The LOTS DECsystem-20

(Tune of "The City of New Orleans" by Arlo Guthrie)

	LOGIN on the LOTS DECsystem-20.
	  Version 4 Monitor, monday morning queue.
	40 jobs and 60 restless users,
	  2 consultants, and 95 homeworks due.

	As I start my EMACS fork I see
	The load has just topped 23,
	  And promises to keep on climbing high.
	The keyboard clicks, but on the screen
	The last 6 lines are yet unseen.
	  Oh, it's so slow I bang the Heath and cry:


CHORUS:	Good Morning, to LOTS
	  are you still with me?
	Hey, don't you see me?
	  I'm job 21.
	I'm the luser by the wall on TTY 30.
	  I'll be here another week before I'm done.


	Running EMACS in the lowest room of CERAS.
	  Typed ahead 2 screenfulls; hope it keeps this mess.
	Then suddenly it flashes: [DEC Continued].
	  I think I better type Control - XS.

	And the hackers at their carrels,
	And the staff behind the glass,
	  Keep on letting this computer kick their ass.
	Users with their reams and reams
	Of buggy code, still have their dreams
	  That they'll get it done for tuesday morning's class.


	CHORUS


	Midnight at the LOTS DECsystem-20.
	  18 hours and still it won't compile.
	One more run: "?Halt EXEC, must LOGOUT."
	  I think I'm gonna be here for a while.

	And the Jupiter and E-net seem
	To be some wizard's day-dream.
	  And Kirk and Bob still ain't heard the news.
	That the Terman node has died again,
	And the SX: disk has just been trashed.
	  I do declare this system is a luse.


	KJOB to LOTS,
	  I'm off to crash now.
	I've switched to CIT,
	  It's the last you'll see of me.
	My watch says it is way past 4 AM now,
	And still they say that time on LOTS is "free."