My father is a doctor, he's a family man,
My father is a doctor, he's a family man,
My mother works for charity whenever she can,
My mother works for charity whenever she can,
And they're both good clean Americans who abide by the law,
And they're both good clean Americans who abide by the law,
They both stick up for liberty and they both support the war,
They both stick up for liberty and they both support the war,
My happiness was paid for when they laid their money down,
My happiness was paid for when they laid their money down,
For Summers in a Summer camp, and Winters in the town,
For Summers in a Summer camp, and Winters in the town,
My future in the system was talked about and planned,
My future in the system was talked about and planned,
But I gave it up for music and the free electric band...
But I gave it up for music and the free electric band...
I went to school in hand-washed shirts with neatly ordered hair,
I went to school in hand-washed shirts with nearly ordered hair,
The school was big and newly built and filled with light and air,
The school was big and newly built and filled with light and air,
And the teacher taught us values that we had to learn to keep,
And the teacher taught us values that we had to learn to keep,
And he clipped the ear of many idle kids who went to sleep,
And he clipped the ear of many idle kid who went to sleep,
My father organized for me a college in the East,
My father organized for me a college in the East,
But I went to California, the sunshine and the beach,
But I went to California, the sunshine and the beach,
My parents and my lecturers could never understand,
My parents and my lecturers could never understand,
Why I gave it up for music and the free electric band...
Why I gave it up for music and the free electric band...
Well, they used to sit and speculate upon their son's career,
Well, they used to sit and speculate upon their son's career,
A lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer,
A lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer,
Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand,
Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand,
'cause all I need is music and the free electric band...
'cause all I need is music and the free electric band...
My father sent me money and I spent it very fast,
My father sent me money and I spent it very fast,
On a girl I met in Berkeley in a social science class,
On a girl I met in Berkeley in a social science class,
And we learned about her body, but her mind we didn't know,
And we learned about her body, but her mind we didn't know,
Until deep rooted attitudes and morals began to show,
Until the rootel attitudes and morals began to show,
She wanted to get married, even though she never said,
She wanted to get married, even though she never said,
But I knew her well enough by now to see inside her head,
But I knew her well enough by now to see inside her head,
She'd settle for suburbia and a little patch of land,
She'd settle for suburbia and a little patch of land,
So I geave her up for music and the free electric band...
So I geave her up for music and the free electric band...
Writer(s): Albert Louis Hammond, Mike Hazlewood
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