My friend Jenni requested a Bunsen burner sea shanty. You’ll have to make up your own tune.
There’s a bit of kit that you have to have
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
In a classroom that’s a science lab
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
Old Bobby was a clever lad
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
And he noticed something really bad
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
In a lab you need to heat things up
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
But it’s not like tea in a china cup
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
For there’s more to flame than hot and cold
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
And the heat of flames couldn’t be controlled
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
So he scratched his head and he scratched again
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
And he thought “It’s down to the oxygen!”
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
“What I need’s a way to quickly change”
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
“How much oxygen can fuel the flames”
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
So he made a pipe on a metal stand
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
With a winking eye you can move by hand
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
And he hooked it up to the gas supply
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
With a rubber tube that was cheap to buy
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
And I thank old Bob for his gift to science
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
Though it’s rarely used with the best compliance
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
For my students have a stupid game
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
Where they stick their hands in the “safety flame”
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
And my students (who are close to worthless)
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
Set their friends on fire – and they do it on purpose!
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
And they may think that they do no harm
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
But the bastards set off the smoke alarm
Good old Bobby Bunsen!
When I’m standing out in the pouring rain
Won’t you watch it burn, son?
Cause the fire alarm went off again
I’ll thank old Bobby Bunsen!
Tom Juniper Poetry 