girl, is an empty page that men will want to write on.
   Am          D
To write on...

Verse 1:
(Rolfe)
G               D                   G                  D
You are sixteen going on seventeen, baby, it's time to think,
Am                G                  C           Am        D     D7
better beware, be canny and careful, baby, you're on the brink
G               D                   G                    D
You are sixteen going on seventeen, fellows will fall in line,
Am                   G                   Am        D        G
Eager young lads and roues and cads will offer you food and wine.

Verse 2:
(Rolfe)
C            Am               G      G7       D
Totally unprepared are you to face a world of men,
C                 Am                G        D         D7
Timid and shy and scared are you of things beyond your ken.
G                   D               G                   C7   C
You'll need someone older and wiser telling you what to do,
G              D                  Am        D       G
I am seventeen going on eighteen, I'll take care of you!

Verse 3:
(Liesl)
G            D               G                 D
I am sixteen going seventeen I know that I'm naïve,
Am                 G                      C         Am  D      D7
Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet, and willingly I believe.
G            D                   G             D
I am sixteen going on seventeen, innocent as a rose.
Am                G                     Am        D       G
Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies, what do I know of those?

Verse 4:
(Liesl)
C            Am            G      G7       D
Totally unprepared am I to face a world of men,
C                 Am             G        D       D7
Timid and shy and scared am I of things beyond my ken.
G              D                G                  C7   C
I need someone older and wiser, telling me what to do,
G                 D                  Am     D       G
You are seventeen going on eighteen, I'll depend on you!

REPRISE:

Verse 5:
(Maria)
G                   D                   G                   D
When you're sixteen going on seventeen, waiting for life to start.
Am                G                       C        Am         D      D7
Somebody kind who touches your mind, will suddenly touch your heart.

(Liesl)
G                  D                 G                    D
When that happens, after it happens, nothing is quite the same
Am                  G                  Am      D        G
Somehow I know I'll jump up and go whenever he calls my name.

Verse 6:
(Maria)
C                  Am                G    G7        D
Gone are your old ideas of life, the old ideas grow dim.
C                     Am                  G     D       D7
Low and behold you're someone's wife, and you belong to him.
G                  D                 G                 C7    C
You may think this kind of adventure never may come to you.
G                D                   Am     D       G
Darling, sixteen going on seventeen, wait a year or two

Outro:
(Liesl)
     Am     D
I'll wait a year or...

Outro:
(Together)
     Am     D       G
Just wait a year or two
 This arrangement is its contributor’s own interpretation, shared for private study, education and non-commercial use. The underlying song, lyrics and music remain the property of their copyright owners. To request removal, see Legal & Copyright.