The Song of the Womb

The song of the womb begins on a minor key among the bivalves and sea cucumbers, whose tunes are all palindromes and serve a purely decorative purpose. The song of the womb sounds best played by a full orchestra, despite the many adaptations for solo flute. It’s got rhythm—that probably goes without saying—and sheet music. It can be used to communicate over great distances underwater. Scientists say the song of the womb may predate the evolution of consciousness! It is not, however, the first choice of the womb itself, which prefers bossa nova and the occasional hymn for the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.