Brain Songs


"Brain of Mine"
(sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

Twinkle, twinkle brain of mine,
How I think you're really fine.

Up above in my head so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle brain of mine,
How I think you're really fine.

Another version of "Brain of Mine"
(Sent in by Grant S.)

Thinking, Thinking Brain of mine
How I think you're really fine

Up above my heart so high
like a diamond behind my eye

Thinking, thinking Brain of mine
How I think you're really fine.

"Because I have a Brain"
(sung to the tune, "If I Only Had a Brain", sent in by Richard Lord, Biology teacher at Presque Isle High School)

I can flex a muscle tightly, or tap my finger lightly,
It's because I have a brain.
I can swim in the river, though it's cold and makes me shiver
Just because I have a brain.

I am really fascinated, to be coordinated,
It's because I have a brain.
I can see lots of faces, feel the pain of wearing braces,
Just because I have a brain.

Oh, I appreciate - the many things that I can do.
I can taste - a chicken stew, or smell perfume, or touch the dew.

I am heavy with emotion, and often have the notion,
That life is never plain.
I have lots of personality, a sense of true reality
Because I have a brain.

"Brain Rap"
(sent in by Dr. Linda Walsh, Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa)

Well there you have - you've toured the CNS
From your spinal cord to your fine cortex
The brain is divided in 2 hemispheres
With 4 lobes in each - to help you move, see and hear
The meninges are the membranes that keep the brain from gettin' hurt
Don't squeeze the ventricles - CSF will start to squirt
The medulla oblongata makes your heart go tippy-tappy
The limbic system makes you mad, sad or happy
The cerebellum lets you walk without stumbling
And Broca's area - talk without fumbling
The reticular formation wakes you up from sleep
The hypothalamus tells you when to eat
The brain is neat!
The brain is cool!
The brain's my favorite thing in school!
But now its time, before my memory lapses
To talk about neurons and synapses.

"Telegraph Line",
from Schoolhouse Rock

Music & Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Listen to Telegraph Line [ Official Schoolhouse Rock website]

There's a telegram for you ma'am,
And the message is clear:
It says there's something buggin' you
And buzzin' in your ear.
The results can be quite itchy,
So what is your reply?
Tell your arm to swat that fly!

Hey, there's a telegraph line
You got yours and I got mine.
It's called the "nervous system".
And every body understands
Those telegram commands,
And you know that everybody better listen.

The central nervous system is the brain and the spine:
The brain controls the system,
And the spine is the line.
Telegrams come in to tell what's happening to you,
And telegrams go out to tell your body what to do.

There's a telegram for you sir,
Better read it on the spot:
It says your hand is near a stove
That's very, very hot.
The results can be quite painful,
And there's no time to think...
Quick! Pull that hand away and get it to the sink!

There's a telegraph line
You got yours and I got mine.
It's called the "nervous system".
And every body understands
Those telegram commands,
And you know that everybody better listen.

Your peripheral nerves, they go all out,
Delivering those messages
Your senses send out.
From your hearing and touch
To your sight and taste and smell,
It lets your brain react to all the messages they tell.

There's a telegram for you kid,
And it's at an awful time:
It says you've got to go on stage
And you've forgot your lines.
You're gonna be embarassed,
'Cause this telegram's a rush,
Your heart starts beatin' faster... And you blush!

Hey, there's a telegraph line
You got yours and I got mine.
It's called the "nervous system".
And every body understands
Those telegram commands,
And you know that everybody better listen.

The autonomic system has a hold of you,
Controlling automatically,
Some things that you do.
Your breathing and your heartbeat
Just go on, naturally
And when you're scared, you're nerves rev up the speed!

Hey, there's a telegraph line
You got yours and I got mine.
It's called the "nervous system".
Those telegram commands,
And you know that everybody better listen.



"The Brain Song"
(sung to the tune of "Camptown Races") by Pinky and the Brain

Pinky: And now...the parts of the Brain...presented by the Brain
Brain: Yes!
B:Neo-Cortex, Frontal Lobe
P: Brainstem! Brainstem!
B: Hippocampus, Neural Node Right Hemisphere; Pons and Cortex Visual
P: Brainstem! Brainstem!
B: Sylvian Fissure Pineal Left Hemisphere; Cer-e-bellum Left, Cer-e-bellum Right Synapse Hypothalamus, Striatum Dendrite
[Brain dances with tambourine]
B:Axon Fibers, Matter Grey
P: Brainstem! Brainstem!
B: Central Tegmental Pathway, Temporal Lobe; White Core Matter, Forebrain, Skull
P: Brainstem! Brainstem!
B: Central Fissure, Cord Spinal, Parietal; Pia Mater Meningeal Vein Medulla Oblongata and Lobe Limbic Micro-Electrodes
PB: The Brain!
B: That oughta keep the little squirts happy

"I've Been Working On My Neurons"
(sung to the tune of "I've Been Working On the Railroad" lyrics by Linda Lubhart, Vicki Wielgopolan, Debora Parisot, Kathy Despain and Bev Richardson - teachers in Power Tools, Mendota, Illinois)

I've been working on my neurons,
All the livelong day.
I've been working on my neurons,
Just to make my dendrites play.

Can't you hear the synapse snapping?
Impulses bouncing to and fro,
Can't you tell that I've been learning?
See how much I know!




"Use, Use, Use Your Brain"
(sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Use, use, use your brain,
Even in the rain,
Memory, memory, memory, memory,
You will see the gain.



"Home in the Brain"
(sung to the tune of "Home, Home on the Range" lyrics by Matt Owens, Mary Jo Loffelmacher, Sharon Martin, and Lisa Owens - all Illinois teachers)

Oh, give me a brain
with the dendrites free reign
to connect and forever to play;
Where music is heard
to reinforce every word,
and all sorts of knowledge to gain!

Home, home in the brain
Where the dendrites have free reign
to connect every thought
just the way they were taught
without any struggle or strain.


"The Brain Chemicals"
(sung to the tune of "Old MacDonald" lyrics by Julie Jeppesen, Sean J. Weinberg, Rhonda Waggoner, Marcie E. Ball, Beth Cowman, Sharon LeaTrea - all Illinois teachers)

Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
It's most abundant -- aids in memory and thought
abundant, abundant, memory and thought
Acetylcholine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Short term to long term - improves mood
short term, long term improves mood
Norepinephrine in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Physical movement, improves mood
Physical movement, improves mood
Dopamine is in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
smooth muscle movement - improves mood
smooth muscle movement - improves mood
Serotonin in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Keeps us calm; neurons don't fire at once
Keeps us calm; neurons don't fire at once
There is GABA in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N
Makes one feel good; helps one concentrate
feels good - concentrate
feels good - concentrate
Endorphins are in my brain
B-R-A-I-N

"The Impulse Travels All Around"
(Sung to the tune of "The Green Grass Grows All Around"; an echo song)
Sent in by L.B.
There was a neuron
(There was a neuron)
All in the animal
(All in the animal)
The prettiest neuron
(The prettiest neuron)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And on that neuron
(And on that neuron)
There were dendrites
(There were dendrites)
The prettiest dendrites
(The prettiest dendrites)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And near the dendrites
(And near the dendrites)
There was a cell body
(There was a cell body)
The prettiest cell body
(The prettiest cell body)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And in the cell body
(And in the cell body)
There was a nucleus
(There was a nucleus)
The prettiest nucleus
(The prettiest nucleus)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The nucleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
And the impulse travels all around

And down from the nucleus
(And down from the nucleus)
There is an axon
(There is an axon)
The prettiest axon
(The prettiest axon)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The axon down from the nucleous
And the nucleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And on the axon
(And on the axon)
There are node of ranviers
(There are node of ranviers)
The prettiest node of ranviers
(The prettiest node of ranvieners)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The node of ranvieners on the axon
And the axon down from the nucleus
And the nucleous in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
And the impulse travels all around
And around the node of ranviers
(And around the node of ranviers)
There is myelin sheath
(There is myelin sheath)
The prettiest myelin sheath
(The prettiest myelin sheath)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The myelin sheath around the node of ranviers
And the node of ranviers on the axon
And the axon down from the nucleus
And the necleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And by the myelin sheath
(And by the myelin sheath)
There are Schwann cells
(There are Schwann cells)
The prettiest Schwann cells
(The pretiest Schwann cells)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The Schwann cells by the myelin
And the myelin sheath around node of ranviers
And the node of ranviers on the axon
And the axon down from the nucleus
And the nucleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neurnon in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

And next to the Schwann cells
(And next to the Schwann cells)
There are terminal branches
(There are terminal branches)
The prettiest terminal branches
(The prettiest terminal branches)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The terminal branches next to the Schwann cells
And Schwann cells by the myelin
And the myelin sheath around node of ranviers
And the node of ranviers on the axon
And the axon down from the nucleus
And the nucleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around
And near the terminal branches
(And near the terminal branches)
There are synaptic knobs
(There are synaptic knobs)
The prettiest synaptic knobs
(The prettiest synaptic knobs)
That you ever did see
(That you ever did see)

The synaptic knobs near the terminal branches
And the terminal branches next to the Schwann cells
And Schwann cells by the myelin
And the myelin sheath around node of ranviers
And the node of ranviers on the axon
And the axon down from the nucleus
And the nucleus in the cell body
And the cell body near the dendrites
And the dendrites on the neuron
And the neuron in the animal
And the animal on the earth
And the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around

Yes, the impulse travels all around all around
The impulse travels all around!

Three songs from third grade HORIZONS Students at Big Creek Elementary,
Forsyth County Schools, Cumming, Georgia. Teacher: Stephanie Silvestro

"Old McScientist Had a Brain"
(Sung to the tune of Old McDonald Had a Farm)

Old McScientist had a brain with many neurons in it.
And in that brain he had a cerebrum to help him make decisions.
Cerebrum here, Cerebrum there, Cerebrum Cerebrum everywhere.
Old McScientist had a brain with many neurons in it.
And in that brain he had a cerebellum to help him keep his balance.
Cerebellum here, Cerebellum there, Cerebellum, Cerebellum everywhere.
Old McScientist had a brain with many neurons in it.
And in that brain he had a Brain Stem to keep his heart a beatin'.
Brain Stem here, Brain Stem there, Brain Stem Brain Stem everywhere.
Old McScientist had a brain with many neurons in it!

"Brainy Brainy You're So Bright"
(Sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Brainy Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night.
You've got one hundred billion workers, so you can keep me working all the time.
Brainy, Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night.

Brainy Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night.
You help me do everything, help me now I've got to sing!
Brainy, Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night.

Brainy Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night.
You've got a helmet called the skull that keeps me bright and not so dull.
Brainy Brainy you're so bright, you even think for me in the night!

"I've Been Working on my Dendrites"
(Sung to the tune of I've Been working on the Railroad)

I've been working on my dendrites all the livelong day and night!
I've been working on my dendrites just to make my learning bright.

Can't you hear those neurons firing. Knowledge bouncing to and fro.
Can't you tell that I've been learning.
See how much I know!

"The Dendrite Song"
(sung to the tune of "Clementine" sent in by Leah B., a graduate student in elementary education at Long Island Univ. Leah gives credit to Bruce Campbell for composing this song.)

Use your dendrites,
Use your dendrites,
To connect throughout your brain.
Take in info, analyze it,
Grow some new ones
Unrestrained.

Axons send out
Neurotransmitters
To the dendrites all around
Across the synapse
Jumps the impulse
New ideas can now abound.

Stimulation
Is what the brain needs
To make dendrites stretch and grow.
New connections
Make us smarter
In what we think and what we know.

Use your dendrites,
Use your dendrites,
To connect throughout your brain
Take in info, analyze it,
Grow some new ones
Unrestrained.

Two songs from third grade student, Caleb W., Cumming Elementary
Cumming, Georgia. Teacher: Stephanie Silvestro

(Sung to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad."
Caleb got some help from his Mom with this song.
The song explains how to make a neuron from food.)

We are going to make a neuron...a neuron we can eat.

We will use the peanut butter to make the myelin sheath.

Can't you see the axon made from the graham stick.

The synaptic terminals are the pretzel sticks.

soma-cell body
soma-cell body
soma made from marsh-mall-ow.

Add candy straws
for the dendrites.
Now you have a neu--ron.

(This next song is sung to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree.")

Oh neuron, oh neuron how lovely are your dendrites.
Oh neuron, oh neuron how lovely is your soma.
The nucleus, the axon, the myelin sheath, the terminals.
Oh neuron, oh neuron how lovely are your dendrites.

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