Every Sperm is Sacred

Every Sperm is Sacred - Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Every Sperm is Sacred is a song from the movie Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, later released on the album Monty Python Sings. Michael Palin and Terry Jones wrote and performed the sketch and the lyrics.

The song is a savage satire of Catholic teachings on reproduction which forbid masturbation and contraception by artificial means.

The sketch is about a Catholic man (Dad, played by Michael Palin), his wife (Mum, played by Terry Jones) and their 63 children, who are about to be sold for medical experimentation purposes because their parents can no longer afford to care for such a large family. When their children ask why they can't use contraception or sterilization, Dad explains that this is against God's wishes, and breaks into song, the chorus of which is:

Every sperm is sacred,

Every sperm is great.

If a sperm is wasted,

God gets quite irate.

And later in the song

Every sperm is sacred

Every sperm is good

Every sperm is needed

In your neighbourhood

and even later in the song

Every sperm is useful

Every sperm is fine

God needs everybody's

Mine and Mine and Mine

The production in The Meaning of Life is quite visually elaborate, choreographed by Arlene Phillips to a storyboard by director Terry Jones. The hearty and cheerful nature of the musical number is counterpointed as the children are marched off to their fate after the song ends, singing a dour rendition of the chorus. The song is considered to be a parody and also takes a lot of influence from the song "Consider Yourself" from the musical, Oliver!