Powder & Bulk Solids highlights the songs that strike a chord in the hearts of professionals who work with dry particulate and bulk solid materials.

John S. Forrester, former Managing Editor

October 1, 2021

With 1.2 million views on YouTube and counting, “I Wanna Be an Engineer” by Chinese American rapper Only Won – The Lyrical Engineer is a track that engineers of all stripes should be familiar with.

Outside of music, Only Won, whose real name is Baldwin Chiu, earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sacramento State University. The San Francisco native had several engineering jobs with IBM, NEC, and Barry-Wehmiller Design Group & Facility Solutions before transitioning to STEM education, filmmaking, and motivational speaking.

The musician said “I Wanna Be an Engineer,” released in early 2011, was created “to encourage all my science and engineer geeks out there.” Only Won’s lyrics certainly resonates with engineers in several ways. The tune’s chorus highlights how those in the profession are constantly working to solve issues or find new approaches to problems.  

“Oh, every time I close my eyes, I calculate a new design, yeah an efficient way to quantify, oh I, I swear / My patent would be here, if I was an engineer.”

Only Won also touches on the long hours and sacrifices that engineering demands.

“It’s been a couple years since I’ve been single, so / You can find me working late and living off Ho Ho’s. / Brain food for the intelligent, sometimes I like to compliment / Myself for being smart, but you can call me brilliant.”

Along the way there are nods to various fields, including mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and computer engineering.

Check back on PowderBulkSolids.com for more #PowderJams!

About the Author(s)

John S. Forrester

former Managing Editor, Powder & Bulk Solids

John S. Forrester is the former managing editor of Powder & Bulk Solids.

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