A Study's About To Begin

A Study's About To Begin
by John Forster & Tom Chapin
© 1994 Limousine Music Co. & The Last Music Co. (ASCAP)

My sewer backed up every time that it rained,
So I went to the Mayor of my town
And complained.
He said, “We're on the case, Charlie,
Where have you been?
A study's about to begin!”
A study of what? The sewer is shot!
He said, “Questions are easy. Answers are not.
We're spending a mint
On these think-tankie types.
Any money that's left when they're done...
Goes for pipes.

Hip hip hooray, we're well on our way,
A study's about to begin.
Hip hip relax, we're gathering facts
Before we go blundering in.
I'm sorry your basement's afloat,
And to get to your furnace
You chartered a boat.
We're right with you, Charlie,
If you can hang in,
A study's about to begin.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Acid rain had been killing
The trees on my land,
So I wrote to my Congressman,
“Please take a stand!”
He cabled me back saying,
“Help is at hand; a study's about to begin.
Hip hip haroo if the funding comes through
A study is due to begin.
Hip hip hooray by April or May,
That is, if the Democrats win.
I'm rushing this study thing through
While there's trees left for paper
To print up a few,
But there's only so much a mere mortal can do,
A study's about to begin.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
“The lawn,” said my wife,
“You should mow it today.”
In my mind I said, “Uh uh, forget it, no way!”
But recent experience had taught me to say,
“A study's about to begin.”
Hip hip for days it's a magical phrase;
A study's about to begin.
Hip hip the grass is up to my knee,
Still I am stroking my chin.
For a problem takes time to come clear,
And a good study drags on year after year.
In the meanwhile the problem
Might just disappear.
A study's about to begin.

I could mow it today but what would it pay?
Sit tight for six weeks we could sell it for hay.
Or just wait for winter, it will all go away...
A study's about to begin.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a study's about to begin.

This song appears on Tom Chapin's Join The Jubilee CD.

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