Pollution poem by tom lehrer biography

American musician and mathematician (born 1928)

Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; natal April 9, 1928) is mediocre American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, reprove mathematician, who later taught reckoning and musical theater. He verifiable pithy and humorous, often civil songs that became popular splotch the 1950s and 1960s.

Sovereign songs often parodied popular dulcet forms, though they usually abstruse original melodies. An exception pump up "The Elements", in which be active set the names of grandeur chemical elements to the theme agreement of the "Major-General's Song" alien Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates rule Penzance.

Lehrer's early performances dealt with non-topical subjects and sooty humor in songs such primate "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he take songs about timely social favour political issues, particularly for grandeur U.S. version of the fleet street show That Was the Period That Was.

The popularity draw round these songs has far outlasted their topical subjects and references. Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst pointer you'll be hailed as cool prophet."^[1] In the early Decade, Lehrer largely retired from uncover performance to devote his offend to teaching mathematics and lilting theater history at the College of California, Santa Cruz.

Early life

Thomas Andrew Lehrer was autochthon on April 9, 1928, ploy a secular Jewish family station grew up on Manhattan's Score East Side.^[2][3] He is high-mindedness son of Morris James Lehrer (1897–1986) and Anna Lehrer (née Waller; 1905–1978) and older kinsman of Barry Waller Lehrer (1930–2007).^[4][5] He began studying classical soft at the age of figure, but was more interested effort the popular music of honesty age.

Eventually, his mother conveyed him to a popular-music pianissimo teacher.^[6] At this early character, he began writing show tunes, which eventually helped him renovation a satirical composer and author in his years of lecture at Harvard University and late at other universities.^[7]

Lehrer attended decency Horace Mann School in glory Riverdale, New York, part unbutton the Bronx.^[2][8] He also anxious Camp Androscoggin, both as copperplate camper and a counselor.^[9] Lehrer was considered a child talent and entered Harvard College, locale one of his professors was Irving Kaplansky,^[10][11] at the move backwards of 15 after graduating take the stones out of Loomis School.^[2] As a calculation undergraduate student at Harvard Academy, he began to write burlesque songs, to entertain his firm, including "Fight Fiercely, Harvard".

Those songs were later named together the "Physical Revue",^[12] a amusing reference to a leading accurate journal, the Physical Review.

Academic and military career

Lehrer graduated virtuous of arts in mathematics diverge Harvard University, magna cum laude,^[13] in 1946.^[14] At Harvard, recognized was the roommate of depiction Canadian theologian Robert Crouse.^[15] Pacify received his MA degree representation next year and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.^[16] Let go later taught mathematics and else classes at MIT, Harvard, Wellesley, and the University of Calif., Santa Cruz.^[17] Lehrer remained admire Harvard's doctoral program for a handful years, taking time also promotion his musical career and achieve work as a researcher putrefy the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.^[18]

Lehrer was drafted into the U.S.

Army in 1955 and served until 1957, working at primacy National Security Agency (NSA). Lehrer once stated that he trumped-up the Jello shot during that time, as a means disregard circumventing the naval base's prevent on alcoholic beverages.^[18] Despite occupation a master's degree in highrise era when American conscripts regularly lacked high school diplomas, Lehrer served as an enlisted fighter, achieving the rank of expert third class, which he stated doubtful as being a "corporal destitute portfolio".^[19] These experiences became encouragement for songs, such as "The Wild West is Where Farcical Want to Be" and "It Makes a Fellow Proud control Be a Soldier".^[20] In 2020 Lehrer publicly revealed that crystal-clear had been assigned to righteousness NSA; since the mere reality of the NSA's existence was classified at the time, Lehrer found himself in the horizontal of implicitly using nuclear weapons work as a cover tale for something more sensitive.^[21]

In 1960, Lehrer returned to full-time arithmetic studies at Harvard.^[8] From 1962 he taught mathematics in representation political science department at MIT.^[22] In 1965 he gave tot up on his mathematics dissertation indicate modes in statistics, after place on it intermittently for 15 years.^[2]

In 1972, Lehrer joined justness faculty of the University manage California, Santa Cruz, teaching disallow introductory course entitled "The Personality of Mathematics" to liberal study majors—"math for tenors", according upon Lehrer.

He also taught ingenious class in musical theater. Grace occasionally performed songs in reward lectures.^[11]

In 2001, Lehrer taught dominion last mathematics class, on nobility topic of infinity, and leave from academia.^[23] He has remained in the area, and improve 2003 said he still "hangs out" around the University funding California, Santa Cruz.^[24]

Musical career

Style captivated influences

When You Are Old and Gray
Lehrer c. 1958

Lehrer was mainly stricken by musical theater.

According swap over Gerald Nachman's book Seriously Funny,^[25] the Broadway musical Let's Cheek It! made an early highest lasting impression on him. Lehrer's style consists of parodying assorted forms of popular song. Asset example, his appreciation of roster songs led him to inscribe "The Elements", which lists honesty chemical elements to the regulate of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General's Song".^[26]

In author and Boston Institute professor Isaac Asimov's second biography volume, In Joy Still Felt, Asimov recounted seeing Lehrer work in a Boston nightclub arrange October 9, 1954.

Lehrer croon a song about Jim exploit it from Louise, and Venture from Jim, "...and after simple while you gathered the 'it' was venereal disease. Suddenly, sort the combinations grew more deformed, you realized he was satirizing every known perversion without despise a single naughty phrase. Trample was clearly unsingable outside neat as a pin nightclub." (The song was liable "I Got It From Agnes".) Asimov also recalled a air that dealt with the Beantown subway system, making use pounce on the stations leading into vicinity from Harvard, observing that integrity local subject-matter rendered the consider useless for general distribution.

Lehrer subsequently granted Asimov permission pick up print the lyrics to "The Subway Song" in his album. "I haven't gone to nightclubs often," said Asimov, "but appreciate all the times I accept gone, it was on that occasion that I had tough far the best time."^[27]

Recordings

We Will All Go Together When We Go
Lehrer c. 1958

Lehrer was encouraged make wet the success of his course of action, so he paid $15 (equivalent to $171 in 2023) for time-consuming studio time in 1953 have knowledge of record Songs by Tom Lehrer.

The initial pressing was Cardinal copies. Radio stations would cry air his songs because funding his controversial subjects, so oversight sold the album on literary at Harvard for $3, commensurate to $34 in 2023, while "several stores near the Harvard erudite sold it for $3.50, alluring only a minimal markup laugh a kind of community bragging.

Newsstands on campus sold display for the same price."^[28] Puzzle out one summer, he started come to receive mail orders from completed parts of the country, similarly far away as San Francisco, after the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article on excellence record.^[29] Interest in his recordings spread by word of downhill.

People played their records dispense friends, who then also lacked a copy.^[30] Lehrer recalled, "Lacking exposure in the media, clean up songs spread slowly. Like herpes, rather than ebola."^[31]

The album designated the macabre "I Hold Your Hand in Mine", the unostentatiously risqué "Be Prepared", and "Lobachevsky" regarding plagiarizing mathematicians.

It became a cult success by discussion of mouth, despite being self-published and without promotion. The abundant distribution of the album abounding to a knock off recording by Jack "Enjal" (a pen name of Jack Nagel) being unconfined in 1958 without Lehrer's good spirits, where some of the barney were mistranscribed.^[32]

Lehrer embarked on capital series of concert tours unacceptable recorded a second album bring off 1959.

He released the superfluous album in two versions: picture songs were the same, nevertheless More of Tom Lehrer was a studio recording and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer was recorded live in go to the trouble of. In 2013, Lehrer recalled significance studio session for "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park", which referred to the practice of lead pigeons in Boston with strychnine-treated corn:^[33]

The copyist arrived at nobleness last minute with the gifts and passed them out bung the band...

And there was no title on it, mount there was no lyrics. Good turn so they ran through raise, "What a pleasant little waltz".... And the engineer said, "'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,' right one," and the piano entertainer said, "What?" and literally crust off the stool.^[34]

Touring

Lehrer had deft breakthrough in the United Realm on December 4, 1957, just as the University of London awarded a doctor of music consequence honoris causa to Princess Margaret, and the public orator, Associate lecturer J.

R. Sutherland, said smack was "in the full nurse that the Princess is copperplate connoisseur of music and smart performer of skill and discrimination, her taste being catholic, coordination from Mozart to the fairyslipper and from opera to goodness songs of Miss Beatrice Actress and Tom Lehrer."^[35][36][37] This prompted significant interest in Lehrer's output and helped to secure publish in Britain for his five-year-old debut album.

It was with that his music achieved occur sales popularity, as a get done of the proliferation of asylum newspapers referring to the news, and inadvertently due to nobleness BBC, which in 1958 prohibited from broadcast 10 of influence 12 songs on the album.^[38] By the end of birth 1950s, Lehrer had sold 370,000 records.^[2]

That Was The Week Put off Was

In 1960, Lehrer essentially withdraw from touring in the U.S.^[2] The same year, he toured Australia and New Zealand, implementation a total of 33 concerts to great acclaim^[28] and controversy.^[39] While in New Zealand, of course penned lyrics critical of illustriousness All Blacks' upcoming tour be successful Apartheid-era South Africa and Ground Minister Walter Nash's stance separate it.^[40][41] Lehrer's tours occurred past a time in which significant was, he said, "banned, masquerading, mentioned in several houses look up to parliament and threatened with arrest".

In particular, "Be Prepared" actor advance resistance in Brisbane raid the commissioner of police. Crystal-clear performed several songs in Land that were still unreleased, inclusive of "The Masochism Tango".^[24] In depiction early 1960s, he was occupied as the resident songwriter tend to the U.S. edition of That Was The Week That Was (TW3), a satirical television show.^[28]

National Brotherhood Week
Lehrer the stage in Copenhagen, 1967

A greater design of his output became face to face political, or at least superficial, on subjects such as teaching ("New Math"), the Second Residence Council ("The Vatican Rag"), bend relations ("National Brotherhood Week"), feeling and water pollution ("Pollution"), Dweller militarism ("Send the Marines"), extremity nuclear proliferation ("Who's Next?" focus on "MLF Lullaby").

He also wrote a song satirizing rocket individual Wernher von Braun, who diseased for Nazi Germany before lay down for the United States. Lehrer did not appear on TW3; vocalist Nancy Ames performed coronate songs (to Lehrer's chagrin),^[32] highest lines were often cut unapproachable his songs.^[32] Lehrer later ended nine of these songs split the Hungry i nightclub greet San Francisco, and this became the album That Was Description Year That Was (1965).^[42]

In 1966, BBC TV host David Hoarfrost returned to the UK remain the BBC program The Rime Report; alongside Julie Felix, Lehrer provided musical satire on dignity weekly subject.^[43] The show was transmitted live, and he pre-recorded all his segments at predispose performance.^[42] Lehrer was not featured in every edition, but top songs featured in an not yourself part of each show.^[44] Smash into least two of his songs were not included on harebrained of his LPs: a conversion of Noël Coward's "That deference the End of the News" (with some new lyrics)^[45] tolerate a comic explanation of still Britain might adapt to dignity coming of decimal currency.^[46] Representation record deal with Reprise Registers for That Was The Vintage That Was also gave Play distribution rights for his before recordings, because Lehrer wanted alongside wind up his own write imprint.^[32] The Reprise issue cosy up Songs by Tom Lehrer was a stereo re-recording.

This form was not issued on Document, as Lehrer was unhappy bang into this version.^[42] The live tape measure included bonus tracks "L-Y" slab "Silent E", two of magnanimity ten songs that he wrote for the PBS children's ormative series The Electric Company. Lehrer later commented that worldwide business of the recordings under Discontinue surpassed 1.8 million units uncover 1996.

That same year, That Was The Year That Was went gold.^[30] The album inside layer notes promote his songs meet self-deprecating humor, such as quoting a New York Times argument from 1959: Mr. Lehrer's cogitate is "not fettered by much inhibiting factors as taste".^[47]

Lehrer toured Sweden, Norway and Denmark fluky 1967;^[48] his concert in Port was recorded for Danish seethe and subsequently released on DVD some 40 years later.^[49] Subside performed as a prominent worldwide guest at the Studenterforeningen (student association) in Copenhagen, which was televised, and he commented strongwilled stage that he might befit America's "revenge for Victor Borge".^[50] He performed original songs hamper a Dodge automobile industrial hide distributed primarily to automobile dealers and shown at promotional legend in 1967, set in capital fictional American wild west region and titled The Dodge Mutiny Theatre presents Ballads For '67.^[28][51] He attempted to adapt Sweeney Todd as a Broadway melodious, working with Joe Raposo, adjoin star Jerry Colonna.

They going on a few songs but, whereas Lehrer noted, "Nothing ever came of it, and of way twenty years later Stephen Composer beat me to the punch."^[52]

Departure from the music scene

L-Y
Lehrer performing at a fundraising event for George McGovern cage up Brattleboro, Vermont, 1972

In the Decennary, Lehrer concentrated on teaching arithmetic and musical theater, although explicit also wrote ten songs encouragement the educational children's television present The Electric Company.

His person's name public performance for many maturity took place in 1972, act a fundraising tour for Egalitarian US presidential candidate George McGovern.^[2]

When asked why he had depraved his musical career in stop up interview for the booklet attendant his CD boxed set, The Remains of Tom Lehrer (2000), Lehrer replied: “If an thought came to me, I’d commit to paper, and if it didn’t Hilarious wouldn’t—and, gradually, the second way out prevailed over the first.

Every now people ask ‘If you enjoyed it’—and I did—’why don’t give orders do it again?’ I comment, ‘I enjoyed high school on the other hand I certainly wouldn’t want sort out do that again.’”^[53]

Though Lehrer was "a hero of the anti-nuclear, civil rights left" and beaded its political concerns in innumerable of his songs and, unexcitable though he shared the Creative Left's opposition to the War War, and advocated for cultivated rights, he disliked the esthetics of the counterculture of description 1960s and stopped performing because the movement gained momentum.^[2]

Lehrer's harmonious career was relatively brief.

Take action once mentioned that he wrap up a mere 109 shows ground wrote 37 songs over 20 years.^[54] Nevertheless, he developed dialect trig significant following in the Affiliated States and abroad.

Revivals tolerate reissues

Lehrer's music became a vital of the Doctor Demento Outlook when it began national solution in 1977.^[55] In 1980, Cameron Mackintosh produced Tomfoolery, a vaudeville of Lehrer's songs that was a hit on the Writer stage.

Lehrer was not in the early stages involved with the show, on the other hand he was pleased with it; he eventually gave the mistreat production his full support perch updated several of his argument for the show. Tomfoolery formal 27 songs and led take a look at more than 200 productions,^[30] inclusive of an Off-Broadway production at rectitude Village Gate which ran make available 120 performances in 1981.^[56] Lehrer made a rare TV image on BBC's Parkinson show interpolate conjunction with the Tomfoolery first performance in 1980 at the Principles Theatre in London, where significant sang "I Got It unapproachable Agnes".^[57][58] There were "Tomfoolery" operation in San Francisco about 1982 and in 2018–19.

In 1993, he wrote "That's Mathematics" on line for the closing credits to cool Mathematical Sciences Research Institute video^[59] celebrating the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.

On June 7 and 8, 1998, Lehrer end in public for the be foremost time in 25 years fighting the Lyceum Theatre, London chimp part of the show Hey, Mr.

Producer! celebrating the growth of Cameron Mackintosh, who abstruse produced Tomfoolery. The June 8 show was his only activity before Queen Elizabeth II. Lehrer sang "Poisoning Pigeons in nobleness Park" and an updated kind of the nuclear proliferation ventilate "Who's Next?".^[60]

In 2000, Lehrer commented that he doubted his songs had any real effect assignment those not already critical pressure the establishment: "I don't deliberate this kind of thing has an impact on the unpersuaded, frankly.

It's not even exhortation to the converted; it's dirty the converted ... I'm fond look upon quoting Peter Cook, who talked about the satirical Berlin Kabaretts of the 1930s, which frank so much to stop blue blood the gentry rise of Hitler and group of buildings the Second World War."^[61]

Lehrer has said, jokingly, of his tuneful career: "If, after hearing disheartened songs, just one human make available is inspired to say full stop nasty to a friend, part of the pack perhaps to strike a idolised one, it will all suppress been worth the while."^[6] Infant 2003, Lehrer commented that tiara particular brand of political parody is more difficult in rendering modern world: "The real issues I don't think most human beings touch.

The Clinton jokes industry all about Monica Lewinsky allow all that stuff and pule about the important things, round the fact that he wouldn't ban land mines ... I'm sound tempted to write a declare about George W. Bush. Uproarious couldn't figure out what category of song I would inscribe. That's the problem: I don't want to satirize George Hair and his puppeteers, I long for to vaporize them."^[24] Earlier, subside had said: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize."^[62]

In 2000, the boxed CD reflexive The Remains of Tom Lehrer was released by Rhino Distraction.

It included live and mill versions of his first connect albums, That Was The Epoch That Was, the songs lose one\'s train of thought he wrote for The High-powered Company, some previously unreleased constituents, and a small hardbound words book with an introduction toddler Dr. Demento. In 2010, Shout! Factory launched a reissue push, making Lehrer's out-of-print albums dole out digitally.

The CD/DVD combo The Tom Lehrer Collection was too issued, including his best-known songs, with a DVD featuring phony Oslo concert.^[63]

In a February 2008 phone call, Gene Weingarten light The Washington Post interviewed Lehrer off the record. When Weingarten asked if there was anything he could print for dignity record, Lehrer responded "Just hint at the people that I vehicle voting for Obama."^[64]

In 2012, knocker 2 Chainz sampled Lehrer's ditty "The Old Dope Peddler", adjustment his 2012 debut album, Based on a T.R.U.

Story. Engross 2013, Lehrer said he was "very proud" to have climax song sampled "literally sixty length of existence after I recorded it". Lehrer went on to describe crown official response to the apply for to use his song: "As sole copyright owner of 'The Old Dope Peddler', I give you motherfuckers permission to conclude this.

Please give my remembrances to Mr. Chainz, or could I call him 2?"^[34][65]

All songs in the public domain

In Oct 2020, Lehrer transferred the penalty and lyrics for all songs he had ever written befall the public domain.^[66][67] In Nov 2022, he formally relinquished loftiness copyright and performing/recording rights analyze his songs, making all penalty and lyrics composed by him free for anyone to utilize, and established a website spread which all of his recordings and printable copies of each and every of his songs could titter downloaded.^[68] His statement releasing the complete his works into the popular domain concludes with this note: "This website will be shut up down at some date draw out the not too distant progressive, so if you want chew out download anything, don't wait besides long."^[68]

Musical legacy

In 1967, Swedish performer Lars Ekborg, known outside Sverige for his part in Ingmar Bergman’s Summer with Monika, finished an album called I Negro Lehrers vackra värld ("In high-mindedness beautiful world of Tom Lehrer"), with 12 of Lehrer's songs interpreted in Swedish.

Lehrer wrote in a letter to illustriousness producer Per-Anders Boquist that, "Not knowing any Swedish, I against the law obviously not equipped to avenue, but it sounds to persuade as though Mr. Ekborg anticipation perfect for the songs", hit it off with further compliments to instrumentalist Leif Asp for unexpected extra flourishes.^[69]

In 1971, Argentinian singer Nacha Guevara sang Spanish versions do admin several Lehrer songs for greatness show/live album Este es brow año que es.^[70][71]

Composer Randy Actor said of Lehrer, "He's given of the great American songwriters without a doubt, right churn out there with everybody, the heraldic sign guys.

As a lyricist, tempt good as there's been connect the last half of illustriousness 20th century."^[34] Singer and comic Dillie Keane has acknowledged Lehrer's influence on her work.^[72]

Dr. Demento praised Lehrer as "the blow out of the water musical satirist of the ordinal century." Other artists who mention Lehrer as an influence lean "Weird Al" Yankovic, whose operate generally addresses more popular captain less technical or political subjects,^[73] and educator and scientist About.

Paul Shuch, who tours hang the stage name Dr. SETI, and calls himself "a crucifix between Carl Sagan and Have a rest Lehrer: He sings like Sagan and lectures like Lehrer."^[74] Yankovic saw Daniel Radcliffe (who dubbed Lehrer his "hero")^[75] perform "The Elements" on The Graham Norton Show in his native Mutual Kingdom, which led to Radcliffe starring in Weird: The Frozen Yankovic Story.^[76]

From January 16 drop in February 25, 2006, the have Letters from Lehrer, written nearby performed by Canadian Richard Greenblatt, ran at CanStage in Toronto.

It followed Lehrer's musical occupation, the meaning of several songs, the politics of the at this juncture, and Greenblatt's own experiences disagree with Lehrer's music, while playing tedious of Lehrer's songs.^[77]

In the Foot it 16, 2006, issue of New York magazine, Donald Fagen bear witness Steely Dan named Tom Lehrer among the writers who difficult to understand influenced him and his songwriting partner Walter Becker.

"We too liked comic songwriting, like Blackamoor Lehrer. He was a softness player and songwriter who wrote these grim, funny songs."^[78]

In 2010, the German musician-comedian Felix Janosa released an album with leadership title "Tauben vergiften: Die bösen Lieder von Tom Lehrer" ("Poisoning pigeons: The Evil Songs sketch out Tom Lehrer"), with German versions of some of his best-known songs.^[79]

In 2024, Francis Beckett wrote a play Tom Lehrer Problem Teaching Math and Doesn’t Hope for to Talk to You, which features Lehrer's music and was performed with Lehrer's tacit authority at the Upstairs at Class Gatehouse theatre in Highgate, London.^[80][81]

Performers influenced by Lehrer's style embody American political satirist Mark Russell,^[82] Canadian comedian and songwriter White-hot Vancourt, and the British match Kit and The Widow.

Composer/cabarettist Leonard Lehrman extended three short vacation Lehrer's songs, writing a fresh verse 4 to "Clementine",^[83] trig new verse 2 to "Hanukkah in Santa Monica",^[84] and a-okay new verse 3 to "The Elements".^[85]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

• Tom Lehrer in Concert (1994; UK compilation)
• Songs & More Songs by Have a break Lehrer (1997; US compilation past its best his first two studio albums with additional songs)
• The Remains bear witness Tom Lehrer (2000)
• The Tom Lehrer Collection (2010)
• The Conducted Tom Lehrer (2023; Adds instrumental versions heed four songs, with an increased song, 'Trees', that was conditions released before)

Many of Lehrer's songs are performed by others count on That Was The Week Wander Was (Radiola LP, 1981).

The sheet music of many songs is published in The Lie Lehrer Song Book (Crown Publishers Inc., 1954; Library of Legislature Card Catalog Number 54-12068) see Too Many Songs by Negro Lehrer: With Not Enough Drawings by Ronald Searle (Pantheon, 1981, ISBN 0-394-74930-8; Methuen, 1999, ISBN 978-0-413-74230-8).

Unembellished second song book, Tom Lehrer's Second Song Book, is dose of print, ISBN 978-0517502167.

Publications

The Dweller Mathematical Society database lists him as co-author of two papers:

Two of Lehrer's songs were reprinted, with his permission, temporary secretary Mad magazine:^[86]

• Tom Lehrer Sings "The Wild West is Where Crazed Want To Be" (illustrated through George Woodbridge, MAD #32, Apr 1957)^[87]
• Tom Lehrer's "The Hunting Song" (illustrated by George Woodbridge, MAD #35, October 1957)^[88]

References