Berzelius

I hate chemistry. So I read a book about the discovery of the elements and learned about this Swedish chemist, Jans Jakob Berzelius, who should be famous. He's the guy who invented chemical notation like H2O and CO2. This song is my attempt to help him get famous. ♪ Jans Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist-alius, bonds. ♪ ♪ Among forgotten sacred icons, prints of protons and electrons. ♪ ♪ In multiple careers, in only 68 years, expanded our worldview. ♪ ♪ What did you do? He was ennobled by the king. ♪ ♪ Do you deserve ennobling? If you're a duke by count or baronet, ♪ ♪ then you were born that way, I'll bet. ♪ ♪ While you were working on your abs, or chewing on ice cubes, ♪ ♪ he introduced into his labs paper filters and rubber tubes. ♪ ♪ Jans Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist-alius, bonds. ♪ ♪ In multiple careers, in only 68 years, expanded our worldview. ♪ ♪ What did you do? Explore exciting new frontiers, lead scientific pioneers. ♪ ♪ Earn accolades from all your peers, do anything deserving cheers. ♪ ♪ Jans identified proteins, while you dropped out, tuned in, turned on. ♪ ♪ He discovered silicon, Jans Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist-alius, bonds. ♪ ♪ Among forgot sacred icons, prints of protons and electrons. ♪ ♪ Did you close your eyes, and plug your ears? Believe your lies, deny your fears. ♪ ♪ Cause your sweetheart salty tears, drink a few too many beers. ♪ ♪ Selenium, and thorium, and cerium, Jans Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist-alius, birds. ♪ ♪ That's the alias his great great granddaughter prefers. ♪ ♪ In multiple careers, in only 68 years, expanded our worldview. ♪ What did you do? ♪ Like all of us, he suffered from imperfect human nature. ♪ ♪ He made a choice much worse than dumb, inverses nomenclature. ♪ ♪ For molecules he got, his numbers somehow flipped. ♪ ♪ It was a superscript, like H squared O. ♪ ♪ Jans Jakob Berzelius, whatever were you thinking? No wonder you're forgotten, and your reputation sinking. ♪ ♪ I once considered you a genius too, but here's the rub. You're not! ♪ ♪ You can't differentiate super and sub. ♪