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Thread: Tom Lehrer turns 90 this week.

  1. #1
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Tom Lehrer turns 90 this week.

    People of a certain age grew up with Tom Lehrer's satirical, sometimes very political, songs.
    War, racism, pollution, VD, censorship.
    His musical career was not very long, but his songs have a lasting appeal.

    His career as a mathematician was much longer, and taught until fairly recently.
    Tom Lehrer at 90: a life of scientific satire
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lehrer



    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  2. #2
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    And Pollution
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  3. #3
    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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    He made SO many funn & intelligent songs.

  4. #4
    Geriatric Anomaly progeezer's Avatar
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    I have 2 albums that between them have just about every "clever to the point of genius" ditty on them, and even sang both "My Home Town" and "The Old Dope Peddler" back in my folkie days in the 60s.

    Since I was a child of NYC Jewish socialist parents, I grew up listening to Tom L. My mom & aunt even took me to see him at the Blue Angel in NYC when I was 11 or 12. His opening act was Mike Nichols & Elaine May!

    My mom even got Carol Burnett's autograph (she had just made it big on the Garry Moore show & was at Lehrer's gig in the audience).
    Last edited by progeezer; 04-07-2018 at 06:53 PM.
    "My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"

    President Harry S. Truman

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    Member jake's Avatar
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    Even over in Scotland we were listening to him - in my case it was in the 70s when I went to university. He is still a 'student' favourite as my nephews will attest.

    if you live in the UK or have a vpn client, there is a nice episode of the BBC radio show Desert Island Discs - recorded in 1980 - with Tom picking his faves here:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mw2k

    Interestingly, although perhaps not surprisingly, he turns out to be a fan of Stephen Sondheim, Gilbert and Sullivan, Noel Coward and .....Randy Newman!

  6. #6
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    I was likely introduced to Mr. Lehrer's work in my youth by way of Dr. Demento's wonderful novelty radio show. I believe I now own all Tom Lehrer's albums. Happy birthday, Tom!
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  7. #7
    Estimated Prophet notallwhowander's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spellbound View Post
    I was likely introduced to Mr. Lehrer's work in my youth by way of Dr. Demento's wonderful novelty radio show.
    Me too. I owned at least one of his records. Very funny.

    Happy Birthday, and thanks for the great songs.
    Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.

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    Member proggy_jazzer's Avatar
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    I grew up with the 10" LP of Songs by Tom Lehrer, and memorized every word even though I probably only comprehended about 50%. Had no idea he was still with us. Happy Birthday to the man responsible for a sizable chunk of my sense of humor!
    David
    Happy with what I have to be happy with.

  9. #9
    Member Lopez's Avatar
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    I first heard Tom in junior high in 1965. Our post-beatnik, pre-hippy art teacher, Mrs. McGuiness, played his album That Was the Year That Was in class. Something about drawing what we heard. She did the same with the Holy Modal Rounders. Have loved Tom Lehrer (and the Rounders) ever since.

    There's another guy similar to Tom who I saw play at a hotel in Washington, D.C., in 1974 or so, Mark Russell. Lots of fun. I'm not into politics or political humor, but both performers have made me laugh.
    Lou

    Looking forward to my day in court.

  10. #10
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    Article on Tom Lehrer.Worth a read.

    https://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/to...9A#.eh3VBzBw1x
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  11. #11
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lopez View Post
    I first heard Tom in junior high in 1965. Our post-beatnik, pre-hippy art teacher, Mrs. McGuiness, played his album That Was the Year That Was in class. Something about drawing what we heard. She did the same with the Holy Modal Rounders. Have loved Tom Lehrer (and the Rounders) ever since.

    There's another guy similar to Tom who I saw play at a hotel in Washington, D.C., in 1974 or so, Mark Russell. Lots of fun. I'm not into politics or political humor, but both performers have made me laugh.
    The other day I listened to 4 Holy Modal Rounders albums back to back, so you could say I am a fan. I remember Mark Russell, too. They used to show his performance specials on PBS television, IIRC. Fun political stuff, equally enjoyed by my more conservative parents. The late '60s-early '70s were a great time to be a student. A young high school English teacher assigned us to read "Johnny Got His Gun," by Dalton Trumbo. I do not believe the school approved that as required reading. Gotta go now. There are pigeons in the park to be poisoned.
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    This is the one LP of his we had - and it was a 10- inch!
    Why do you think it being 10- inch that it could be of any interest to anyone?

  13. #13
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by philsunset View Post
    Why do you think it being 10- inch that it could be of any interest to anyone?
    What do you have against 10-inch records?

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    What do you have against 10-inch records?
    Answer my question first.

  15. #15
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by philsunset View Post
    Answer my question first.
    Sorry, it doesn’t make sense grammatically, unless you think there’s something wrong about 10-inch records.
    Last edited by JKL2000; 04-08-2018 at 04:21 PM.

  16. #16
    I think he's doubting you had a 10-inch. record.

    'Got me the strangest woman
    Believe me this trick's no cinch
    But I really get her going
    When I whip out my big ten inch
    Record of a band that plays the blues
    Well a band that plays its blues
    She just love my big ten inch
    Record of her favorite blues
    Last night I tried to tease her
    I gave my love a little pinch
    She said now stop that jivin'
    Now whip out your big ten inch
    Record of a band that plays those blues' etc
    Last edited by DocProgger; 04-08-2018 at 04:40 PM.

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