Comments on: RIP Tom Lehrer

By: Tom Grey

Tom Grey — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 19:41:07 +0000

Tom Lehrer was great, tho I learned of him in LA high school in ‘72-‘73, from Dr Demento (who came to one of our South Gate dances as DJ).

I’ve sung in karaoke his Masochism Tango.
Daniel Radcliffe sang a good version of Elements, somebody created a duet version of them (fading out Radcliffe’s couple small mistimings).

By: Gringo

Gringo — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:35:35 +0000

One article on Tom Lehrer’s death pointed out something I had never realized: Tom Lehrer’s Lobachevsky was based on Danny Kay’s Stanislavsky.
Consider the phrases that populate both songs.

I will never forget the day…
Who is the man who…

In one word he told me the secret of…

https://www.stevesailer.net/p/im-baaaack

By: Selfy

Selfy — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 16:53:46 +0000

“[Lehrer], Alan Sherman, Weird Al, Spike Jones, all comedic geniuses.”
Let’s not overlook Ray Stevens.

By: Jim Armstrong

Jim Armstrong — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:34:30 +0000

I discovered him on the Dr. Demento radio show, listening to all the wacky songs late at night, as a sailor in San Diego, then in Kansas City when we moved back here. Him, Alan Sherman, Weird Al, Spike Jones, all comedic geniuses. It definitely shaped my warped sense of humor!

By: Mitchell Strand

Mitchell Strand — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:16:30 +0000

Miguel, Gordon, Ghost Dog–

Spot on about Carlin. Occupation: Foole and A Place for my Stuff are terrific albums, the first mostly a meditation about growing up in Morningside Heights, or what he called “White Harlem.” A Place for my Stuff is getting into his fun with language.

But then he started getting older, Reagan got elected, followed by H.W., and it looked like the country was smiling at him, patting him on the head, and going about its business of everything he hated. Odd, because at that point he was probably pretty well-off. Was he thinking that “peace, love, dope” was going to be the culture? The squares always outnumbered the hip.

At the end, he was Colbertesque, ranting about stupid Americans using euphemisms to hide how they were screwing the country. He forgot he was there to make people laugh.

To his credit, Tom Lehrer never forgot; making people laugh just wasn’t important to him anymore, so he stopped.

By: Blobfish

Blobfish — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 11:05:19 +0000

What about the Vatican Rag-
Get in line in that processional
Step into that small confessional
There the guy whose got religion’ll
Tell you if your sin’s original…

That is as good as it gets!

By: Shadow

Shadow — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:48:56 +0000

Wow. I think of him from time to time, and I have a fondness for many of his songs as well. A college professor I had liked to introduce Tom Lehrer to his classes.

By: M J R

M J R — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 06:26:12 +0000

huxley (12:20 am): ohh definitely, definitely.

By: huxley

huxley — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:20:44 +0000

@M J R: I think it’s worth pointing out that the actual mathematician/geometer Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky was *never* accused of plagiarism, despite the content of Lehrer’s lyrics. Lehrer used his name only as a device because the syllables in Lobachevsky’s name made the poetic meter work. Thanks. I always assumed that Lehrer knew something I didn't. I suspect, however, that Lehrer may have been making a general point about academia.

By: Leah

Leah — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 02:58:51 +0000

Same here, my father must have seen him perform at Harvard. I grew up on that was the year that was. It took me many years to actually do understand the lyrics. A real genius