Animals
The Rakes Lyrics

We are the animals,
We, human beings, are part of the animal kingdom.

Who have lost our hair.
As a result of evolution, we have lost our once full covering of hair.

Retained some of our teeth,
Despite our evolution, we have kept certain primal elements such as a portion of our teeth.

And gained a choice
As we have evolved, we have gained the ability to make choices and decisions for ourselves.

We'll chase food, money and sex,
As unevolved creatures, we are driven by our primal instincts to seek out the satisfaction of our basic needs for sustenance, money, and reproduction.

Until satisfied.
Until our basic needs are met, we will continue to pursue them.

And when its time to rest,
After fulfilling these basic needs, we take a moment to rest.

Ask 'whats next?
But inevitably, we are driven by our animalistic desire to pursue what comes next.

Well its hard enough to retain control,
It is difficult for us to maintain self-control in the face of our primal instincts.

When our instincts are egging us on,
Our urges and desires can be overwhelming.

With biologists and chemists reducing our souls,
Through scientific analysis, our fundamental makeup can be reduced to molecular components.

To four letters
Specifically, our genetic code is distilled to four letters, A, C, G, and T.

And when we think about it,
Upon reflection, we recognize the intricacy and beauty of our biological composition.

We're like a masterpiece,
As complex creatures, we are like a work of art.

Whose glimpsed, the artist?
And we consider where or who the author of such a work may be.

We are, the machines,
Biologically, we are comparable to machines or automated devices.

Carrying our various genes.
Our genetic makeup is carried within us.

Then discarded,
Once we have served our evolutionary purpose, we are disposable.

When the job is done.
When we are no longer contributing to the continuation of our species.

We are the disciples,
As humans, we have attempted to follow or interpret the evolutionary theories suggested by individuals such as Charles Darwin.

Who have lost our way.
But at times, we may question or be unsure of our beliefs or understandings.

Kicked from our pedestal when Darwin burnt the book
The metaphorical book containing our beliefs and way of life was disrupted or destroyed when evolutionary theories were introduced.

Well its hard enough to retain control,
Once again, we recognize the difficulty in maintaining control of our behaviors and desires.

Biologists and chemists reducing our souls,
The scientific perspective can make us feel as though our souls have been reduced or invalidated.

To four letters
As mentioned before, our essential makeup is viewed as being reduced to four genetic letters.

Will genes replace Genesis?
Our scientific knowledge may come into conflict with our religious or beliefs based on faith.

We're like a masterpiece,
Once again, we consider the intricacies and beauty of our being.

Whose glimpsed the artist?
And where our creation originates.

We like to think we're at a special place, the stars revolve around the human race,
As humans, we tend to view ourselves as superior, or in a privileged position in the universe.

But we're just mammals, just, primates
Despite our self-importance, we are simply animals, part of the mammalian and primate branches of the animal kingdom.

Like chimps or guerrillas
We are no more important or inferior than other primates such as chimpanzees or gorillas.

We see the hair on our face,
The physical characteristics we possess remind us of our animalistic origins.

And look at another primate,
When we observe or interact with other primates, we see our similarities and connections.

You and I, we relate
As humans, we share a common experience and connection to the rest of the animal kingdom.