Tom Lehrer, Satirical Songwriter and Mathematician, Dies at Age 97 (cnn.com) 29
Satirical singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer died Saturday at age 97. The Associated Press notes Lehrer had long ago "largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities."
Lehrer had remained on the math faculty of the University of California at Santa Cruz well into his late 70s. In 2020, he even turned away from his own copyright, granting the public permission to use his lyrics in any format without any fee in return.
A Harvard prodigy (he had earned a math degree from the institution at age 18), Lehrer soon turned his very sharp mind to old traditions and current events... He'd gotten into performing accidentally when he began to compose songs in the early 1950s to amuse his friends. Soon he was performing them at coffeehouses around Cambridge, Massachusetts, while he remained at Harvard to teach and obtain a master's degree in math. [Lehrer also "spent several years unsuccessfully pursuing a doctorate..."]
He cut his first record in 1953, "Songs by Tom Lehrer"... After a two-year stint in the Army, Lehrer began to perform concerts of his material in venues around the world. In 1959, he released another LP called "More of Tom Lehrer" and a live recording called "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer," nominated for a Grammy for best comedy performance (musical) in 1960. But around the same time, he largely quit touring and returned to teaching math, though he did some writing and performing on the side. Lehrer said he was never comfortable appearing in public...
He did produce a political satire song each week for the 1964 television show "That Was the Week That Was," a groundbreaking topical comedy show that anticipated "Saturday Night Live" a decade later. He released the songs the following year in an album titled "That Was the Year That Was"... [Lehrer's body of work "was actually quite small," the article notes, "amounting to about three dozen songs."] He also wrote songs for the 1970s educational children's show "The Electric Company." He told AP in 2000 that hearing from people who had benefited from them gave him far more satisfaction than praise for any of his satirical works...
He began to teach part-time at Santa Cruz in the 1970s, mainly to escape the harsh New England winters. From time to time, he acknowledged, a student would enroll in one of his classes based on knowledge of his songs. "But it's a real math class," he said at the time. "I don't do any funny theorems. So those people go away pretty quickly."
A Harvard prodigy (he had earned a math degree from the institution at age 18), Lehrer soon turned his very sharp mind to old traditions and current events... He'd gotten into performing accidentally when he began to compose songs in the early 1950s to amuse his friends. Soon he was performing them at coffeehouses around Cambridge, Massachusetts, while he remained at Harvard to teach and obtain a master's degree in math. [Lehrer also "spent several years unsuccessfully pursuing a doctorate..."]
He cut his first record in 1953, "Songs by Tom Lehrer"... After a two-year stint in the Army, Lehrer began to perform concerts of his material in venues around the world. In 1959, he released another LP called "More of Tom Lehrer" and a live recording called "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer," nominated for a Grammy for best comedy performance (musical) in 1960. But around the same time, he largely quit touring and returned to teaching math, though he did some writing and performing on the side. Lehrer said he was never comfortable appearing in public...
He did produce a political satire song each week for the 1964 television show "That Was the Week That Was," a groundbreaking topical comedy show that anticipated "Saturday Night Live" a decade later. He released the songs the following year in an album titled "That Was the Year That Was"... [Lehrer's body of work "was actually quite small," the article notes, "amounting to about three dozen songs."] He also wrote songs for the 1970s educational children's show "The Electric Company." He told AP in 2000 that hearing from people who had benefited from them gave him far more satisfaction than praise for any of his satirical works...
He began to teach part-time at Santa Cruz in the 1970s, mainly to escape the harsh New England winters. From time to time, he acknowledged, a student would enroll in one of his classes based on knowledge of his songs. "But it's a real math class," he said at the time. "I don't do any funny theorems. So those people go away pretty quickly."
I will always remember the glowing praise (Score:5, Funny)
"plays piano acceptably".
Re: (Score:2)
There was always Lehrer's own favorite review (from the New York Times, no less):
""Mr Lehrer's muse is not fettered by such inhibiting factors as taste."
Cause of death determined (Score:5, Funny)
He was poisoned by pigeons on the park.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
My name is Maximus Columbul Livius. Father to a poisoned son. Husband to a poisoned wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
Either he was wrong or something big is coming (Score:3)
We will all go together when we go...
So long Tom (Score:3)
A genius has been lost (Score:5, Insightful)
I first heard Tom Lehrer when I was about 12 years old and immediately loved his work. He was a complete lyrical and musical genius.
When he made his work available royalty-free, I mirrored his entire web site and introduced his work to my singing teacher (who, inexplicably, had never heard of him!) I've had great joy in learning to sing a few of his songs: Poisoning Pigeons in the Park; Oedipus Rex; The MLF Lullabye; Vatican Rag; Pollution... all masterpieces.
RIP, Mr. Lehrer.
Re:A genius has been lost (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
So many great songs. The Elements. New Math. Masochism Tango. Even his take on "Oh my Darling, Clementine" in different musical styles.
Re: (Score:3)
I think Clementine was my favorite, for it showed not just his imagination and humor, but his skill.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, the closing lyrics from Clementine are sublime...
"That I missed her depressed her
Young sister named Esther.
This mister to pester she'd try.
Now a pestering sister's
A festering blister
'Tis best to resist her say I.
The mister resisted; the sister persisted;
I kissed her; all loyalty slipped.
When she said I could have her
Her sister's cadaver
Must surely have turned in its crypt!"
The song [youtube.com].
Re: (Score:2)
Roommates had the album 'One Million Lawyers And Other Disasters', I always loved the title track.
Humankind has survived some disasters, I'm sure
Like locusts and flash floods and flu
There's never a moment when we've been secure
From the ills that the flesh is heir to
If it isn't a war, it's some gruesome disease
If it isn't disease, then it's war
But there's worse still to come, and I'm asking you please
How the world's gonna take any more?
(CHORUS:)
In ten years we're gonna have one million lawyers
One million law
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Same here. I had a chem teacher who insisted we memorise the periodic table. My parents bought me his album in hopes that The Elements would help. Alas, the teacher wanted us to memorise it in order with no errors. I made it about half way through, then gave up. However, Tom Lehrer has had a fan for the last 60 years.
RIP, Tom Lehrer. You have made a difference.
Re:Who? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I would recommend Honest2Betsy. She regularly does his material complete with period era dressups.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Newsflash!
There's a search engine called "Google". Give it a try unless you haven't heard of it.
All his songs are public domain (Score:5, Informative)
One notable fact that's missing from many of his obituaries. A few years ago, Lehrer released all his lyrics and music into the public domain. This is rare in the music industry. You can download lyrics and scores from https://tomlehrersongs.com./ [tomlehrersongs.com.]
Re: (Score:2)
Can we do something collectively to keep said website of historical and cultural significance going a bit longer? or will it be relegated to Internet Archive...
Aside, deep appreciation for Tom's contributions and as a decent fellow human. My thoughts from a young age tended that my older relatives were quite a bit strange humming along and singing with "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" on vinyl record. Perhaps our values are more aligned (maligned? ha ha) as I age as well...
The math teacher at my catholic high school (Score:3)
was reprimanded for playing Vatican Rag in class.
Such wonderful timesless comedy! (Score:1)
What a dear man he was! I adore his music, such humour.
I've tried to find a decent singer to record his songs that are no longer available in audio format.
With no luck so far. They'd need a great sense of humour to be worthy of the job.
No pay, of course, but a massive audience to get them superb free publicity.
Anybody know any decent singers who might want to do it?
Ahead of his time (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Later, asked if he might consider doing a song or two about George W. Bush and his henchmen, he replied, "That's the trouble. I don't want to satirize them. I want to vaporize them".
Strong talk from a gentle, good-humoured man of peace.
RIP, and thanks for all the laughter - and the food for thought.
97 (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Nice! 8-)
He would have enjoyed that remark.
Inventor of the Jello Shot (Score:2)
"Lehrer" is German word for "Teacher" (Score:2)
Kind of a fitting pun that some might have missed.