There were three quarks in a neutron seen
Down a down, hey down, hey down
One red, one blue and one was green
With a down
The neutron in a nucleus sat
Of C-fourteen in Santa’s hat
With a down, derry derry derry, up, down.

One quark unto the others said,
Down a down, hey down, hey down
“I’m dressed for Christmas all in red,”
With a down
“You’re green, not red,” a second cried,
“I’m green, she’s blue,” a third replied.
With a down, derry derry derry, up, down.

The shouts and shoving grew so keen
Down a down, hey down, hey down
Among the red, the blue, and green,
With a down
One tripped on a virtual W
That wasn’t there, and off it flew,
With a down, derry derry derry, up, down.

The down who’d tripped fell up so hard
Down a down, hey down, hey down
He flipped his spin and gave a charge
With a down
To the non-existent W
And knocked it right out of the nucleus, too.
With an up, derry derry derry up down.

The W not far could go
Down a down, hey down, hey down
Split off an antineutrino
With a down
The charge with a new electron stayed
That from the W was made.
With an up, derry derry derry up down.

The neutron was a proton then,
Down a down, hey down, hey down
The carbon changed to nitrogen
With a down
The N from a carbon’s place went scat
Leaving a hole in Santa’s hat
With an up, derry derry derry up down.

As Santa flew high o’er the pole
Down a down, hey down, hey down
Ozone trickled through the hole
With a down
A new hypothesis on why
An ozone hole is in the sky.
With an up, derry derry derry up down.