Rosalind
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Notes

Here is perhaps the most unlikely subject for a song - the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953. When I wrote it (pre "Jurassic Park" and CSI), most folk hadn’t even heard of DeoxyriboNucleic Acid. Those who had, generally homed in on the names of James Watson and Francis Crick. In reality, these two, while undoubtedly clever cookies in their own right, owed a great deal to the groundwork carried out by Rosalind Franklin, who painstakingly prepared and analysed samples of the substance by X-ray crystallography. Being one who eschewed the limelight, and being, moreover, a woman in the predominantly man’s world of scientific research, Rosalind was for a long time rather overlooked, and her vital role played down. Tragically, too, she died of cancer at the early age of 37, a victim of the X-rays she used; and thus was not even awarded a share of the Nobel Prize that was later given out for the discovery. (Nobel Prizes were not given posthumously.)

In recent years, her part has been recognised more fully, and she has acquired something of a reputation as "The Dark Lady of DNA". The song was actually inspired by the actress Juliet Stevenson, who portrayed Rosalind in a TV docu-drama entitled "Life Story". I have few heroes, but Rosalind is definitely one of them.

(The lyrics include several scientific expressions or references, which some may spot.)