This is a great song to illustrate both trade-offs and opportunity costs. Kathy is singing a letter that she’s writing to her husband, Jamie. She is taking a shot at her dream of being an actress, but to do so she has to spend the summer in a small town in Ohio. She’s not happy about this. The opportunity cost of being an actress is living away from her husband. The fact that she’s willing to live with a gay midget, a former stripper and her snake, and in a place without hot water or Vietnamese food also shows the trade-offs she’s willing to suffer to make her dream come true.

Discussion Questions for “A Summer in Ohio”

Link to Lyrics for “A Summer in Ohio”