
My first tarantula
(Verse 1) I got my first tarantula, a little sling A hairy brown spider, a beautiful thing. I read all the books, I bought the right substrate Ensured the humidity was up-to-date. I named her a classic, a name of renown, A gentle Brachypelma, the best in the town. (Chorus) Oh, the sorrow, the trouble, the scientific grief, They changed up the genus, beyond all belief! My darling Brachypelma, it just feels so wrong, Now she's Tliltocatl in the taxonomist's song. I whisper the new name, it catches my breath, Like a secret kept hidden, a taxonomic death. (Verse 2) I check on her hide, she's curled up in a ball, Doesn't care for the Latin, she's ignoring my call. I offer a cricket, a juicy, crisp treat, She hasn't molted yet, so her hunger's discreet. Her colors are dull, she's in pre-molt mode, She's shedding her shell, carrying a heavy load. (Chorus) Oh, the sorrow, the trouble, the scientific grief, They changed up the genus, beyond all belief! My darling Brachypelma, it just feels so wrong, Now she's Tliltocatl in the taxonomist's song. I whisper the new name, it catches my breath, Like a secret kept hidden, a taxonomic death. (Bridge) I know it's Tliltocatl, it means 'Black Spider,' I understand DNA, and the rules are much wider. But when I speak to a friend, or I post on the web, My tongue always slips back, like a receding ebb. It was B. vagans, or B. albopilosum, you see, But now I must master the 'T-L-I-L-T-O-C-A-T-L' key! (Chorus) Oh, the sorrow, the trouble, the scientific grief, They changed up the genus, beyond all belief! My darling Brachypelma, it just feels so wrong, Now she's Tliltocatl in the taxonomist's song. I whisper the new name, it catches my breath, Like a secret kept hidden, a taxonomic death. (Outro) But she's still my lovely T., that I know to be true, Be it Brachy- or Tliltocatl, I'll always love you! (Fade out with a sigh) Tliltocatl... sigh... Brachypelma...

