R.I.P. - TomLehrer

[Jeff Wexler]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom Lehrer, the popular and erudite song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died. He was 97.

 

 

I loved Tom Lehrer! My mother bought the first record, I played it over and over again, I think I learned all the words at age 5 or 6! The only one I had trouble with was The Elements  --  I could never really get all the way through that one. Many, many years later in High School I tried to sing the Elements but in the proper order of the Periodic Table of Elements  --- could not do it because of course Tom sang them in his own order for the song. Still love it to this day (as I love Gilbert and Sullivan music also).

 

 

 

 

 

[Philip Perkins]

yeah...we could really use him right now....

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

RIP.  A great wit has passed.

 

I'll give Oedipus Rex a special listen for him.

[The Immoral Mr Teas]

My mum put an album on on the day when she heard. We grew up with him also, but my mum and dad especially, at the time for them.

 

I recall watching Daniel Radcliffe singing 'The Elements' on an English (UK) chat show, probably Graham Norton. I think he struggled (as in, this is fun not seriously rehearsed) but succeeded (admirably).

 

Jez