Tom Lehrer
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Thomas Andrew “Tom” Lehrer (born 9 April 1928) is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater.
Before attending college, Lehrer graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. As an undergraduate student at Harvard University, he began to write comic songs to entertain his friends, includingFight Fiercely, Harvard (1945).
Those songs later became (in a joking reference to a leading scientific journal, The Physical Review) The Physical Revue. Influenced mainly by musical theater, his style consisted of parodying then-current forms of popular song. For example, his appreciation of list songs led him to set the names of the chemical elements to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Major-General’s Song”.
Inspired by the success of his performances of his songs, he paid for some studio time to record an album, Songs By Tom Lehrer, which he sold by mail order. Self-published and unpromoted, the album, which included the macabre (I Hold Your Hand in Mine), the mildly risqué (Be Prepared), and the mathematical (Lobachevsky), became a success via word of mouth. With a cult hit, he embarked on a series of concert tours and released a second album, which came in two versions: the songs were the same but More Songs by Tom Lehrer was studio-recorded, while An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer was recorded live in concert.
Before attending college, Lehrer graduated from the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. As an undergraduate student at Harvard University, he began to write comic songs to entertain his friends, including
Fight Fiercely, Harvard (1945).
Those songs later became (in a joking reference to a leading scientific journal, The Physical Review) The Physical Revue. Influenced mainly by musical theater, his style consisted of parodying then-current forms of popular song. For example, his appreciation of list songs led him to set the names of the chemical elements to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Major-General’s Song”.Inspired by the success of his performances of his songs, he paid for some studio time to record an album, Songs By Tom Lehrer, which he sold by mail order. Self-published and unpromoted, the album, which included the macabre (
I Hold Your Hand in Mine), the mildly risqué (Be Prepared), and the mathematical (Lobachevsky), became a success via word of mouth. With a cult hit, he embarked on a series of concert tours and released a second album, which came in two versions: the songs were the same but More Songs by Tom Lehrer was studio-recorded, while An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer was recorded live in concert.
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Top Albums
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Songs & More Songs by Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
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That Was The Year That Was
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An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer
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Tom Lehrer In Concert
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Shoutbox
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Allronix wrote:
Comedy music for the MENSA crowd.
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regular-jane wrote:
Life is Skittles, and life is beer.
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vivoradelamar wrote:
we will all fry together when we fry!
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ERIXWORX wrote:
Dear Mr. Lehrer, thank you for your invaluable contributions to my budding appreciation for lunacy waaay back in my formative years! 'That was the Year That Was' and 'Songs by Tom Lehrer' hold places of highest honor alongside Carlin in my record collection. I will evermore dance to the Masochism Tango (which I sang at karaoke, once). Oh, and please give my best to your Aunt Hortense. -with warmest admiration & deepest respect, Me
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Larintha wrote:
SMUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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cadaver11 wrote:
I love this man. His stuff is really great.
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Strawb77 wrote:
whatta man!
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blaqkmisfit wrote:
as we poison the pidgeons in the park :)
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velenopunk wrote:
Coolest nerd ever [2]
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kandelabra wrote:
<3
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DerelictHands wrote:
Masochism Tango always gets me the biggest grin =D
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meleaina wrote:
Made of pure WIN!
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ArsenicPopsicle wrote:
We will all go together when we go! [2]
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ron6deathorgy wrote:
So full of awesome.
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bwian314 wrote:
Impress them with our prowess, DO!
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Anjamascha wrote:
I am grateful to Tom Lehrer every day of my life for teaching me Old Math in 1976. I am glad my high school library had a copy of That Was The Year That Was - has remained an eternal favorite and the source of constant 'secret' amusement (especially since converting to Catholicism while remembering every word of The Vatican Rag).
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Eatyourbrians wrote:
We will all go together when we go!
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retrotron wrote:
as we dance to the masochism tango. (:
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Eatyourbrians wrote:
I love him so much. Damn.
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no_raptors wrote:
SpamForBrains: I agree, but with the way he is, I'm sure he'd turn them all down!
Videos
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The Masochism Tango
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Play
We Will All Go Together When We…
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I Hold Your Hand In Mine
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Play
My Home Town
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Recent Activity
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LeOneAndOnly and berylkellett added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. 13 hours ago
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jdactix tagged Tom Lehrer with comedy, novelty, music comedy and 4 other tags. Thursday afternoon
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JESCIE, MohamedObada, S_Trans and 2 other people added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. Wednesday afternoon
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hildigarda tagged Tom Lehrer with awesome, science, american and 3 other tags. Sunday afternoon
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rancerocks, NanPrescott, dposton70 and 43 other people added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. Sunday morning
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misismaganda tagged Tom Lehrer with humor, satire and comedy. December 2011
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inncubus666 added Tom Lehrer to inncubus666’s library. December 2011
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Parisblues tagged Tom Lehrer with comical, rotfl and mhlele. December 2011
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Mr_Ohlawdy and toesfive added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. December 2011
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Amelie_Leto tagged Tom Lehrer with sardonism, 40s, geek and 16 other tags. December 2011
Related Journals
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Tom Lehrer - "Wernher von Braun" - From the album That Was The Year That Was
by rastronomicals |
19 Dec 2010
| 1 comment
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Movers and shakers - comparing this year to a year ago.
by cptirrelevant |
6 May 2010
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Albums I really dig listed by year
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