“Baby shark.”

This a tune you have probably heard at least once. Most would have probably dismissed it as a simple song aimed for children. I, however, have decoded the true meaning of the lyrics, and with the end of the year coming up soon I believe it is the ultimate Moving Up song.

Baby shark is, in fact, a lyrical masterpiece that could only a genius could compose.

The song contains many hidden messages, so many that I cannot hope to contain them all here. I will, therefore, only include those points that are relevant to the matter at hand.

Even two words into the song, it shows itself to be incredibly complex and intellectual. As babies are often considered by society to be innocent and harmless, and sharks are portrayed as deadly and malicious, the combination of the two creates a creature that is somehow both good and evil at once. This is a symbol for the duality of man, showing humankind’s capability to be both, similar to the symbol of Yin and Yang.

The rest of the first line, “doo” repeated, is encouraging and ties in perfectly with the previous lines, showing that, while we may not know what the future holds, we must push forwards anyway. This is because the word “doo” sounds similar to the word ‘do’ and the phrase before was about something that is both good and bad, showing how we must move forwards, or “doo” even though the future could be good or bad, an important message for children to receive.

The next line in the song is similar to the previous, except that it references a “mommy shark.” The mother is, of course, typically seen as a nurturing and helpful member of the family in relation to children. This is symbolic of the guiding figures who help us through our everyday lives.

These figures include God, one’s parents, one’s teachers, and their friends. This fits in with our theme of high-school and the future because it is symbolic of the guiding role that teachers are supposed to play in their students’ live. It also definitely proves the existence of God.

The usage of the word “shark” after naming family members is, in fact, a message regarding how, even though some people may appear cruel, or shark-like, they may in fact have good intentions, or another perspective that cause them to act that way.

This is relevant to the theme of graduation because it shows that there will be many people throughout the life of a student who will appear mean or unlikeable, despite actually having the best intentions in mind.

This song contains many themes that are relevant, such as demonstrating the meaning of life. Some more nihilistic listeners may point out that the final four verses show that life is actually meaningless, describing sharks performing many actions, sometimes contradicting each other, such as hunting and then running away, before finally dying, demonstrated by the fact that the last line is “It’s the end.”

However, I would like to point out, once again, that the constant phrase “doo” shows that, no matter what circumstances we are under, we must push on, or “do” and, if we keep trying, we will get there, as evidenced by the line, “safe at last.” This provides an encouraging reminder to the soon-to-be 9th graders that they should never lose hope, and always push on.

The song is also a clever social commentary, referencing gender norms, shown by the fact that, when interpreted, the lyrics clearly refer to stereotypical familiar roles based off of gender. In conclusion, the song baby shark offers many themes relating to life that could prove valuable to anyone, especially children who are still relatively new to the world and its workings.