BIO-NOTES: VERTEBRATE SONGS

by Robert Everett

"BIO-NOTES: VERTEBRATE SONGS" ORIGINATED AS PART OF MY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION IN SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THESE SONGS INCORPORATE, WHAT I CALL, MUSICAL MOTIVATIONAL INSTRUCTION (MMI). THE RESPONSE TO MMI HAS BEEN POSITIVE, BOTH IN RESEARCH AND CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS. WHILE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR JUNIOR HIGH LIFE SCIENCE, "BIO-NOTES" MAY BE USED AS SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL AT ALL LEVELS OF BIOLOGY INSTRUCTION. ENJOY!

                
        	 			ROBERT M. EVERETT, Ph.D.

SONG LIST

Vertebrates
Fish Parts
I'm a Frog
Ode To a Shell
Little Bird
Mammal Jammin'
Primate Man

Recorded Fall 1988 at FAT KAT STUDIOS Albany, Louisiana Engineered and mixed by Joe Dick Digitally remastered Fall 2001 at ACTS AUDIO by Bill Wilbanks Guitars and vocals: Robert Everett Keyboards and drum programing: Joe Dick All music and lyrics by Robert Everett

VERTEBRATES

WHAT CAN THEY BE
THAT LAY IN FRONT OF ME?
THEY GO LEFT TO RIGHT
THEY MAKE AN EERIE SIGHT

BUT THE TEACHER SAYS WE MUST LOOK AT THEM SO HERE I GO
THEY'RE ALL LINED UP LIKE AT THE TICKET BOOTH AT A MOVIE SHOW

I LOOK INTO THE JAR
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
SOME HAVE SCALES AND SOME LAY EGGS
AND SOME LOOK PRETTY BIZARRE
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE!

CHORUS:

THEY MUST BE VERTEBRATES
WITH THE SAME SUBPHYLUM TRAITS
THE FARTHER I MOVE FROM LEFT
THE CLOSER I GET TO MYSELF

LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE!
DEVELOPED ENDOSKELETONS
CARTILAGE AND BONE
BACKBONE CAN DO NO WRONG

LOOK AT THE VARIETY
OF ALL THE KINDS OF ANIMALS THAT LAY ON THE TABLE
FROM SLIMY SCALY FISHES TO AMPHIBIAN MAGICIANS
THAT CHANGE WHEN THEY'RE ABLE

THE REPTILES AREN'T THE SAME
THE BIRDS THEY ALL LOOK TAME
THE MAMMALS ARE A SPECIAL CREW
THEY SEEM MORE LIKE ME AND YOU
I THINK THAT THEY REALLY DO!

CHORUS

FISH PARTS

I LIVE IN THE OCEANS
I LIVE IN THE RIVERS, PONDS, AND STREAMS
I SWIM WITH MY FINS NOW
I BREATHE THROUGH GILLS AND I HAVE SCALES

BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
THERE'S MUCH MORE TO SEE
A CLOSED CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
IS FOUND INSIDE ME

CHORUS:

THERE'S NO PART NO PART I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
THERE'S NO PART NO PART I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
NO PART I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

I'M STREAMLINED IN SHAPE NOW
I'M TAPERED AT BOTH MY HEAD AND TAIL
MY HEART HAS TWO CHAMBERS
AND I REPRODUCE EXTERNALLY

TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT MY EYES
I DON'T SEE VERY WELL
BUT I CAN HEAR AND SENSE VIBRATIONS
FROM MY HEAD TO MY TAIL

CHORUS

MY BODY TEMPERATURE DOESN'T STAY THE SAME
IT CHANGES WITH THE WATER IT'S NOT MAINTAINED
COLD-BLOODED IS WHAT I AM AND IT'S VERY HARD
CAUSE I CAN'T LIVE IN PLACES WHERE YOU LIVE

CHORUS

I'M A FROG

OH, I'M A FROG!
I LIKE TO HOP AROUND
YES, I'M A FROG!
NO ONE CAN HOLD ME DOWN

AND WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
YOU CAN HEAR THAT FAMILIAR SOUND
IT ECHOES THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE TOWN

CHORUS: OH, I'M A FROG! I'M A FROG . . . . . . . .

OH, I'M A FROG!
I MIGHT LOOK PRETTY SAD
BUT, I'M A FROG!
I'M HAPPY ON MY PAD

WHEN I WAS A YOUNGER TAD
I BREATHED THROUGH LITTLE GILLS
NOW I'VE GOT LUNGS THAT'S HOW I GET MY THRILLS

CHORUS: OH, I'M A FROG! I'M A FROG . . . . . . . .

SOME PEOPLE THEY LIKE TO EAT ME
OTHERS THEY LIKE TO DISSECT ME
WHY DON'T THEY LEAVE ME ALONE?
A POND IS WHERE I BELONG
IF THEY WOULD LET ME LEAD MY OWN LIFE
THEN I MIGHT STAY ALIVE
I'M A FROG . . . . . . . .

OH, I'M A FROG!
I LIKE TO EAT BIG BUGS
YES, I'M A FROG!
I CATCH THEM WITH MY TONGUE

I MIGHT HAVE SOFT MOIST SKIN
AND A THREE-CHAMBERED HEART
BUT I CAN DO MY THING WITHOUT COMING APART

CHORUS: OH, I'M A FROG! I'M A FROG . . . . . . . .

ODE TO A SHELL

THE SUN IS OUT AND THE SAND IS BURNING HOT
WHAT'S THIS LOWLY REPTILE TO DO?
AND WHEN THERE'S DANGER NEAR
I'VE ONLY ONE ROUTE TO TAKE
BECAUSE THERE'S NO USE IN TRYING TO ESCAPE

CHORUS:

NOBODY KNOWS HOW IT FEELS
TO LIVE INSIDE YOU TO BE ALONE
I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS BOXED-UP WORLD
AND WHEN I HIDE I GO INSIDE OF MY SHELL

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE WHEN YOU LIVE INSIDE A SHELL?
I GUESS IT'S KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN
MY LIFE IS SIMPLE BUT OH SO VERY HARD
HIDE AND SEEK IS A VERY LONELY TURTLE GAME

CHORUS:

NOBODY KNOWS HOW IT FEELS
TO LIVE INSIDE YOU TO BE ALONE
I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS LONELY WORLD
AND WHEN I HIDE I GO INSIDE OF MY SHELL

NOBODY KNOWS HOW IT FEELS
TO LIVE INSIDE YOU TO BE ALONE
I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS BOXED-UP WORLD
AND WHEN I HIDE I GO INSIDE . . . . . . . .

LITTLE BIRD

I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIND YOU
I LOOKED IN EVERY BOOK THAT I HAD
BUT THE FEATHERS THEY ALL LOOKED THE SAME
SO I REMEMBERED WHAT MY TEACHER HAD SAID

TOLD ME TO LOOK FOR DIFFERENT FEATURES
AND NOT TO FORGET MY MISTAKES
LITTLE BIRD, I'M GONNA NAME YA
NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES
NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES

CHORUS:

IT'S SO HARD
TO TELL WHAT KIND OF BIRD YOU ARE
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO AND FLY AWAY SO FAR
ALL I WANT TO DO IS LOOK AT YOUR TWO FEET
AND TAKE A PEEK AT YOUR FUNNY BEAK
TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FOOD YOU EAT

I KNOW YOUR BONES ARE LIGHT WEIGHTED
AND THAT YOU HAVE TO EAT A LOT
THE ENERGY THAT YOU NEED FOR LIVING
IS MUCH MORE THAN I'VE GOT

I KNOW INSIDE THAT YOU'RE WARM-BLOODED
I KNOW YOU CAN SING AND FLY
I KNOW THAT YOUR HEART HAS GOT FOUR CHAMBERS
BUT THAT DOESN'T TELL ME WHY
NO THAT DOESN'T TELL ME WHY

CHORUS

CRACKING SEEDS! CATCHING BUGS!
PECKING WOOD! DIGGING MUD!

CHORUS

AND TAKE A PEEK AT YOUR FUNNY BEAK
TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FOOD YOU EAT

MAMMAL JAMMIN'

WE'VE GOT MONKEYS AND ZEBRAS
ELEPHANTS AND SEALS
AND LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE
TURNING LIKE A WHEEL

WE'VE GOT PORPOISES AND HORSES
RABBITS AND GAZELLES
TINY LITTLE CREATURES
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL

CHORUS:

MAMMAL JAMMIN' MAMMAL JAMMIN'
MAMMAL JAMMIN' MAMMAL JAMMIN'

LET'S GET IN A CIRCLE
WITH ALL OUR FURRY FRIENDS
GOT TO GET TOGETHER
WE'RE MAMMALS TILL THE END

FROM THE SMALLEST LITTLE FIELD MOUSE
TO THE GREAT BLUE OCEAN WHALE
TO THE DOG THAT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD
TO THE DEER THAT WAGS ITS TAIL

CHORUS

AND DON'T FORGET THE PLATYPUS
HE MIGHT LOOK PRETTY STRANGE
BUT HE'S A MAMMAL HE'S GOT HAIR
LIKE TIGERS, LIONS, AND BEARS

CHORUS

CHORUS . . . . . . . .

PRIMATE MAN

I WENT OUT WALKING ONE DAY IN THE ZOO
I SAW THE MONKEYS AND THE CHIMPANZEES TOO
THERE WAS THE APE MAN, NOW WASN'T HE COOL
LOOKED JUST LIKE SOME OF MY FRIENDS BACK AT SCHOOL

CHORUS:

OH PRIMATE!
YOU'VE GOT SMILEY TEETH AND HAIR SO NEAT
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME
YOU'VE GOT EYES THAT STARE A NOSE THAT FLARES
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME

I WATCHED A T.V. SHOW IT WAS ABOUT YOU
IT TALKED ABOUT THE LEMURS AND ORANGUTANS TOO
I GUESS I SHOULD DECIDE AND MAKE UP MY MIND
IS IT YOU OR IS IT ME I SEE ALL THE TIME?

CHORUS

I LOOK AT YOU YOU LOOK AT ME NOW
I STAND ERECT YOU SWING FROM TREES
BUT WE BOTH HAVE OPPOSING THUMBS NOW
I SCRATCH MY HEAD AND YOU SCRATCH YOURS
THE QUESTIONS THEY SPIN AROUND INSIDE MY BRAIN
ARE WE DIFFERENT? ARE WE THE SAME? YES, ARE WE THE SAME?

AND THEN AT SCHOOL I READ ABOUT THE PRIMATES
ON HOW WE HUMANS THINK AND HOW WE CREATE
WE MIGHT USE LOGIC AND WE MIGHT USE REASON
BUT WHEN WE SEE WE BOTH USE 3-D VISION

CHORUS:

OH PRIMATE!
YOU'VE GOT SMILEY TEETH AND HAIR SO NEAT
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME
YOU'VE GOT EYES THAT STARE A NOSE THAT FLARES
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME

YOU'VE GOT SMILEY TEETH AND HAIR SO NEAT
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME
YOU'VE GOT EYES THAT STARE A NOSE THAT FLARES
IT MAKES ME WONDER IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME

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