Meet the Base Buddies
DNA is built from four letter-bases that pair up in a fixed way: A always locks with T, and G always locks with C: and the two paired strands twist into a double helix shaped like a twisty ladder. Each base needs its one partner to complete the rung, the same bonding dance as atoms and molecules, just one rung up the ladder of life.
snap... snap... (shoo-bop, shoo-bop)
[ALL] A with T, and G with C — clap-a-clap-clap! (snap-snap!)
[ADDY] Hey now, I'm Addy — I'm an A, and I'm sweet on just one... [TESS] And I'm Tess — I'm a T, baby, here I come! [ADDY] I need a... [TESS] ...T! [BOTH] lock! snap-click! (shoo-bop!) A always finds a T — clap your hands and watch us rock!
[GWEN] Now I'm Gwen — I'm a G, and I'm lookin' for my one... [CYTO] And I'm Cyto — a C, sugar, two halves of one! [GWEN] I need a... [CYTO] ...C! [BOTH] lock! snap-click! (shoo-bop!) G always finds a C — stomp your feet and watch us rock!
[ALL] Two by two, we pair on the snap! (snap-snap!) A with T, and G with C — clap-a-clap-clap! Every little base grabs the buddy of its own — two by two, snap-a-snap, all the way home!
[ADDY] Try me with a G, baby? [GWEN] No-no-no, I'm not your T! (bzzt — wrong buzzer!) [TESS] Try me with a C? [CYTO] Eww, no thank you, honey — you belong to that A! [ADDY] A G for an A? [ALL] (bzzt!) Nope! [TESS] A C for a T? [ALL] (bzzt!) Nope! One true partner, and that's the only fit that locks — (shoo-bop!) hear the whole ladder go snap-snap-pop!
[ADDY & TESS] Now grab a hand, hold on tight... [GWEN & CYTO] ...and spin us around, hold the rungs up right! [ALL] Round and around, give the ladder a spin — wheee! — a twisty ladder, and we're tucked within!
[ALL] Two by two, we pair on the snap! (snap-snap!) A with T, and G with C — clap-a-clap-clap! Every little base grabs the buddy of its own — two by two, snap-a-snap, all the way home!
[CYTO] Atoms found their one — that's the dance below... [GWEN] ...bases find their one — snap! — and the lock just grows and grows! [ALL] Partner locks to partner, love locks all the way up — small to tall, two by two, snappin' to the top! (snap-click!)
snap... snap... (shoo-bop, shoo-bop) [ADDY] A and a T... [GWEN] ...G and a C... [ALL] two by two, that's you and me! A with T, and G with C — clap-a-clap-clap! snap-click!