A song on The Society of Genes
From the book launch party at Radcliffe, Harvard University (February 3rd, 2016).
Come gather round and listen to
How our lives are inextricably
Linked to genes that form a society.
Kevin Bacon’s six degrees are outshone
By our genes’ complexity
No gene is an island in society.
Society, Society, The Society of Genes.
Together and in conflict,
Ain’t it babe like you and me?
With genomes near identical, millions
of differences separate you and me
That’s Bill Clinton’s paradox about society.
And when we find a mate, we’re busy
helping our genes to be wild and free
to live the American Dream in their society.
Society, Society, The Society of Genes.
Together and in conflict,
Ain’t it babe like you and me?
A human and a chimp can’t marry
The lock no longer fits the key
Cooperation long broke down ‘twixt their societies
How do genes make a body?
There are managers that oversee.
Giving orders to the workers, of Society
Society, Society, The Society of Genes.
Together and in conflict,
Ain’t it babe like you and me?
Mediocre artists tend to copy,
But the greatest of them steal, you see
That’s how novelty arises in society
Normal creatures are bacteria
We’re just curious absurdities
A merger of two societies
Society, Society, The Society of Genes.
Together and in conflict,
Ain’t it babe like you and me?
Like Kramer freeloads off of Seinfeld
Millions freeload off of me
It’s the largest tribe of genes in society
And when you ask your genome: buddy,
What’s your secret recipe?
There will be an answer: Society.
Society, Society, The Society of Genes.
Together and in conflict,
Ain’t it babe like you and me?
