Song of the week, 8 December 2002:

Aardvark
email for an mp3
(Music and Words M. Frey (c) 2002)

Sometimes you just don't question inspiration. Especially when the answers might be a little too weird. A large chunk of this tune appeared spontaneously over Thanksgiving in Buffalo. Maybe excess tryptophan is to blame. Or maybe not.

Aardvark
(c) 2002 Mark Frey

The sun, the moon, the stars and the planets
all hang around in the sky
if you stare at a solar eclipse without protection
you'll probably burn out your eye

but that’s not the reason I’m singing this tune
no it isn’t connected at all
I just stuck it in as an opening verse
to keep the whole thing from being too small

this song is in fact about Aardvarks
yes of Aardvarks today I will sing
but Aardvarks are curious creatures
about which I know almost nothing

Aardvarks are hairy burrowing mammals
with a blunt-ended snout
they dig little holes all over Africa
and have no political clout

now I’m reaching the ends of my knowledge
and don’t really know where to go
I finally see why they always tell you
to write about things that you know

this song is in fact about Aardvarks
yes of Aardvarks today I will sing
but Aardvarks are curious creatures
about which I know almost nothing

for the last verse I looked some Aardvark facts up
isn’t the internet great?
now I know Aardvarks are basically loners
only getting together to mate

(Interlude)

Your average Aardvark lives about 10 years
and can’t run very fast
they have strong claws to help in digging for termites
which I’m told are their favorite repast

They've got tubular teeth and come out at night
their tongues are quite sticky and long
their name means "earth-pig" but if you should think
they’re related to porkers then you would be wrong

this song is in fact about Aardvarks
yes of Aardvarks today I will sing
but Aardvarks are curious creatures
about which I know almost nothing