The Peace Corps Volunteer

(sung to the tune of “Beauty School Dropout” from the movie “Grease”)

Your story we must tell

A middle-aged-lady ne’er do well

Most mixed up non-delinquent in Sokodé

Your future so unclear now

What’s left of your career now

Can’t even get a trade-in on your smile

(yovo yovo yovo yovo yovo yovo anasera)

The Peace Corps Volunteer

No running water at all in your house

The Peace Corps Volunteer

Missed your PDM and flunked permagardening

Well at least you could have taken time

To wash and clean your pagné

After getting med-evac’d to DC

The doctor took out your gall bladder!

Better get moving

Help all your VSL women save

What are you proving

You got the dream and a cute homologue

If you stay until your COS date

You could join the Peace Corps Reserve

Get on that moto now and go back to Sokodé

The Peace Corps Volunteer

Hanging out with friends at the Total Bar

The Peace Corps Volunteer

You know your SED program will soon be gone

Well they couldn’t teach you to speak French

You think you’re such a local

But the Togolese will speak to you as if you understood them!

Rachella don’t sweat it

You’re not cut out to go back home

Better forget it

The limo won’t let you take your luggage any more

Now your water is boiled

Your feet are soiled

And still Togo is cruel

Wipe off that dirty sweat and go back to Sokodé

Rachella don’t blow it

Don’t put my good advice to shame

Rachella you know it

Even Dear Abby would say the same

Now I’ve called the shot

Get off the bush taxi

I really gotta fly

Gotta be going to that air conditioning in the sky.

The Peace Corps Volunteer

Go back to Sokodé…