Dem Bones
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Dem Bones or Dry Bones or Dem Dry Bones is a well-known traditional spiritual, often used to teach basic anatomy to children (although its description is far from anatomically correct). The melody was written by James Weldon Johnson [1]. Two versions of this traditional song are widely used, the second an abridgement of the first. The lyrics are based on Ezekiel 37:14, where the prophet visits the Valley of Dry Bones[1] and brings them to life by mentioning God's name.
The chorus of the song is often used to teach children about skeletons:
- Toe bone connected to the foot bone
- Foot bone connected to the leg bone
- Leg bone connected to the knee bone...
Bob Barner based a children's book on anatomy on this song.[2]
Over the years, the song has been covered by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Shirley Caesar and Rosemary Clooney.
[edit] Cultural References
- Peter O'Toole sings the song in the 1972 film, The Ruling Class as a call-to-arms to the upper-classes to "bring back fear" by means of the breaking wheel.
- Dem Bones is an integral part of "Fall Out", the final episode of British cult show "The Prisoner".
- The song is played at the beginning of the film, Critical Care in opening credits.
- The song has been featured in television dramas such asThe Singing Detective, and in the 1988 film Rain Man.
- In the episode of The Simpsons, Homer's Triple Bypass, Dr. Nick Riviera, stumped in the middle of the operation, sings it in an effort to refresh his memory (although he bungles the lyrics and ends up singing "the red thing's connected to my wristwatch").
- In the episode of Babylon 5, Ceremonies of Light and Dark, a terrorist is singing a few lines of the song to his fellows, obviously hinting at the details of a planned torture.
- The song features in the computer game Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Knowledge of the song helps the player solve an in-game puzzle.
- There is a character in the Super Mario video game series named Dry Bones, a possible reference towards the song's lyrics.
- In Magic: The Gathering, the flavor text of the card 'Obsianus Golem' is a spin-off to this song.
- Alice in Chains wrote a song called 'Them Bones'
- In an episode of My Life as a Teenage Robot Tuck attempts to reattach Jenny's body and sings an excerpt (Thigh bone connected to the shinbone)
- In Invisible Monsters, Shannon tells the doctor if is to connect her jaw bone to the leg bone, but the doctor doesn't notice the reference.
- In the song "They Want EFX" by rap duo Das EFX, a slightly modified version of Dem Bones is used as a part of the lyrics.
- Broken Bones is a UK based punk/hardcore group that formed in the early 1980s and covered the song 'Dem Bones'. They titled their first LP "Dem Bones" in 1984 by 'Discharge' Producer Mike Stone.
- In the Video Game Destroy all Humans 2, the main character starts to sing this song, but later claims they couldn't afford the rights.
[edit] References
- ^ "Dry Bones, Valley of" David L. Jeffery (ed) Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing, November 1, 1992 pages 216-217 ISBN 0-8028-3634-8
- ^ "Bob Barner" Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2005. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005. retrieved 5 December 2005
In the Video Game Destroy all Humans 2, the main character starts to sing this song, but later claims they couldn't afford the rights.
