The Remains of Tom Lehrer
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Public-domain lyrics

Bright College Days

Tom Lehrer

A college reunion toast slips from fond memories into a sharply comic farewell.

The Remains of Tom Lehrer Disc 2 · Track 15 2000
Public domainSatireCollegeNostalgiaWryPlayful
Complete public-domain lyrics

Nostalgic tributes to campus life give way to lost games, borrowed papers, and an uncertain future. This complete edition retains the printed glasses-raising stage direction. The source credits the tune of The Whiffenpoof Song for one stanza; this page reproduces words only, with the musical footnote available in the linked sheet.

Verse 1

Bright College Days, oh, carefree days that fly,

To thee we sing with our glasses raised on high.

[Those wearing glasses raise them.]

Let's drink a toast as each of us recalls

Ivy-covered professors in ivy-covered halls.

Verse 2

Turn on the spigot,

Pour the beer and swig it,

And gaudeamus igit - ur.

Verse 3

Here's to parties we tossed,

To the games that we lost.

(We shall claim that we won them some day.)

To the girls young and sweet,

To the spacious back seat

Of our roommate's beat-up Chevrolet.

To the beer and benzedrine,

To the way that the dean

Tried so hard to be "pals" with us all.

To excuses we fibbed,

To the papers we cribbed

From the genius who lived down the hall.

Verse 4

To the tables down at Mory's (wherever that may be)

Let us drink a toast to all we love the best.

We shall sleep through all the lectures and cheat on the exams,

And we'll pass --- and be forgotten with the rest.

Verse 5

Soon we'll be out amid the cold world's strife.

Soon we'll be sliding down the razor blade of life.

But as we go our sordid separate ways,

We shall ne'er forget thee,

Thou golden college days.

Verse 6

Hearts full of youth,

Hearts full of truth,

Six parts gin to one part vermouth.

Credits

Written by Tom Lehrer

Words by Tom Lehrer, released into the public domain by the author. This is the author-published text edition, not a transcription of a particular performance.

Source & text edition

Author-published lyric sheet · original English words

Tom Lehrer's November 26, 2022 declaration relinquishes copyright in lyrics he wrote. It does not grant rights to third-party music, photographs or album artwork. This edition uses only his words.

Read the author’s lyric sheet (PDF)

View copyright evidence · Author’s public-domain declaration

Retrieved 2026-09-08. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.

Source edition: The Remains of Tom Lehrer · Compilation · 2000-05-23 · US

Release data: MusicBrainz · CC0-1.0 · Retrieved 2026-09-07.

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