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Tom Lehrer, Musical Satirist With a Dark Streak, Dies at 97
NYT ^ | 7/27/25 | Peter Keepnews and Richard Severo

Posted on 07/27/2025 9:59:50 AM PDT by Borges

Tom Lehrer, the Harvard-trained mathematician whose wickedly iconoclastic songs made him a favorite satirist in the 1950s and ’60s on college campuses and in all the Greenwich Villages of the country, died on Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Mass. He was 97.

His death was confirmed by David Herder, a friend.

Mr. Lehrer’s lyrics were nimble, sometimes salacious and almost always sardonic, sung to music that tended to be maddeningly cheerful. Accompanying himself on piano, he performed in nightclubs, in concert and on records that his admirers purchased, originally by mail order only, in the hundreds of thousands.

But his entertainment career ultimately took a back seat to academia. In his heart he never quit his day job; he just took a few sabbaticals.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: deadleftist; harvard; lehrer; massachusetts; tomlehrer
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1 posted on 07/27/2025 9:59:50 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

We were just talking about him the other day...


2 posted on 07/27/2025 10:01:10 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Borges

Always fun to listen to his songs! At least we didn’t all go together when he did.


3 posted on 07/27/2025 10:05:41 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Borges

Oh man. I haven’t internalized Ozzy yet. Dammit. Love Lehrer.


4 posted on 07/27/2025 10:05:43 AM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: discostu

This was accused of being Catholic-bashing but it’s actually taking the same position as trad-Catholics in regards to Vatican II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do


5 posted on 07/27/2025 10:08:36 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

I had recently read about him and his “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.”

Sounds like he would have been truly fun to know.

RIP.


6 posted on 07/27/2025 10:11:58 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Borges

I enjoyed his musical satire from when I was a little kid watching TW3, and bought a box collection of his originals and concerts a few years ago. Somehow it never seems to get old. But obviously, he did.

RIP Tom, well done.


7 posted on 07/27/2025 10:12:15 AM PDT by dayglored (This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24)
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To: Borges
I remain a big fan. His music was a regular feature on the Dr. Demento show.

'I'll look for you when the war is over, an hour and a half from now'

8 posted on 07/27/2025 10:13:17 AM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Borges

🎶Tom’s ghost was given up?
I should track him down
We have an appointment!
…Says Wernher von Braun🎶


9 posted on 07/27/2025 10:13:47 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Borges

Brilliant!

https://youtu.be/U2cfju6GTNs?list=RDU2cfju6GTNs

RIP


10 posted on 07/27/2025 10:15:57 AM PDT by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back)
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To: BradyLS

Oh very good!!


11 posted on 07/27/2025 10:16:11 AM PDT by dayglored (This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24)
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To: Borges

Never heard of him. Wow what a talented pianist. Thanks for posting.


12 posted on 07/27/2025 10:16:43 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: Borges

At the FReeper Canteen on New Years Eve, I did a Lehrer retrospective. This is a great loss.


13 posted on 07/27/2025 10:16:43 AM PDT by Publius
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To: plain talk
He was a cult figure starting in the 1950s.

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park

14 posted on 07/27/2025 10:19:11 AM PDT by Publius
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To: luvie; Kathy in Alaska; left that other site; MS.BEHAVIN; radu

We’ve lost one of the greats, America’s favorite wise-ass.


15 posted on 07/27/2025 10:21:35 AM PDT by Publius
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To: Borges

Tom Lehrer was a gem- his funny musical numbers are wonderful and gloriously pointed.

His talent was immense yet despite the liberal slant to his stuff, he refused to go along with the pro-enemy Left during Vietnam and for that and a lot of laughs, I salute him.


16 posted on 07/27/2025 10:23:32 AM PDT by Chainmail (You can vote your way into Socialism - but you will have to shoot your way out.)
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To: Borges

I had no idea he was still alive.

“Be prepared! Be prepared! Don’t solicit for your sister, it’s not very nice. Unless she gives you a percentage of her price!”


17 posted on 07/27/2025 10:23:54 AM PDT by Calvin Cooledge
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To: plain talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsuB3A85Iks


18 posted on 07/27/2025 10:24:23 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

My parents had one of his albums. My brother and I found it when we were young teenagers many years after it had been out and were delighted with it.

Turns out a lot of our friends’ parents had it too.

My mom came upon some of us playing and laughing to “National Brotherhood Week,” “Pollution” and those songs one day after school and was OK with it but cautioned us not to repeat those lyrics in school or while out and about.

R.I.P., Tom.


19 posted on 07/27/2025 10:26:10 AM PDT by Allegra (Thank you for your attention to this matter. )
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To: Borges
His LP album is entitled An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer. He was a brilliant satirist. I think We Will All Together When We Go was my favorite song of his.
20 posted on 07/27/2025 10:26:56 AM PDT by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
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