"Lucky Little Seaweed" Rap Song

by Connie Barlow

Intended for use in the classroom, as part of the "My Universe Story" Curriculum. This song accompanies the lesson for Bead Number 10, which incorporates classroom enactment of the evolutionary parable, "The Lucky Little Seaweed."

  • Click to LISTEN to an AUDIO of Seaweed Rap.


    • "SEAWEED RAP"

    "I'm a sad little seaweed getting crowded near the shore
    It's becoming really hard to earn a living anymore."

    "Along comes a fungus gonna eat me alive
    Thank goodness there's geology to shake and to jive."

    "So we're tossed up on the beach and the beach stays dry
    In the hot noon sun we'll die of thirst or we'll fry."

    "Hey fungus," I say, "get it over with quick.
    Insert your hyphae, suck my sap like a wick."

    "Well, no!" fungus say, "at least not today.
    You're tasting kind of sweet, so I think I will delay"

    "Your final demise, cuz it seems unwise
    To let a good thing go, when I can easily grow"

    "My hyphae underground; it's there can be found
    All the water we'll need — so let it be agreed"

    "We'll do the symbiosis dance and we'll each take a chance
    That working as a team will fulfill both our dreams."

    "So let's dance  . . .  . . . let's dance.
    Let's dance symbiosis, let's dance."

    (ALL:) Let's dance  . . .  . . . let's dance.
    Let's dance symbiosis, let's dance.

    "Yeah, working as team will fulfill all our dreams
    And maybe even more— hey who knows what's in store?"

    "For the spores we make together and eventually the seed
    Might thrive on rock and air, if I just can halt my greed."

    So that's how it happened, how the land plants arose
    Blue Marble of a planet got some green on cheeks and toes.

    The lesson for you humans is too obvious to preach
    You can solve a lot of problems if you just begin to teach

    This story 'bout a seaweed near an ancient ocean shore
    That got lucky one day when an earthquake rocked the floor!

    (ALL:)  . . . when an earthquake rocked the floor!

    So let's dance  . . . . . . let's dance.
    Let's dance symbiosis, let's dance.

    (ALL:) Let's dance  . . .  . . . let's dance.
    Let's dance symbiosis, let's dance.

    (ALL:) Let's dance  . . .  . . . let's dance.
    Let's dance symbiosis, let's dance.



    LYRICS with BEATS EMPHASIZED


    "I'm a SAD lit-tle SEA-weed get-ting CROWD-ed near the SHORE
    It's be-COM-ing really HARD to earn a LIV-ing any-MORE."

     . . . "A-LONG comes a FUN-gus gon-na EAT me a-LIVE
     . . . Thank GOOD-ness there's ge-OL-og-y to SHAKE and to JIVE."

    "So we're TOSSED up on the BEACH  . . . and the BEACH stays DRY
    In the HOT . . NOON . . SUN we'll die of THIRST or we'll FRY."

    "Hey FUN-gus," i SAY  . . . "GET it O-ver with QUICK
     . . . IN-sert your HY-phae, suck my SAP like a WICK."

    "Well, NO!" fun-gus SAY  . . . "at LEAST not to-DAY.
    You're TAST-ing kind of SWEET, so i THINK i will de-LAY"

    "Your FI-nal de-MISE  . . . cuz it SEEMS UN-WISE
    To let a GOOD . . THING . . GO when I can EAS-i-ly GROW"

    "My HY-phae un-der-GROUND, it's . . THERE can be FOUND
    All the WA-ter we'll NEED . . so . . LET it be a-GREED"

    "We'll do the SYM-bi-o-sis DANCE  . . . and we'll EACH take a CHANCE
    That WORK-ing as a TEAM will ful-FILL  . . . both our DREAMS."

    "So let's DANCE  . . .  . . . let's DANCE.
    Let's DANCE sym-bi-O-sis, let's DANCE."

    (ALL:) Let's DANCE  . . .  . . . let's DANCE.
    Let's DANCE sym-bi-O-sis, let's DANCE.

    "Yeah, WORK-ing as TEAM will ful-FILL all our DREAMS
    And MAY-be even MORE — HEY who KNOWS what's in STORE?"

    "For the SPORES we make to-GE-ther and e-VEN-tually the SEED
    Might THRIVE on ROCK and AIR  . . . if i JUST can HALT my GREED."

    So THAT'S how it HAP-pened, how the LAND PLANTS a-ROSE
    Blue MAR-ble of a PLAN-et got some GREEN on CHEEKS and TOES.

    The LES-son for you HU-mans is too 0B-vi-ous to PREACH
    You can SOLVE a lot of PROB-lems if you JUST be-GIN to TEACH

    This STOR-y 'bout a SEA-weed near an AN-cient O-cean SHORE
    That got LUCK-y one DAY  . . . when an EARTH-quake ROCKED the FLOOR!

    (ALL:)  . . . when an EARTH-quake ROCKED the FLOOR!

    So let's DANCE  . . .  . . . let's DANCE.
    Let's DANCE sym-bi-O-sis, let's DANCE.

    (ALL:) Let's DANCE  . . .  . . . let's DANCE.
    Let's DANCE sym-bi-O-sis, let's DANCE.

    (ALL:) Let's DANCE  . . .  . . . let's DANCE.
    Let's DANCE sym-bi-O-sis, let's DANCE.



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