G It's a cloistered place, an ivory tower; C Professors gettin' richer by the hour, D--------------D7--G Doing the ten-ure tango:
Chorus:
G It's one step forward, two steps back, C Moving down that tenure track, D--------------D7--G Doing the ten-ure tango!
That tenure train is all the rage, If you fit the tenure gauge, Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
Don't look forward, don't look back; You might jump that tenure track, Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
Don't look left, don't look right; Do your research every night, Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
Textbook here, textbook there; Here-a-text-, there-a-text, everywhere a text, text, Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
We've got students from wall to wall; Anymore come, have to stack 'em in the hall, Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
Leave your students in the lurch, You can call it "Pure Research," Doing the tenure tango: (CHO)
Notes:
This song was put together for a demonstration protesting the firing of a popular sociology professor, Bert Garskoff, at Michigan State University back in the late 1960's. The overall message does not appear to be dated.