Molecular biology teachers need a rock anthem

Should get Jonathan Coulton to sing it, though he already has a song about DNA.

The P53 one was far better. I like a good parody and I love old ACDC but that one just didn't do it for me. I think there's a parody version of the same song on youtube called PMT thats not bad. My favourite ACDC one is 'Dirty Deeds Done with Sheep' - whoever does the voice gets it spot on.

Hum, that was awful. :)

Get Behe to sing it. He's a biochemist (yes, I know that's not really the same thing, but he'd like you to think it is).

Except I think he'd object to "I have secrets to tell."

Other than that, I'm with Michelle ("awful").

Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7

OT, but I don't think that the reviews, clip, and trailer for Religulous have been linked on Pharyngula yet. A clip, and the trailer can be found near the bottom of this link, and there are some linked reviews as well.

It looks kind of good, though I don't know if I'm really eager to see it.

Glen D

Oh, thanks. Now I'm afraid of DNA.

Well... I guess that's one way to spread science's appeal. But do you really, really want AC/DC fans hanging around in your labs to begin with? I've seen some hotel rooms, and those got trashed without the use of nearby explosives and caustic fluids. Usually.

Also, shaking camphene all night long is generally not recommended.

Totally off-topic, but of possible interest to PZ:

(from http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bikers7-2008aug07,0,2962846.sto…)

Christian biker gang members charged with attempted murder

Officers arrested eight members of an Anaheim biker gang and charged them with attempted murder this morning as part of an ongoing operation, authorities said.

The charges stem from a fight last week at a Newport Beach bar between two biker gangs, said Anaheim police Sgt. Tim Schmidt.

The group arrested this morning are members of a Christian biker gang named Set Free Soldiers, and the victims are members of the Hells Angels, Schmidt said...

*snortlaugh*

ha, hilarious. This is really funny for me because the kids in my old lab and I actually had our own version of this song. We really just sung the chorus, but it was almost identical!

Here's the link again (sans closing paren which got included in the URL link): http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bikers7-2008aug07,0,2962846.sto…

These lyrics would have been great for my genetics course a couple years ago! Our professor gave out extra credit to students that made up their own genetics-based lyrics to a popular song and recorded it. I ended up making up lyrics to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" using protein translation as the theme. I think I still have the recording.

TNT is bad enough, if that was sung I might have to eat myself. This is from somebody who LOVES their DNA, mind you.

I often try to deny my inner geek exposure to the outside world, but he ran amuk while reading this post. Did anyone else sing it in Bon's voice?

Send it to Bob Rivers, he did a pretty good cover of AC/DC in one of my favorite songs, "Dirty Deeds Done With Sheep".

If this keeps up, K-Tell will have an album "Science Greatest Hits" for sale. Maybe Darwin will grace the cover?

Doesn't the inclusion of "plan" in the last line constitute evidence that DNA was designed?

Just sayin'...

Great... now I've got TNT stuck in my head. Well at least that means I don't have Weezer on the brain anymore!

In fairness, we must present the other theory:

O I'm the Intelligent Designer,
Of the universe, what could be finer?
I made the sun, the moon, and the stars,
I carved the Face on Mars,
I've hidden the missing link,
I led Clinton to the sink.

Yes, I'm the Intelligent Designer,
Of DNA the entwiner,
Of quotes I'm the miner,
And of the sun I'm the shiner.

[There's more, but I'll spare you.]

I think that they are shouting Fight! Fight! Fight! at the beginning and not Oi! Oi! Oi!

I haven't written any poetry on DNA, but if anyone likes weird electronic music I am currently in the process of writing a large-scale piece called "DNA". So far I've written five "strands" in a minimalist electronic style which I reckon is quite unique in its own way. Eventually I intend to integrate all the "strands" into a kind of musical "spiral". Tricky work.

If anyone wants to have a listen (all free), go here:
http://www.herring.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/work61.htm

My FTP server is usually only online 12 hours a day (roughly 11AM - 11PM GMT) but it does allow complete downloads when it's online. Comments welcome.

I hate that when I get my dioxyribonucleic acid mixed up with my trinitrotoluene.

Come on people! Devo were singing about DNA back in the 70s!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UKtZwWLMp8

I think that they are shouting Fight! Fight! Fight! at the beginning and not Oi! Oi! Oi!

Don't know what version you're referring to, but I recently bought "AC/DC: Live at Donington" on Blu-Ray, and the crowd is definitely chanting "Oi!" at the beginning of "TNT." Somewhat surprised since I'd always associated Oi! with punks, not headbangers, but I'm American...

An old lab mate wrote a filk set to Jimmy Beffet's "Margaritaville" called "Toxicology"

"Wasting away in toxicology..."

He was seriously into his " I'm tired of being a doctoral student I just want to graduate already!" phase.

I believe I've also got a copy, somewhere of a filk set to Night at the Opera" by queen...a couple of lines

"Is this a real life, or is this just graduate school...

and...

"My ad-visor has a thesis set aside for me, for ME, for MEEEEEEEE"

Sitting in front of a HPLC, being a human fraction collector for hours on end makes you go slightly off your rocker...this was in the pre-ipod days....

That's great!

(To the tune of "Big Balls" -ACDC)

I've got DNA
I've got DNA
Its helical DNA
And there's broken DNA
And he's got DNA
And she's got DNA
But Rice's got the biggest DNA of them all

Sorry - that's just plain horrible :)

Am I correct that rice has the biggest genome? I forget - I know it's up there though.

P.S. I assume everyone has seen the "PCR song"? If not - look it up. Imagine "We Are The World" about PCR.

Comment #1 already mentioned this, but Jonathan Coulton has a song about DNA, and you can listen to it at this link:

http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/That%20Spells%20DNA

People have also made YouTube videos for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cmbck1GZ9Q

Genocentrism is obsolete!!! Proteins rule!!! Genomics is dead!!! Long live to metabonomics!!!

heres some more scientists rapping http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2008/07/rappin-physi…
about particles.

Ahh, awesome post... In seventh grade, my science teacher taught our class the DNA song, and now I can share it with all of you :)
To the tune of "Row, row, row your boat":

We love DNA, made of nucleotides,
Sugar, phosphate, and a base,
bonded down the sides.

Adenine and thymine make a lovely pair,
Cytosine without guanine,
would be very bare.

Oh, Deoxyribonucleic acid,
RNA is ribonucleic acid.

Maybe we can secretly bribe Jonathan Well's girlie band "The Mutations" to sing it, and watch Wells scream.

Sis Boom Bah!!! Sis Boom Bah!!! Mutation..Complilation!!! Rah!! Rah!! Rah!!!!

Something I saw on a wall years ago:

The Academic Hierarchy

THE PRESIDENT

Leaps tall buildings in a single bound,
is more powerful than a locomotive,
is faster than a speeding bullet,
walks on water,
gives policy to God.

THE VICE PRESIDENT

Leaps short buildings in a single bound,
is more powerful than a switch engine,
is just as fast as a speeding bullet,
walks on water if the sea is calm,
talks with God.

PROFESSOR

Leaps short buildings with a running start and favorable winds,
is almost as powerful as a switch engine,
can fire a speeding bullet,
walks on water in an indoor swimming pool,
talks with God if special request is approved.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Barely clears a quonset hut,
loses tug-of-war with locomotive, but beats a Volvo,
can fire a crossbow, but really wants a gun,
swims well,
is occassionally addressed by God.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Makes high marks on walls when trying to leap tall buildings,
can afford a Volvo, but can not beat it in a tug-of-war,
can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self-injury,
dog paddles,
talks to animals.

GRADUATE STUDENT

Runs into buildings,
can usually tell the difference between a Volvo and a locomotive,
is not issued ammunition,
can stay afloat with a life jacket,
talks to walls.

UNDERGRADUATE

Falls over doorstep when trying to enter buildings,
says, "Look at the choo-choo,"
gets into water pistol fights,
plays in mud puddles,
talks to self.

DEPARTMENT SECRETARY

Lifts tall buildings and walks under them,
kicks locomotives off the tracks,
catches speeding bullets in her teeth and eats them,
freezes water with a single glance,
Is God.

I look forward to the Hayseed Dixie cover version.

Science is the search for truth.
It only finds the facts,
It has no agenda.
Reason could never hurt the youth.
It only makes them think,
You're dumb if that offends you.
Honor is integrity.
Fairness and honesty
In beliefs and actions.
It is the second part we need.
We stand for progress
And we have many factions.

Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!

Borders, religion, race, and class,
Never had any use
They only divide us.
They get corrupted so damn fast,
By corporate interests
Who just want to ride us.

Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!

I think if you don't love it
Than maybe you should leave it.
If you will not defend it
Then get the hell off of it!
You know we love this planet.
If you think you can wreck it.
We are the PHE-NOM-E-NAUTS!
Our job is to protect it!

Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!

Get the hell out of my bedreoom.
As long as we're adults
And we're all consenting.
Freedom is not just a word.
It is a real thing
And wee're implementing.

Science and Honor!
Science and Honor!

("Science and Honor" by the Phenomenauts, from the album For All Mankind)
http://thephenomenauts.fuzz.com/song/Science-And-Honor-47011

As an amusing side note, I did up a will yesterday for a chap who, amongst other oddities, has specified he only wants TNT played at his funeral.Continuously. For forty minutes.

Oh well, its better than that Celine Dion "Heart Will Go On" shit that everybody else seems to want.

OK, almost nothing to do with biology, and with apologies to blue oyster cult but here goes:

With a terrible grimace and a purposeful frown
He shoots the spitting and lying Christians down
Helpless fish in a petri dish
Scream 'my god!' as he looks down on them

Ooooh no, they say he's got to go. Go-go god-killer! (ahhhh)
Ooooh no, the cracker's got a hole. Go-go god-killer! (ahhhh)

History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men.

@Bride of Shrek #37

Ouch. My preferred funeral music would be "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis", or possibly the Chronos Quartet number I can't remember (_NOT_ Barber's adagio for strings, though they do the best version of that I've heard)

Bon Scott may be dead but I imagine that there are loads of his DNA samples floating around out there. Brian Johnson needs a lozenge.

A Bon Scott reference??? Here ... Sir, I have a whole new respect for you

YetAnotherKevin

I'm going to be cremated and have "Great Balls of Fire" playing. Either that or "Light My Fire" by the Doors.

If you want to try something a little different, try the Origin of Species in Dub, a reggae version of the great masterpiece, which I created a few years back with a Jamaican colleague. Be sure to check out all the notes on the music and video (on each page of the video collection) to ensure you use the music as an educational experience! I can now quote vast chunks of the Origin verbatim thanks to the lyrics having drilled their way into my brain!

I'll be posting on Darwinian concept albums later today on my own blog.

For excellent music about more contemporary science, try Science Groove:

http://www.science-groove.org/

I bet you will soon be abbamatically singing "Glucose, ah sugar, sugar" !

There is also a database of science music on the site:
http://www.science-groove.org/MASSIVE/

That is excellent ! Very inspired...

Soundtrack from "Once upon a time in the west" for me,in Dolby Surround.And no priests.

There is infact an ACDC tribute band floating around Minneapolis so you may be able to slip them some sheckels to record it http://tnt-acdctribute.com/

Bride of Shrek, A mate on a mb I use went to a funeral where the body was sent out to the crematorium to Ring of Fire. Apparantly noone at the funeral was expecting this and didn't know whether to laugh or cry

This idea reminds me of Geeksta Rap (aka Nerdcore). MC Hawking, for example, does a lot of science based songs.

Fuck the Creationists

Big Bizang

E=MC Hawking

I also had a physics prof. who would sing physics songs while playing on his Banjo, but they aren't up on the web.

Molecular biologists have already had an official music video since 1971: http://tinyurl.com/6agexo

Re: #1--the Jonathon Coulton song "That Spells DNA" is quite brilliant. I love the lyric about the spiral staircase we're falling down...

The highly entertaining Mr. Coulton has some other science songs, and the one about mathematics, "Mandelbrot Set," is great. Nothing on squid yet, though.

That Spells DNA

We start the story when Mom met Dad
And they danced all night and he took her home
It might have been all the wine they had
But they rolled the dice and won your genome

Then you grew and you grew and one day you were you
And you looked like your father and mother
If you're looking for someone convenient to blame
You can take your pick it's one or the other

DNA, you're in my heart
DNA, in fact you're in every part of my body
Each cell has a nucleus, each nucleus has chromosomes
And DNA, baby, that spells DNA

Guanine met Cytosine, fell in love
And then Thymine got busy with Adenine
They sent the messenger-RNA
To the ribosome to make more protein

And while it's killing you dead it will mess with your head
And it's the light in the dark that will guide you
It's the pages and pages of what you are like
In the giant book that's hidden inside you

DNA, you're in my heart
DNA, in fact you're in every part of my body
Each cell has a nucleus, each nucleus has chromosomes
And DNA, baby, that spells DNA

If it says TGGTCGAAC
Then you might get the cancer
If it says GTCACGACAGG
Then you shouldn't eat shrimp or nuts
If it says TATACACATATCCTCGT
Then you'll probably wish that you didn't know

The time will come when you're almost gone
And you try to guess but you'll never know
You do your best and you soldier on
Every day you're here till it's time to go

All the good things and bad that you do or don't have
You can find out for sure if you got 'em
But there's a spiraling staircase that you're falling down
And you're nothing but dead at the bottom

DNA, you're in my heart
DNA, in fact you're in every part of my body
Each cell has a nucleus, each nucleus has chromosomes
And DNA, baby, that spells DNA

We need this kind of thing like we need a hole in the cranium.

Myers, your clock is ticking and you will burn in the fires of hell if you do not repent and convert. Your poor little brain the size of an ameba can not let you see the truth!. You studied biology and still have not discovered your Creator? Ignorance, child trauma or both?

i love a little dna
with my tequila
on a hot summer's day