OUR SECOND AGE: Title Page & Song

EARLY DAYS

Earth’s lands and seas 300-240 million years ago

Earth’s lands and seas today

‘With . . . shining morning face’
As You Like It, II, vii, 146




‘We [scientists] should make things as simple as possible,
but not simpler.’
Albert Einstein

This song is by Cole Porter, and I’m sure it is familiar to you. I’ve chosen it for Our Second Age because this is when intimate sexual reproduction came into its own. But, as Cole Porter and many others have done before me, I’ve changed quite a few words to suit the occasion.

LET’S DO IT (LET’S FALL IN LOVE)

When the little Bluebird, who has never said a word,
Starts to sing: ‘Spring, Spring;’
When the little Blue-bell, in the bottom of the dell,
Starts to ring: ’Ding, ding;’
When the little blue clerk, in the office car-park,
Starts a tune to the moon up above,
It is nature, that’s all, simply telling us to fall in love
And that’s why . . .

Birds do it, bees do it,
- Flying foxes, frogs and fleas do it,
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

The upper sets in their jets do it,
- Corny barbershop quartets do it,
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

In Kakadu crocodiles do it,
Then they lie in the sun.
Cats on the tiles do it.
It doesn’t sound like much fun.

Young kids in jeans without means do it,
People say in Boston even beans do it,
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

Termites take off and fly to do it,
- Most male spiders die to do it,
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

Selected cells in a petrie dish do it,
- Even drifting jellyfish do it,
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.

The lovely rose opens up to do it,
She doesn’t care who drops in.
Celebrities attend the Melbourne Cup to do it,
They don’t think it’s a sin.

When they get the call, Earthlings all do it,
Overweight(1) and skinny(2), short(3) and tall(4) do it,
(big finish) Let’s do it, let’s fall in love!
(sexy whisper) Let’s do it.

NB A dash (-) indicates a rest on the first beat (I tap my foot).

1. (overweight)
elephant seals

3. (short)
cane toad











2. (skinny)

male stick insect
and larger female

4. (tall)
Eucalyptus regnans

(click on each image to enlarge)

* * * * * * *