"Let's Name the Species" is a song that Mr. Ray sings in Disney/Pixar's 2003 animated film, Finding Nemo. The song is not included in the soundtrack of Finding Nemo nor in the 2016 sequel's soundtrack.
Appearances[]
Finding Nemo[]
The song is sung when Mr. Ray arrives at the schoolyard where Nemo prepares to go to school. The words that Mr. Ray is singing about are mostly related to marine life species. When Mr. Ray takes Nemo to school, Mr. Ray sings it throughout the trip to school sequence. He briefly sings the song again when Nemo catches up with Tad, Sheldon, and Pearl, so he can tell the fish in singsong to gather because there isn't anything to see around the drop off, except for the parked boat used by a scuba-diver that abducted Nemo.
Finding Dory[]
A recycled version of the song known as "Migration Song" is heard when Mr. Ray hears a stingray migration coming. Unlike in the first film where Mr. Ray sings in solo, Dory joins in with Mr. Ray's singing. Afterwards, the song loops into "O, We're Going Home", sung by a school of stingrays.
Lyrics[]
(First part)
Oh, let's name the zones, the zones, the zones
Let's name the zones of the open sea
There's epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathyal, abyssopelagic
All the rest are too deep for you and me to see
Oh, knowledge exploring is oh so lyrical
When you think thoughts that are empirical
Oh, a life of science is filled with wonder
When facts of the sea are ours to plunder
(Second part)
Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species
Let's name the species that live in the sea
There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa
Anthozoa, ctenophora, bryozoas, three
Mollusca and gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma
Tunicate, chordata, and some fish like you and me
Come on, sing with me!
Oh...
The flippers on the fish go swish swish swish
Swish swish swish
Swish swish swish
Just the girls this time!
Oh, seaweed is cool, seaweed is fun
It makes its food from the rays of the sun
(Third part; prior to Nemo getting captured by the divers)
Theeeeeeeere's nothing to see. Gather over there.
Let's make a selection, selection, selection
Make a selection on the DVD
Oh...
Pick something!
Oh, let's name the zones, the zones, the zones
Let's name the zones of the open sea
Oh, seaweed is cool, seaweed is fun
It makes its food from the rays of the sun
Mr. Ray: Oh, let's go explore, explore, explore,
Let's go explore the big blue world!
Pearl: Mr. Ray, we can't explore without Nemo.
I'm sure we'll see him any minute now!
Tad: Nemo!
Mr. Ray: Oh, science is great news, so much to know
Climb aboard, explorers! It's time to go!
Chickenfish: What if Nemo's swimming off to sea?!
Mr. Ray: Oh, don't worry! Just keep your eyes open for him on the way!
Tad: Nemo!
Pearl: Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Mr. Ray: Migration, migration
(with Dory joining in) Let's learn about migration
It's nature's inspiration to move around the sea
Here's a scientific promise that a fish who's Oceanodromous
Dory: Where did everyone go? I'm by myself
Oh, there they are, I'm back
(Mr. Ray: Going back, I'm by myself by 22 seas)
Mr. Ray: Plus or minus, 4 degrees based on solar positioning
Trivia[]
- Mr. Ray never actually names any species in his song. Porifera, Coelenterata, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Anthozoa, Ctenophora, Bryozoans, Arthropoda, Echinoderms, and Chordata are all phyla, while Mollusca and Gastropoda are classes. The order of classification is Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. Although, it is revealed in the DVD that Mr. Ray isn't an actual scientist; he merely picks random stuff up. In that case, it could very well be that he randomly picked animal classifications, not knowing he was picking up the wrong information.
