I was standing in the bitter December wind, waiting for the bus in the bright sunshine, right after taking my last final of the semester. It was Friday, the final day of Finals Week, and the campus was consequently looking somewhat deserted. So, I was standing alone, in a cold breeze, with nowhere to go......the idea for this song hit me like a freight train.
Fresh out of high school, my head out of the haze
Four years of brainwashing; I seem to have emerged unfazed.
So I came to this university, 'bout which I'd heard so much praise,
And so I went to orientation, which they crammed into two days...
...During which we ran from place to place like a giant herd of cows
Tried to pick out some classes in the matchboxes where we were housed,
But there were no course descriptions in the catalog that we browsed
So my desire to come out here was effectively doused...
So, one way or another, I escaped from that bind,
Though it admittedly made a certain imprint on my mind.
And while I do concede that the people here seem kind,
I still feel uneasy as I try to find
My way around
Campustown.
My classes at first seemed perfectly okay,
Attended all the lectures; worked hard each day.
Occasionally found time to relax or to play
Sure seemed at the time like everything was going my way...
...But, soon, before I knew it, things started to get rough:
The tasks became more numerous, and the coursework got tough
I felt like I'd been given way more than enough.
To my labor I was now inextricably handcuffed...
Time passes more quickly than I realize.
The approaching due dates take me totally by surprise.
The enthusiasm that once dwelled within me dies;
Now I'm scrambling like a madman 'neath the gray autumn skies
While the leaves turn brown
Here in Campustown.
Now, I wanted to get a computer science degree,
So I came out here to this university,
Because I heard they have the best technology.
That is exactly what they said to me...
The online math homework is a total wreck.
Online class registration is a big pain in the neck.
The electronic honors system is hopelessly out of check.
The whole university seems to have basically gone to heck...
Now, why would I want a computer science degree
From a place whose online systems are a heap of debris?
Since the university implemented this technology,
(Which I'm told was just this year,) the whole institution's quality's
Gone straight down
Here in Campustown.
Now I'm standing on the corner on a cold, sunny day.
The streets appear abandoned; the students have gone away,
Perhaps to earn some pay, or to relax or to play,
Or for other reasons temporarily vanished into the grey...
Sometimes I let my mind wander around that lonesome bend,
And I look around and find myself in high school again;
A close, familiar environment; surrounded by old friends;
Good times that it never occurred to me would end...
A few short months later, here now I'm found;
No idea what's happened; no clue where I'm bound;
So with little else to do 'fore next semester rolls around,
I slip on some headphones and proceed to drown
In the sound
(Sweet sound)
Here in Campustown.
* * * *