Why HAL Sings "Daisy, Daisy"

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my favorite films of all-time. I've seen it countless times and have read quite a bit about it. However, I learned something new about the film yesterday.

In the scene where Dave Bowman removes data or memory modules to shut HAL down, HAL begins singing "Daisy Bell". Like a lot of things in the film, I just accepted this choice of song without knowing exactly why it was selected. But now the "Daisy Bell" mystery has been solved for me.



In 1962, Arthur C. Clarke was touring Bell Labs when he heard a demonstration of a song sung by an IBM 704 computer programmed by physicist John L. Kelly. The song, the first ever performed by a computer, was called "Daisy Bell", more commonly known as "Bicycle Built for Two" or "Daisy, Daisy". When Clarke collaborated with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey, they had HAL sing it while Dave powered him down.

Here's a sample that's probably similar to what Clarke heard. It comes from the album, First Philadelphia Computer Music Festival, released in 1979.

To compare & contrast, check out HAL's version.