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rurallib

(62,416 posts) Wed Apr 10, 2019, 04:25 PM Apr 2019

Yesterday was Tom Lehrer's birthday and we missed it?

91 and still kicking.

When I was a young and irreverent Catholic school boy a friend introduced me to Lehrer's satire with the Vatican Rag

Can still sing it without missing a word.

And then there's his World War 3 song:

The satire was just a sideline from his day job as a mathematician

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Yesterday was Tom Lehrer's birthday and we missed it? (Original Post) rurallib Apr 2019 OP

Sorry, I was out poisoning pigeons in the park. The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2019 #1

He worked at NSA with a member of my extended family, and visited 50 Shades Of Blue Apr 2019 #2

Nice! A couple of my favorites Clash City Rocker Apr 2019 #3

I grew up listening to Tom Lehrer Leith Apr 2019 #4

Tom Lehrer's National Brotherhood Week was always one of my favorites Brother Buzz Apr 2019 #5

Mine also. So many of Lehrer's songs are still so relevant rurallib Apr 2019 #6

Glad to hear he's still with us... 2naSalit Apr 2019 #7

"By the time Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years" kwassa Apr 2019 #8

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,706 posts)

1. Sorry, I was out poisoning pigeons in the park.

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Wed Apr 10, 2019, 04:26 PM

Apr 2019

50 Shades Of Blue

(9,999 posts)

2. He worked at NSA with a member of my extended family, and visited

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Wed Apr 10, 2019, 04:29 PM

Apr 2019

In their home. I was floored when they told me many years later.

Clash City Rocker

(3,396 posts)

3. Nice! A couple of my favorites

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Wed Apr 10, 2019, 04:53 PM

Apr 2019

This one was a counter to the standard warning of the time that, when you go to Mexico, “don’t drink the water.” It occurred to him that water in America wasn’t terribly safe, either.

And then there’s his method of memorizing the periodic table. The song found new life thanks to the show “The Big Bang Theory,” although most viewers probably didn’t recognize the song’s origin.

Leith

(7,809 posts)

4. I grew up listening to Tom Lehrer

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Thu Apr 11, 2019, 01:54 AM

Apr 2019

We had the album That Was the Year That Was. In my twenties, I got the rest of his albums and it was even later than that when I found out he did some songs for the kids' show Electric Company (hot damn! new stuff!).

One of my favorites, not political, and it must be inspired by Gilbert & Sullivan:

Brother Buzz

(36,437 posts)

5. Tom Lehrer's National Brotherhood Week was always one of my favorites

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Thu Apr 11, 2019, 03:32 AM

Apr 2019

rurallib

(62,416 posts)

6. Mine also. So many of Lehrer's songs are still so relevant

Reply to Brother Buzz (Reply #5)

Thu Apr 11, 2019, 07:42 AM

Apr 2019

2naSalit

(86,634 posts)

7. Glad to hear he's still with us...

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Fri Apr 12, 2019, 08:16 AM

Apr 2019

hope he is well. I love his music, helped shape my world views.

kwassa

(23,340 posts)

8. "By the time Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years"

Reply to rurallib (Original post)

Fri Apr 12, 2019, 08:30 AM

Apr 2019

One my favorite one-liners of his.

The Vatican Rag was probably my favorite song of his. It was actually going through my head when I had the opportunity later to tour the Vatican and St. Peters in Rome.

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