May 16, 2003. Lyrics by Brian Whitworth, sung to the tune of “My Way”.
To all PhD students: Print this page to sing at your graduation party.
Verse 1.
And now, my defense is near,
And so I face, the final curtain,
My Prof, has told me clear,
That what I say, must be certain
I’ve had, no life at all,
Since I began, the thesis highway,
But one, one thing I say,
I did it my way
Verse 2.
Ideas, I’ve had a few,
But then again, a few were borrowed
I wrote, what pundits said,
But wisdom words, seemed so hollow
I had, hypotheses,
And verbalese, was my addiction
But how, how could I say,
I did it my way?
Chorus.
Yes there were times, I thought it true,
I’d bitten off, more than I could chew,
But then one night, I saw the light,
Don’t try to know, just try it out,
And I’ll stand tall, though theories fall,
And do it my way.
Verse 3.
I read, so many views,
Became confused, by dense abstraction,
But now, I realize,
The world and I, have interaction
To think, that my research,
And I may say, not in a shy way,
Is Life, talking to Me!
And this is my way.
Chorus.
For if we are free, what have we got?
If not ourselves, then not a lot,
To test ideas, we really feel,
Against results, that are so real,
My journal shows, I took the blows,
And did it my way.