#14445: — 01/26  at  09:59 PM
There's a rendition of "It's a long way from Amphioxus" on Sam Hinton's 1961 album, The Song of Men -- All Sorts and Kinds. The album features mostly conventional folksong professions such as farmers, lawbreakers and railroaders, but also "clam-diggers", "systematic zoologists" (the song in question) and "aquarium keepers". Hinton himself was a biologist and aquarium curator as well as a folksinger. Anyway, you can request a custom CD of this out-of-print album from Smithsonian Folkways.

#14446: — 01/26  at  10:04 PM
Subhumans - "Us Fish Must Swim Together". Lyrics can be found here: http://www.lyricsdir.com/s/subhumans/us-fish-must-swim-together.php

#14448: Josh — 01/26  at  10:07 PM
For all your 1950's educational song needs.

Especially Eohippus and Song of the Fossils.

#14450: — 01/26  at  10:14 PM
It's not about evolution but you could probably fit Zappa's "Dumb All Over" into the setlist.

Speaking of which, I chuckled mordantly to myself when I noticed that one of the songs on his Civilization Phase III is entitled "Secular Humanism."

Damn I miss Frank.

#14452: — 01/26  at  10:40 PM
ummmm.. i am TOTALLY a scientist rapper and i would be happy to contribute if there's interest. sometimes i sacrifice a little accuracy for style.

sample lyric:
creation's just a sacred cow, i evolved through natural selection / and just to let yall know this is my section / impotent rappers listen to my shit and get erections / got you replicatin my thoughts like viral genomes in infections

other sample lyric:
listen to the new science sound that i be fathering / a hox gene positioning your body what we modelling / knowledging cats flawlessly is my policy / i radiate strong better check the oncology

sorry.. i know its self promotion, but is it shameless?

#14453: Neil — 01/26  at  10:43 PM
How about the very catchy "Mammal", from the album "Apollo 18" by They Might Be Giants? Lyrics are here:

http://www.tmbg.org/band-info/songs/lyrics/Mammal.html

and it wouldn't surprise me if those guys have something in the back catalogue which evades my memory right now.

#14454: — 01/26  at  11:00 PM
"Monkey to Man" by Elvis Costello. Not 100% accurate, but a pretty good tune.

#14455: Ken Cope — 01/26  at  11:09 PM
Frank's "Heavenly Bank Account," is appropriate, but more in an anti-religion than a pro-science way (not that there's anything wrong with that, nor with acquiring the entire FZ catalogue, for that matter).

How about Monty Python's Galaxy Song, from The Meaning of Life?

Whenever life get you down, Mrs. Brown,
And things seem hard or tough.
And people are stupid, obnoxious or daft,
And you feel that you've had quite enu-hu-hu-huuuuff!
Just - re-member that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
and revolving at 900 miles an hour,
It's orbiting at 19 miles a second, so it's reckoned,
the sun that is the source of all our power.
The Sun and you and me, and all the stars that we can see,
are moving at a million miles a day,
In the outer spiral arm, at 40,000 miles an hour,
of the Galaxy we call the Milky Way.

#14456: — 01/26  at  11:20 PM
Vasha said: Hinton himself was a biologist and aquarium curator as well as a folksinger.

You can download a copy of Hinton singing It's a Long Way from Amphioxus from The San Diego Historical Society.

http://sandiegohistory.org/audio/hinton/hinton.htm
http://sandiegohistory.org/audio/hinton/amphioxus.ram

#14457: — 01/26  at  11:43 PM
What? I can't believe that no one has mentioned Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive."

Not very scientific, but it could be a solid theme song and/or title of our little Evolve-umentary.

#14458: — 01/26  at  11:47 PM
Well, there's always the "Evolution Revolution" by Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution. Devo's "Jocko Homo" might work too if you don't mind that they allowed for a divine creator ("God made man / But he used the monkey to do it")

#14460: — 01/27  at  12:01 AM
Oh, and I have to mention Phish's "Lifeboy" - which has a few profound words to say. Again, it is more anti-religion than anything. I think that it (possibly) assumes that God may exist, but points out that He (and religion) sucks a big one.

For our short attention-spanned readers, please refer to the emboldened lyrics for a taste.

Swinging on the lifeline, frayed bits of twine
Entangled in the remnants of the
Knot I left behind.
And asking You to help me make it
Finally unwind.

And when the line is breaking,
When I'm near the end.
When all the time [not] spent leading,
I've been following instead.
When all my thoughts and memories are
Left hanging by a thread.

But God never listens to what I say.
God never listens to what I say.
And you don't get a refund,
If you overpray.

#14461: — 01/27  at  12:58 AM
Uh, in an unrelated note.

I am a little board (and a little insomniac), so I decided to read some slightly bitchin' HedWeb stuff.

Anyway, I found an incredible quote, and maybe the "Evolution Rapper" can put it to music for PZ's merry festival.

The essay was discussing Homo sapiens' ability to comprehend (fathom) the answers for what should be - IMO - one of the principal ponderings in scientific philosophy - Why does anything "exist" (as opposed to nothing)?

...It's like trying to understand life without any understanding at all of the principles of Darwinian [sic] evolution. Such a feat simply isn't possible.

Well said, if that sort of thing floats one's boat.

#14462: — 01/27  at  01:11 AM
not as strictly related, but check David Bowie's "oh you pretty things"-
"Homo sapiens have outgrown their use
All the strangers came today
And it looks as though they're here to stay...
...You gotta make way for the homo superior"

also Stereolab's "Margerine Melodie"

"Our brain makes us act
behave and react
A pulsion that drives us to stay alive
Need to satisfy our fundamental needs
The nervous system enables that drive
Through consumerism, escape and struggle
As well as inhibition
All these mechanisms that preserve balance
Biological well being"

oooooh and i almost forgot Air "Biological"
"XX XY
That's why it's you and me
Your blood is red
It's beautiful genetic love
Biological
I don't know why I feel that way with you
Biological
I need your DNA"

#14464: — 01/27  at  01:22 AM
mccm -

Ha!

Those last two are brilliant!

But, yeah - maybe not enough evolutionosity.

;)

#14467: Lars J. Nilsson — 01/27  at  03:41 AM
I'll pipe in with a note for any lovers of Progressive Metal. I doubt you want to party to it, but a concept album dedicated to the works of Richard Dawkins featuring James LaBrie, you have to love it.

Frameshift; "Unweaving the Rainbow"

Brilliant stuff.

#14468: — 01/27  at  05:08 AM
As an aside, for those who like a bit of embryonic embellishment, Peter Gabriel's "UP" album has a song called "Growing Up".

and though it's not exactly evolutionary, the more atheistically inclined may like Regurgitator's "Just Another Beautiful Story". 'All that I am and all I'll ever be/Is a brain in a body/And all that I know and all I'll ever see/Are the real things around me."

And to round out with a perhaps most appropriate They Might Be Giants tune, "Museum of Idiots", from their "The Spine" album.

#14470: — 01/27  at  07:35 AM
Greg Graffin of Bad Religion is a biology PhD, but all I can think of is Modern Man. Any other BR songs that fit?

#14474: platosearwax — 01/27  at  07:46 AM
Though the song is not really about evolution, or science much really, Shriekback have the only known use, as far as I know, of the word parthenogenesis in a song called Nemesis.

Devo also has a song called Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA, with the Mr. DNA section the relevant part.

Lard (the "supergroup" formed from Jello Baifra and Ministry) have a song called Mate, Spawn and Die!.

I'm sure there's loads more.

#14476: platosearwax — 01/27  at  07:54 AM
Wow, I can't think of anything from Bad Religion offhand, but thanks for mentioning them.

*cues up some BR*

#14477: anthony — 01/27  at  07:55 AM
Monkey Gone to Heaven by the Pixies

#14485: — 01/27  at  09:02 AM
Geez! Didn't you guys leave ANY recommendations for me? TMBG's "Mammal" and "Museum of Idiots," Bowie's "O! You Pretty Things..."

Sheesh. Of course, on the Hours album Bowie informs us that "The Pretty Things are Going to Hell" ("They wore it out, but they wore it well.")

How about "Deteriorata" from the National Lampoon Radio Hour (a parody of the Desiderata song popular at the time)? "You are a fluke...of the universe...you have no right to be here..." Can also be found on Dr. Demento's 30th Anniversary collection.

If we're loosening the theme up a bit, TMBG have a few more science-relevant songs. "Why does the Sun Shine?" is one...I have the single, though it's on a few compilations and available directly from TMBG as an MP3. "My Man" is another, off Mink Car.

Bowie has an interesting though overall less relevant one in "Seven," off Hours:
The gods forgot they made me
So I forget them too
I listen to the shadows
I play among their graves

Loosening things up even more, Bowie has a couple more on the aptly named Heathen: "I Would be your Slave" is religiously relevant but subtle. "A Better Future" is more frank ("I demand a better future, or I might just stop loving you.")

#14489: — 01/27  at  09:51 AM
You really must include "Evolution Mama," an inpired (anti-)evolution song from the 1920s (with comparatively modern recordings readily available, for example from the Even Dozen Jug Band or Turk Murphy). Here's one version of the lyrics:

Old Lucian Burn had a gal way down in Tennessee
She told Lucian all about evolution
She was sittin' down on his knee.
Then one fine day, she got gay,
And started steppin' out.
But old brother Lucian started a revolution
The neighbors all could hear him shout.
what did he say?

He said
Evolution mama, evolution mama,
Don't you make a monkey outa me.
He said, Evolution mama,
Don't you think you got me up a tree.
Now I remember the time I had you nice and tame,
You was eatin' right outa my hand,
Some fine day, I'm gonna take good aim
And knock that peanut whistle offa your stand.
Now evolution mama, listen while I get you told
I'm gonna tell you somethin's gonna make your blood run cold
Now I ain't half man and I aint half beast
But I can do ya more good than this store bought piece
Evolution mama, don't you make a monkey outa me.

Evolution mama, sweet smellin' mama,
Don't you make a monkey outa me.
Now, evolution mama
Don't you think ya got me up a tree.
I remember the time ya had me nice and tame
I was eatin right outa your hand
Some fine day, I'm gonna take good aim
And knock that peanut whistle offa your stand.
Now evolution mama, listen while I get you told
I'm gonna tell you somethin's gonna make your blood run cold
Gonna make ya feel mighty old
Well, I got myself a razor, I got myself a gun
Gonna carve on you if you stand still
Gonna shoot you if you run
Well evolution mama, don't you make a monkey outa me.

#14505: — 01/27  at  11:38 AM
Echo's Children (filk) did a nice song entitled "The Word of God": (sample lyric)
By stem and root and branch we trace, by feather, fang and fur,
How the living things that are descend from things that were.
The moss, the kelp, the zebrafish, the very mice and flies,
These tiny, humble, wordless things---how shall they tell us lies?
We are kin to beasts; no other answer can we bring.
The truth has left its fingerprints on every living thing.
Remember, should you have to choose between them in the strife,
Humans wrote the Bible; God wrote life.

http://www.echoschildren.org/CDlyrics/WORDGOD.HTML

-Earl

#14509: — 01/27  at  11:56 AM
"Evolution RAg" by the Incredible String Band:

"...
Out on the land, out on the land, singing hooray,
While a million years pass us by
And we get well on our way...."