Oh dear:
Such a funny artist.
‘Why did you decide to give up writing satirical songs?’
‘When they gave the Nobel Peace Prize to Henry Kissinger for bombing Cambodia’
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What a life, writer of some of the darkest and funniest satirical songs ever, inventor of the Jello shot, university lecturer and someone who claimed to have been working on nuclear weapons design as a cover for his real work as one of the mathematicians on the even more secret start of the NSA’s cryptographic work.
Thanks for all the laughs, RIP.
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Huge part of my musical education, song as satire. May his memory be a blessing.
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Now that I didn’t know!
(Unless that’s a clever Lehrer-esque spoof inserted into an otherwise-accurate list, in which case, well played, sir!)
Mark
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RIP
Loved him since my grandmother gave me a copy of TWTYTW as a present when it was released. She was a friend of Lehrer’s mother.
I met him in 1971. I was at a movie theatre outside Cambridge, and I needed a ride back to my dorm. I asked the guy sitting in front of me if he was headed that way, and he said yes. I got in the car and said, “Hi, I’m John Greenwood.” He replied, “I’m Tom Lehrer.”
I bought the box set years ago. I’d pull it out, but I think I can sing most of his songs on my own. 
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Massachusetts, or England?
The Remains of Tom Lehrer box set is wonderful.
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He claimed he invented it as a way to smuggle alcohol onto base during his military service.
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I too could probably recite all his songs from memory. Loved his recordings ever since I started delving into my parents record collection in the 60s. Also underestimated as a musician I feel - his Masochism Tango is a brilliant tango in it’s own right even without the wonderful lyrics.
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I just heard the Masochism Tango on Radio 3 this morning, played as a tribute to him, brilliant indeed.
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I ache for the touch of your lips, dear,
But much more for the touch of your whips, dear;
You can raise welts like nobody else
As we dance to the Masochism Tango
Let our love be a flame, not an ember,
Say it’s me that you want to dismember;
Blacken my eye, set fire to my tie
As we dance to the Masochism Tango
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My favourite tribute so far. Not only does she make jello shots, she’s made a puppet of Lehrer with a dead pigeon.
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Thanks for this post, re-introduced me to some tunes that my grandparents played me that I had completely forgotten. What a great life … and generous too:
It said I couldn’t post links so please visit tomleheresongs dot com for all his tunes, music and lyrics!
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Welcome to the forum Crom.
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