Tom Lehrer is alive and well and voting for Obama

[AllyCat]

Lehrer has commented that he doubts his songs had any real effect on those not already critical of the establishment: "I don't think this kind of thing has an impact on the unconverted, frankly. It's not even preaching to the converted; it's titillating the converted... I'm fond of quoting Peter Cook, who talked about the satirical Berlin cabarets of the '30s, which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the Second World War."<4>

In 2003 he commented that his particular brand of political satire is more difficult in the modern world: "The real issues I don't think most people touch. The Clinton jokes are all about Monica Lewinsky and all that stuff and not about the important things, like the fact that he wouldn't ban landmines... I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the problem: I don't want to satirise George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporise them."<5> In a phone call to Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post in February 2008, Lehrer instructed Weingarten to "Just tell the people that I am voting for Obama."<13>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lehrer

[grasswire]

1. Tom Lehrer, an American genius

Thanks for posting this.

My hero. My favorite? "Vatican Rag" -- pure genius.

[Peacetrain]

16. I am letting loose with my age here..but its

"time to transubstantuate"...:)

[KharmaTrain]

2. A Truly Great and Unrecognized Talent

Great to see he's still got the great sensibility I remember seeing live at Northwestern University nearly 35 years ago.

Here's one of my Lehrer Faves from 1965...

First we got the bomb, and that was good,
'Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay,
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way.
Who's next?

France got the bomb, but don't you grieve,
'Cause they're on our side (I believe).
China got the bomb, but have no fears,
They can't wipe us out for at least five years.
Who's next?

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day.
South Africa wants two, that's right:
One for the black and one for the white.
Who's next?

Egypt's gonna get one too,
Just to use on you know who.
So Israel's getting tense.
Wants one in self defense.
"The Lord's our shepherd," says the psalm,
But just in case, we better get a bomb.
Who's next?

Luxembourg is next to go,
And (who knows?) maybe Monaco.
We'll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb.
Who's next?
Who's next?
Who's next?
Who's next?

[Guava Jelly]

3. Holy Shit..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScdJURKGWM
Tom Lehrer - Oedipus Rex

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhZF66C1Dc
Tom Lehrer - Send the Marines

He is still breathing?

[Cassandra]

5. When I visited MIT (where he used to teach) in 1972...

I was surprised to find out he was still alive and teaching then.

[AllyCat]

13. I thought the same thing! Went looking for vital stats and saw a DOB...

...I was thrilled to see he's still with us and, well, with us

[existentialist]

4. The Wild West is where I long to be

"'mid the cactus and the thistles
I will watch the guided missiles
while the old FBI watches me

and I'll wear an old sombrero
and of course I'll wear a pair o
Levis over my lead BVDs Yeehaw!

O' the wild west is where I long to be."

[Patsy Stone]

6. K&R for Tom

:loveya:

[JeffR]

7. The man is a giant.

If they had a Nobel Prize for satire, he should be the first recipient.

[FloridaJudy]

8. Even more appropriate than ever

"Send the Marines"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhZF66C1Dc

[beachmom]

22. I would call that song ALWAYS appropriate in ALL times.

I am getting a kick out of this thread because I didn't realize there were so many geeks like me who positively love his stuff, and have listened to it over and over again.

[kwassa]

9. "by the time Mozart was my age ......"

"he had been dead for three years."

my favorite underachiever joke, from Tom Lehrer.

My favorite song was Vatican Rag.

First you bend down on your knees, fiddle with your rosaries, bow your head in great respect and, genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Very, very cool! Thanks! nt

[Cha]

11. Kick!

:bounce: :party: :kick: :patriot:

[starroute]

12. That Was the Week that Was

One of the formative experiences of my generation (along with Mad Magazine) -- kind of like the Daily Show in its day, only with Tom Lehrer songs. If the man doesn't think his songs had any real effect, he hasn't spoken to enough people who first encountered him as 10-15 year olds.

On edit -- and perhaps my own favorite is the Pollution Song:

If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air.

Pollution, pollution,
They got smog and sewage and mud.
Turn on your tap and get hot and cold running crud.

See the halibuts and the sturgeons
Being wiped out by detergents.
Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly,
But they don't last long if they try.

Pollution, pollution,
You can use the latest toothpaste,
And then rinse your mouth with industrial waste.

[REP]

14. "Satire died the day Kissinger was made a Nobel laureate" - Tom Lehrer

He lives in my neck of wood now I believe. I grew up on Lehrer, and still have his albums on vinyl (somewhere).

[sofa king]

15. He wore off on a lot of us whippersnappers, too.

I guess I was around 14 in 1983 when some pals of mine turned up a That Was The Year That Was LP, and we darned near wore it out.

But to even those who weren't budding history geeks, Lehrer isn't entirely unfamiliar to my generation. He wrote ten songs for the PBS show The Electric Company, which grade school kids often watched in school, if not at home. Chances are, a lot of them were our favorites, because they were usually set to interesting animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVC9TayQIh8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxVoHqgemWE&feature=related

[tbyg52]

17. Grew up on TWTWTW!

Maybe that explains a lot..... ;)

[AnnieBW]

18. He's still alive?

Wow! Great! And no, sir, your brand of satire is still very much appreciated. At least by this vidder...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwNqJKVoRtk

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sal4xRAmonI

Not to mention this person (not me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU2mwrxRQyA

[yardwork]

19. Shout out to Tom Lehrer. I love you!

Very happy memories of my childhood listening to An Evening (wasted) with Tom Lehrer.

[Overseas]

20. I grew up with his songs !! A family favorite !! /nt

[beachmom]

21. On National Brotherhood Week: "You know, there are some people who do not love their fellow human

being. And I HATE people like that!"

I love Tom Lehrer!

[blondeatlast]

23. I hope somehow that he can read this--what a effing GENIUS! My parents loved him

and I grew to do the same.

Thank you for sharing your genius, sir!