In Relative Modesty

I introduce a friend; I say, "this is the smartest man--
The only one who understands chaos theory math that I know"
"Don't say that," he laughs, "picked up a book today, and I don't get the half
Of it though,
It's true I programmed
A genetic algorithm
Of an iterated function system
With a common gateway interface,
Though there are still a few bugs left to trace."

Einstein once said, "Don't let your math troubles deflate ya;
Mine I assure you are much, much greater."
My friend's 'bout as smart as Einstein, but I know better,
When he introduces me and says, "This is the greatest singer."

We're not modest, we're just being honest.
From where we stand we are the center, mediocre.
And the relative motion of our friends, in the boundless ocean
We pretend they should not see in ourselves.

But modest Einstein saw and said,
Don't let your math troubles deflate ya;
I assure you mine are much, much greater."
My friend says my tunes beat Bernstein's, but I know better,
So when I introduce him I say,
"This is the smartest man,
The only one who understands,
The ways that God rolls his dice,
And aside from that he's awfully nice."

No, no, no, no, no, no, don't listen to him, I'm just normal.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
I'm not being modest, we're just being honest,
from where we stand we are the center, mediocre,
And the relative motion of our friends in the boundless ocean
We pretend they should not see in ourselves.


some comments

This song was written very quickly, (for me-- I usually write anything longer than one verse over a period of months,) after hearing a nice Portland band called Hummingfish perform.
A Song by Alexandre Muñiz, munizao@cyberhighway.net