Modesto isn't boring like you thought it would be
Modesto it's not bologna like you thought it would be
Modesto isn't lonely like you thought it would be
At first I got a vacuum cleaner salesman job
For men I later recognized in Glengarry Glen Ross
I only sold one, she couldn't afford it
She wrote out the check and burst out sobbing
After work I hung out with my new church friends and traded stories
We decided I should quit and then we laughed and carried on 'til morning
Next day I got a part-time job at the local guitar store
Modesto isn't boring like you thought it would be
Modesto it's not bologna like you thought it would be
Modesto isn't lonely like you thought it would be
I heard the perfect song at work today
Having asked if there were bands to see and spots to play
Jim said, "Hell yeah" then he handed me a tape
What I heard in my Walkman headphones
Pacing by the speakers and PAs
Was a beautiful, hilarious, tragic mess
That sent tears streaming down my face
Grabbed me by the lapels, stood me up
And put a 4-track in my hand and told me
Son, make all the messes you can manage to make
And move back to Seattle
Be the drummer in a band
There's a girl from there that Fridays on my lunch break
I write letters to
And I think she likes me too
And I'm gonna find out
I'm gonna go to bible college on my cousin's dime
In my Volvo wagon
Speeding up I-5