budget laundromat

ladies on the internet
mom and dad on the telephone
ramen in the microwave
you are away from home
you are a freshman now
nothing is what it seems 
your thoughts keep jangling like
quarters in faded jeans

          you are a grown-up now
          hot damn!
          imagine that!
          and you are living life
          in the budget laundromat

one roommate's got some weed
he sells it in the dorms
better than student loans
don't have to fill out forms
one gets a monthly check
his family's got the means
neither one has a clue
of how to cook or clean

          you, on the other hand,
          work a fast food joint that
          barely pays enough
          for the budget laundromat  

          you and your buddies
          have no time to study
          sometimes classes must be forsaken
          there's music in lincoln hall
          your first sip of alcohol
          girls and drugs to be taken

somehow you make it through
sometimes it's so damn hard
when the world is so much more
than your own back yard
hope you get what you want
please don't become a snob
hope you get all you need
hope you can find a job

          you are a grown-up now
          soon it'll be old hat
          today you can catch your breath
          at the budget laundromat