Where Could I Go
J.D. Sumner and The Stamps Lyrics

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KATE MONSTER
I wish I could go back to college.
Life was so simple back then.

NICKY
What would I give to go back and live
in a dorm with a meal plan again!

PRINCETON
I wish I could go back to college.
In college you know who you are.
You sit in the quad
and think, "Oh my God!
I am totally gonna go far!"

ALL
How do I go back to college?
I don't know who I am anymore!

PRINCETON
I want to go back to my room and find
a message in dry-erase pen on the door!
Ohhh...
I wish I could just drop a class...

NICKY
Or get into a play...

KATE MONSTER
Or change my major...

PRINCETON
Or fuck my T.A.

ALL
I need an academic advisor to point the way!
We could be...

Sitting in the computer lab,
4 a.m. before the final paper is due,
cursing the world 'cause I didn't start sooner,
and seeing the rest of the class there, too!

PRINCETON
I wish I could go back to college!

ALL
How do I go back to college?!
Ahhhhhhh....

PRINCETON
I wish I had taken more pictures.

NICKY
But if I were to go back to college,
think what a loser I'd be --
I'd walk through the quad, and think
"Oh my God..."

ALL
"These kids are so much younger than me."

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Where Could I Go" by J.D. Sumner and the Stamps tell a story of a person who wishes they could go back to college because life was simpler and they knew who they were. They reminisce about sitting in the quad and feeling like they were going to go far in life. However, they are now lost and unsure of who they are. The song's chorus is a question, "How do I go back to college?" which is a reflection of the struggle many people face when trying to navigate life after college.

The three characters in the song, Princeton, Kate Monster, and Nicky, express their wishes to go back to college and do different things. Princeton wishes to find a message in dry-erase pen on his door, drop a class, or "fuck his T.A." Nicky wishes to live in a dorm with a meal plan again or get into a play. Kate Monster wants to change her major. Despite their different desires, all of the characters in the song agree that they need an academic advisor to point them in the right direction.

The song's relatable lyrics and catchy melody have made it a popular choice in musical theater and a favorite among young adults. The song expresses the fear and uncertainty of leaving college and entering adulthood, a transition that many people struggle with in real life. The song's title, "Where Could I Go," is a reminder that no matter where we go in life, we may always feel a longing for the simpler times of college.

Line by Line Meaning

I wish I could go back to college.
Life seemed less complicated during university.

What would I give to go back and live in a dorm with a meal plan again!
I long for the ease of dorm life with premade meals and a built-in social life

In college you know who you are.
Going to university helps you to figure out your identity and build your character.

You sit in the quad and think, "Oh my God! I am totally gonna go far!"
While relaxing in the quad, you feel ambitious and inspired to achieve great things.

How do I go back to college? I don't know who I am anymore!
I feel unsure about myself since leaving university, without the guidance and structure it provided.

I want to go back to my room and find a message in dry-erase pen on the door!
I miss the small pleasures of college life, like roommates leaving a note on your door.

I wish I could just drop a class...
I yearn for the simple autonomy of choosing to drop a course when it proves too challenging.

Or get into a play...
I miss the extracurricular opportunities that universities offer, like plays and clubs.

Or change my major...
I wish I had the freedom of changing my area of study without complications.

Or fuck my T.A.
I feel consumed by the sexual energy and experimentation that a university environment can foster.

We could be... Sitting in the computer lab, 4 a.m. before the final paper is due, cursing the world 'cause I didn't start sooner, and seeing the rest of the class there, too!
I miss the camaraderie of being found among other university students in a late-night computer lab, all of us cursing our procrastination and stressing about the finals paper.

I wish I had taken more pictures.
I regret not documenting my memorable times in university.

But if I were to go back to college, think what a loser I'd be -- I'd walk through the quad, and think "Oh my God..." "These kids are so much younger than me."
But going back to university now make me feel like a failure, being considerably older than the students, unable to relate and feeling left behind.

Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: ROBERT LOPEZ, JEFF MARX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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