Why Do We Do
What We Do

By Paul Soniat 2007
SEPA CONVENTION
FEBRUARY 23, 2007

WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO,
I DON’T KNOW THAT’S WHY I’M ASKING YOU,
I’M CURIOUS I’D LIKE TO KNOW,
WHY, WE DO WHAT WE DO,

SOME SAY IT’S IN THE GENES,
SOME SAY LEARNED BEHAVIOR OR IN BETWEEN,
I DON’T KNOW WHY,
THAT’S WHY I’M ASKING YOU,
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,

WHY DO WE STARE AT A FIRE,
WHY DO WE TURN OUR HEAD TO A WRECK,
I DON’T KNOW WHY,
THAT’S WHY I’M ASKING YOU,
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,

HOW FAR REALLY ARE WE FROM THE CAVE MAN,
I THINK WE’RE ALL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND,
THE MIND IS A MYSTEROUS PLACE,
MAKES YOU DREAM, MAKES YOU LOVE, MAKES YOU SCHEME
MAKES YOU DO, DO WHAT YOU DO,

NOW DAVE WASHBURN HE’S THE MONKEY MAN,
STUDIES MONKEYS SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND,
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,
SO IF YOU EVER NEED TO UNDERSTAND,
JUST ASK THE MONKEY MAN,

AND DEBORAH RICHARDSON STUDIES AGRESSION,
LILIAN RANGE STUDIES SUICIDE,
AND SOMETIMES SADLY WE HAVE TO ASK WHY,
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,

AND KAREN CALHOUN SHE LIKES TO GAMBLE,
SLATER NEWMAN HE LOVES TO DANCE,
AND JIM PATE I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE DOES,
BUT THEY SAY HE’S REAL GOOD DOING IT,
YEA JIM HE ALWAYS LOOKS SO GOOD,

HAROLD MOON GOT A CRAZY GOLF SWING,
I HEAR IT’S AN INCREDIBLE THING,
HE TWISTS, HE TURNS BREAKS ALL THE RULES,
IT’S AMAZING HE CAN DO,
DO WHAT HE DO,
YEA WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO,

YEA SOME SAY IT’S IN THE GENES,
SOME SAY LEARNED BEHAVIOR OR IN BETWEEN,
I DON’T KNOW WHY,
THAT’S WHY I’M ASKING YOU,
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,

SO YOU GOT SOME STUDYING TO DO,
YOU HAVE SOME RESEARCH TOO,
SO RUN YOUR TEST,
LOOK FOR TRENDS,
YOU KNOW WHERE TO START,
DON’T KNOW WHERE IT WILL END,
THE BRAIN IS A MYSTERIOUS PLACE,
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IS AN ENDLESS RACE,
BUT ONE DAY THE ANSWER MAY COME TO YOU,
AS TO WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO,
YEA WHY, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.

Paul Soniat, 2/23/2007        www.paulsoniat.com

Written for SEPA’s annual meeting in New Orleans, played and sung by Paul Soniat at the reception honoring Past Presidents and Award Winners.