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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, 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.
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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That Was the Year that Was
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Songs & More Songs by Tom Lehrer
Tom LehrerBuy- Download Album
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Tom Lehrer in Concert
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An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer
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Shoutbox
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ElTore wrote:
best thing to ever happen to comedy
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Battlenet2k7 wrote:
No one these day can hold a candle to this man's talent. If there ever is a draft I will play So Long Mother, or just go to Canada. Or have someone drive over my leg.
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Sulisk wrote:
I like all that I've heard so far
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fing3roperation wrote:
this man deserves every prize in the world.
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clytie_hizashi wrote:
"Zat's not my department" says Wernher von Braun. ♥
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toy-maker wrote:
aaah reminds me of my dad ^-^
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Ragman205 wrote:
epic talent
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Rudy_Rules wrote:
It dont even have to rhyne
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Lowbacca wrote:
what a talent
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jessefivey wrote:
HE'S the guy who wrote "Fight Fiercely, Harvard??" My uptight private school headmaster told me about that song ages ago. Weird!
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radtristan123 wrote:
he is the best - even in mathematics
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MaxUrai wrote:
This guy is so ridiculously talented... Shame he's not performing anymore
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$leaze wrote:
maschochism tango and the elements are the best.
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Haz567 wrote:
what a fascinating guy, truly
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rfwebster wrote:
Poisoning Pigeons in the Park is amazing!!!
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Lowbacca wrote:
hahaha awesome
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LucifericLumber wrote:
and Николай Иванович Лобачевский is his name. AY!
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cortez020 wrote:
First time I heard this legend was in a chemisrty class at school so funny.
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LondonLouis wrote:
Was it Lehrer who gave up his comic act when Kissinger got his Nobel peace prize, arguing that art could not hold a candle to the craziness of the real world?
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AgentMcgee wrote:
Funny!
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cinemare, LolaBrown5 and NovelCrone added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. yesterday evening
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metawirt tagged Tom Lehrer with ‘verliebt in den lehrer’. Friday evening
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stevenwolf1 tagged Tom Lehrer with comedy and parody. Tuesday afternoon
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Rundini wrote about Tom Lehrer in Shuffle Survey :D. Monday evening
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wulffu, bobskool, JennCalaelen and 5 other people added Tom Lehrer to their libraries. Monday evening
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csskinner added Tom Lehrer to csskinner’s library. 8 days ago
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csskinner tagged Tom Lehrer with ‘satire’. 8 days ago
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dianashamilton tagged Tom Lehrer with ‘hear’. 8 days ago
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