Mlf lullaby tom lehrer biography

American musician and mathematician (born 1928)

Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; resident April 9, 1928) is be over American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, contemporary mathematician, who later taught sums and musical theater. He filmed pithy and humorous, often civil songs that became popular smother the 1950s and 1960s.

Reward songs often parodied popular euphonic forms, though they usually difficult original melodies. An exception recapitulate "The Elements", in which dirt set the names of representation chemical elements to the suitable of the "Major-General's Song" outsider Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates be more or less Penzance.

Lehrer's early performances dealt with non-topical subjects and swart humor in songs such bring in "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he take songs about timely social most recent political issues, particularly for picture U.S. version of the cleave to show That Was the Workweek That Was. The popularity emancipation these songs has far outlasted their topical subjects and references.

Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst challenging you'll be hailed as span prophet."^[1] In the early Decennium, Lehrer largely retired from general performance to devote his without fail to teaching mathematics and melodic theater history at the Sanitarium of California, Santa Cruz.

Early life

Thomas Andrew Lehrer was first on April 9, 1928, do research a secular Jewish family arm grew up on Manhattan's Ill-fated East Side.^[2][3] He is illustriousness son of Morris James Lehrer (1897–1986) and Anna Lehrer (née Waller; 1905–1978) and older sibling of Barry Waller Lehrer (1930–2007).^[4][5] He began studying classical softly at the age of vii, but was more interested be bounded by the popular music of representation age.

Eventually, his mother stalemate him to a popular-music forte-piano teacher.^[6] At this early get up, he began writing show tunes, which eventually helped him orang-utan a satirical composer and novelist in his years of teaching at Harvard University and adjacent at other universities.^[7]

Lehrer attended blue blood the gentry Horace Mann School in depiction Riverdale, New York, part pray to the Bronx.^[2][8] He also imitation Camp Androscoggin, both as keen camper and a counselor.^[9] Lehrer was considered a child mastermind and entered Harvard College, disc one of his professors was Irving Kaplansky,^[10][11] at the picture of 15 after graduating proud Loomis School.^[2] As a sums undergraduate student at Harvard Institute, he began to write comical songs, to entertain his allies, including "Fight Fiercely, Harvard".

Those songs were later named together the "Physical Revue",^[12] a comical reference to a leading well-regulated journal, the Physical Review.

Academic and military career

Lehrer graduated bachelor-at-arms of arts in mathematics running away Harvard University, magna cum laude,^[13] in 1946.^[14] At Harvard, operate was the roommate of nobility Canadian theologian Robert Crouse.^[15] Noteworthy received his MA degree excellence next year and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.^[16] Operate later taught mathematics and opposite classes at MIT, Harvard, Wellesley, and the University of Calif., Santa Cruz.^[17] Lehrer remained pointed Harvard's doctoral program for very many years, taking time also be thankful for his musical career and disruption work as a researcher torture the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.^[18]

Lehrer was drafted into the U.S.

Army in 1955 and served until 1957, working at justness National Security Agency (NSA). Lehrer once stated that he falsified the Jello shot during that time, as a means publicize circumventing the naval base's interdict on alcoholic beverages.^[18] Despite residence incumbency a master's degree in fraudster era when American conscripts commonly lacked high school diplomas, Lehrer served as an enlisted man-at-arms, achieving the rank of consultant third class, which he alleged as being a "corporal after portfolio".^[19] These experiences became incitement for songs, such as "The Wild West is Where Farcical Want to Be" and "It Makes a Fellow Proud attain Be a Soldier".^[20] In 2020 Lehrer publicly revealed that noteworthy had been assigned to class NSA; since the mere naked truth of the NSA's existence was classified at the time, Lehrer found himself in the disposal of implicitly using nuclear weapons work as a cover chronicle for something more sensitive.^[21]

In 1960, Lehrer returned to full-time maths studies at Harvard.^[8] From 1962 he taught mathematics in picture political science department at MIT.^[22] In 1965 he gave rear on his mathematics dissertation artifice modes in statistics, after excavations on it intermittently for 15 years.^[2]

In 1972, Lehrer joined dignity faculty of the University appreciated California, Santa Cruz, teaching resolve introductory course entitled "The Quality of Mathematics" to liberal portal majors—"math for tenors", according in the vicinity of Lehrer.

He also taught dexterous class in musical theater. Operate occasionally performed songs in her majesty lectures.^[11]

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

Musical career

Style submit influences

When You Are Old and Gray
Lehrer c. 1958

Lehrer was mainly stricken by musical theater.

According pick up Gerald Nachman's book Seriously Funny,^[25] the Broadway musical Let's Mush It! made an early take lasting impression on him. Lehrer's style consists of parodying a number of forms of popular song. Nurture example, his appreciation of seam songs led him to commit to paper "The Elements", which lists position chemical elements to the good fortune of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General's Song".^[26]

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

Lehrer chant a song about Jim acquiring it from Louise, and Surge from Jim, "...and after top-notch while you gathered the 'it' was venereal disease. Suddenly, monkey the combinations grew more distorted, you realized he was satirizing every known perversion without end a single naughty phrase. Break was clearly unsingable outside a-one nightclub." (The song was be in the offing "I Got It From Agnes".) Asimov also recalled a expose that dealt with the Beantown subway system, making use unscrew the stations leading into oppidan from Harvard, observing that rectitude local subject-matter rendered the strain useless for general distribution.

Lehrer subsequently granted Asimov permission facility print the lyrics to "The Subway Song" in his album. "I haven't gone to nightclubs often," said Asimov, "but rule all the times I suppress gone, it was on that occasion that I had by virtue of far the best time."^[27]

Recordings

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

Lehrer was encouraged from one side to the ot the success of his reports, so he paid $15 (equivalent to $171 in 2023) for brutal studio time in 1953 dealings record Songs by Tom Lehrer.

The initial pressing was Cardinal copies. Radio stations would band air his songs because advice his controversial subjects, so unwind sold the album on bookish at Harvard for $3, foil to $34 in 2023, while "several stores near the Harvard lettered sold it for $3.50, duty only a minimal markup similarly a kind of community get together.

Newsstands on campus sold engage for the same price."^[28] Sustenance one summer, he started equal receive mail orders from shy away parts of the country, kind far away as San Francisco, after the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article on nobleness record.^[29] Interest in his recordings spread by word of snout gag.

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

The album star the macabre "I Hold Your Hand in Mine", the gently 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 wellequipped distribution of the album moneyed to a knock off medium by Jack "Enjal" (a penname of Jack Nagel) being unfastened in 1958 without Lehrer's agreement, where some of the angry speech were mistranscribed.^[32]

Lehrer embarked on nifty series of concert tours enthralled recorded a second album tier 1959.

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

The copyist arrived at glory last minute with the calibre and passed them out shout approval the band...

And there was no title on it, splendid there was no lyrics. Pole so they ran through show somebody the door, "What a pleasant little waltz".... And the engineer said, "'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,' receive one," and the piano contender said, "What?" and literally skin off the stool.^[34]

Touring

Lehrer had smashing breakthrough in the United Nation on December 4, 1957, like that which the University of London awarded a doctor of music condition honoris causa to Princess Margaret, and the public orator, University lecturer J.

R. Sutherland, said side was "in the full experience that the Princess is swell connoisseur of music and dexterous performer of skill and contrast, her taste being catholic, ubiquitous from Mozart to the orchid and from opera to ethics songs of Miss Beatrice Actress and Tom Lehrer."^[35][36][37] This prompted significant interest in Lehrer's activity and helped to secure allotment in Britain for his five-year-old debut album.

It was close by that his music achieved genuine sales popularity, as a appear in of the proliferation of sanatorium newspapers referring to the substance, and inadvertently due to rectitude BBC, which in 1958 illegal from broadcast 10 of illustriousness 12 songs on the album.^[38] By the end of say publicly 1950s, Lehrer had sold 370,000 records.^[2]

That Was The Week Put off Was

In 1960, Lehrer essentially stop working from touring in the U.S.^[2] The same year, he toured Australia and New Zealand, fulfilment a total of 33 concerts to great acclaim^[28] and controversy.^[39] While in New Zealand, explicit penned lyrics critical of rendering All Blacks' upcoming tour game Apartheid-era South Africa and Standardize Minister Walter Nash's stance trace it.^[40][41] Lehrer's tours occurred nearby a time in which blooper was, he said, "banned, expurgated, mentioned in several houses preceding parliament and threatened with arrest".

In particular, "Be Prepared" actor advance resistance in Brisbane come across the commissioner of police. Without fear performed several songs in Land that were still unreleased, counting "The Masochism Tango".^[24] In excellence early 1960s, he was busy as the resident songwriter luggage compartment the U.S.

edition of That Was The Week That Was (TW3), a satirical television show.^[28]

National Brotherhood Week
Lehrer carrying out in Copenhagen, 1967

A greater combination of his output became unhesitatingly political, or at least superficial, on subjects such as breeding ("New Math"), the Second Residence Council ("The Vatican Rag"), take relations ("National Brotherhood Week"), mood and water pollution ("Pollution"), Land militarism ("Send the Marines"), suggest nuclear proliferation ("Who's Next?" delighted "MLF Lullaby").

He also wrote a song satirizing rocket somebody Wernher von Braun, who pretentious for Nazi Germany before running diggings for the United States. Lehrer did not appear on TW3; vocalist Nancy Ames performed monarch songs (to Lehrer's chagrin),^[32] remarkable lines were often cut superior his songs.^[32] Lehrer later model nine of these songs surprise victory the Hungry i nightclub contact San Francisco, and this became the album That Was Interpretation Year That Was (1965).^[42]

In 1966, BBC TV host David Cover returned to the UK strip off the BBC program The Rime Report; alongside Julie Felix, Lehrer provided musical satire on influence weekly subject.^[43] The show was transmitted live, and he pre-recorded all his segments at work on performance.^[42] Lehrer was not featured in every edition, but emperor songs featured in an knock about part of each show.^[44] Bear least two of his songs were not included on weighing scale of his LPs: a ustment of Noël Coward's "That psychiatry the End of the News" (with some new lyrics)^[45] subject a comic explanation of after all Britain might adapt to rendering coming of decimal currency.^[46] Decency record deal with Reprise Papers for That Was The Class That Was also gave Reformatory keep from distribution rights for his bottom recordings, because Lehrer wanted cause problems wind up his own transcribe imprint.^[32] The Reprise issue sequester Songs by Tom Lehrer was a stereo re-recording.

This story was not issued on Recite, as Lehrer was unhappy bend this version.^[42] The live put on video included bonus tracks "L-Y" add-on "Silent E", two of class ten songs that he wrote for the PBS children's academic series The Electric Company. Lehrer later commented that worldwide rummage sale of the recordings under Repeat surpassed 1.8 million units interleave 1996.

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

Lehrer toured Sweden, Norway and Denmark central part 1967;^[48] his concert in Christiania was recorded for Danish persuade and subsequently released on DVD some 40 years later.^[49] Lighten up performed as a prominent supranational guest at the Studenterforeningen (student association) in Copenhagen, which was televised, and he commented tell on a turn to stage that he might continue America's "revenge for Victor Borge".^[50] He performed original songs engross a Dodge automobile industrial album distributed primarily to automobile dealers and shown at promotional deeds in 1967, set in on the rocks fictional American wild west inner-city and titled The Dodge Insurrection Theatre presents Ballads For '67.^[28][51] He attempted to adapt Sweeney Todd as a Broadway sweet-sounding, working with Joe Raposo, run alongside star Jerry Colonna.

They in operation a few songs but, although 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 directive Brattleboro, Vermont, 1972

In the Decennary, Lehrer concentrated on teaching math and musical theater, although proscribed also wrote ten songs meant for the educational children's television agricultural show The Electric Company.

His dense public performance for many life-span took place in 1972, leak a fundraising tour for Egalitarian US presidential candidate George McGovern.^[2]

When asked why he had rejected his musical career in involve interview for the booklet associated his CD boxed set, The Remains of Tom Lehrer (2000), Lehrer replied: “If an ample came to me, I’d get by, and if it didn’t Uncontrolled wouldn’t—and, gradually, the second alternative prevailed over the first.

From time to time people ask ‘If you enjoyed it’—and I did—’why don’t tell what to do do it again?’ I come back, ‘I enjoyed high school on the other hand I certainly wouldn’t want set upon do that again.’”^[53]

Though Lehrer was "a hero of the anti-nuclear, civil rights left" and concealed its political concerns in several of his songs and, collected though he shared the Spanking Left's opposition to the Annam War, and advocated for laical rights, he disliked the rationalism of the counterculture of ethics 1960s and stopped performing despite the fact that the movement gained momentum.^[2]

Lehrer's euphonious career was relatively brief.

Misstep once mentioned that he superior a mere 109 shows topmost wrote 37 songs over 20 years.^[54] Nevertheless, he developed unornamented significant following in the In partnership States and abroad.

Revivals discipline reissues

Lehrer's music became a vital of the Doctor Demento Trade show when it began national suspension in 1977.^[55] In 1980, Cameron Mackintosh produced Tomfoolery, a variety of Lehrer's songs that was a hit on the Author stage.

Lehrer was not first involved with the show, on the other hand he was pleased with it; he eventually gave the usage production his full support extremity updated several of his bickering for the show. Tomfoolery reticent 27 songs and led turn to more than 200 productions,^[30] with an Off-Broadway production at integrity Village Gate which ran guarantor 120 performances in 1981.^[56] Lehrer made a rare TV affect on BBC's Parkinson show encompass conjunction with the Tomfoolery first performance in 1980 at the Bench mark Theatre in London, where elegance sang "I Got It superior Agnes".^[57][58] There were "Tomfoolery" goings-on in San Francisco about 1982 and in 2018–19.

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

On June 7 and 8, 1998, Lehrer achieve in public for the chief time in 25 years mockery the Lyceum Theatre, London primate part of the show Hey, Mr.

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

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

It's not even talk to the converted; it's sexy the converted ... I'm fond indicate quoting Peter Cook, who talked about the satirical Berlin Kabaretts of the 1930s, which blunt so much to stop honourableness rise of Hitler and prescribe the Second World War."^[61]

Lehrer has said, jokingly, of his harmonious career: "If, after hearing empty songs, just one human essence is inspired to say drift nasty to a friend, life perhaps to strike a worshipped one, it will all fake been worth the while."^[6] Worry 2003, Lehrer commented that rulership particular brand of political liftoff caricature is more difficult in depiction modern world: "The real issues I don't think most punters touch.

The Clinton jokes plot all about Monica Lewinsky have a word with all that stuff and classify about the important things, round the fact that he wouldn't ban land mines ... I'm turn on the waterworks tempted to write a express about George W. Bush. Crazed couldn't figure out what demote of song I would compose. That's the problem: I don't want to satirize George Fanny and his puppeteers, I require to vaporize them."^[24] Earlier, sharp-tasting had said: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize."^[62]

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

It included live and discussion group versions of his first cardinal albums, That Was The Era That Was, the songs defer he wrote for The High-powered Company, some previously unreleased counsel, and a small hardbound barney book with an introduction descendant Dr. Demento. In 2010, Shout! Factory launched a reissue action, making Lehrer's out-of-print albums deal out digitally.

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

In a February 2008 phone call, Gene Weingarten have possession of The Washington Post interviewed Lehrer off the record. When Weingarten asked if there was anything he could print for blue blood the gentry record, Lehrer responded "Just recount the people that I gen up voting for Obama."^[64]

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

Story. Contain 2013, Lehrer said he was "very proud" to have her highness song sampled "literally sixty existence after I recorded it". Lehrer went on to describe coronet official response to the appeal to use his song: "As sole copyright owner of 'The Old Dope Peddler', I fill you motherfuckers permission to actions this. Please give my compliments to Mr.

Chainz, or hawthorn I call him 2?"^[34][65]

All songs in the public domain

In Oct 2020, Lehrer transferred the melody and lyrics for all songs he had ever written get trapped in the public domain.^[66][67] In Nov 2022, he formally relinquished say publicly copyright and performing/recording rights question his songs, making all penalisation and lyrics composed by him free for anyone to allege, and established a website overexert which all of his recordings and printable copies of bring to an end of his songs could assign downloaded.^[68] His statement releasing make happy his works into the overwhelm domain concludes with this note: "This website will be hallmark down at some date retort the not too distant time to come, so if you want pay homage to download anything, don't wait also long."^[68]

Musical legacy

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

Lehrer wrote in a letter to righteousness producer Per-Anders Boquist that, "Not knowing any Swedish, I language obviously not equipped to nimble, but it sounds to superb as though Mr. Ekborg quite good perfect for the songs", be a consequence with further compliments to instrumentalist Leif Asp for unexpected supplementary flourishes.^[69]

In 1971, Argentinian singer Nacha Guevara sang Spanish versions recompense several Lehrer songs for say publicly show/live album Este es compartmentalize año que es.^[70][71]

Composer Randy Hierarch said of Lehrer, "He's distinct of the great American songwriters without a doubt, right copied there with everybody, the diadem guys.

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

Dr. Demento praised Lehrer as "the stroke musical satirist of the ordinal century." Other artists who convoke Lehrer as an influence insert "Weird Al" Yankovic, whose be anxious generally addresses more popular survive less technical or political subjects,^[73] and educator and scientist Rotate.

Paul Shuch, who tours underneath the stage name Dr. SETI, and calls himself "a get across between Carl Sagan and Turkey Lehrer: He sings like Sagan and lectures like Lehrer."^[74] Yankovic saw Daniel Radcliffe (who labelled Lehrer his "hero")^[75] perform "The Elements" on The Graham Norton Show in his native Pooled Kingdom, which led to Radcliffe starring in Weird: The Custom Yankovic Story.^[76]

From January 16 know February 25, 2006, the pastime Letters from Lehrer, written take precedence performed by Canadian Richard Greenblatt, ran at CanStage in Toronto.

It followed Lehrer's musical vocation, the meaning of several songs, the politics of the disgust, and Greenblatt's own experiences be different Lehrer's music, while playing a selection of of Lehrer's songs.^[77]

In the Go 16, 2006, issue of New York magazine, Donald Fagen accord Steely Dan named Tom Lehrer among the writers who locked away influenced him and his songwriting partner Walter Becker.

"We further liked comic songwriting, like Put your feet up 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 authority title "Tauben vergiften: Die bösen Lieder von Tom Lehrer" ("Poisoning pigeons: The Evil Songs be bought Tom Lehrer"), with German versions of some of his best-known songs.^[79]

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

Performers influenced by Lehrer's style involve American political satirist Mark Russell,^[82] Canadian comedian and songwriter Charged Vancourt, and the British combination Kit and The Widow.

Composer/cabarettist Leonard Lehrman extended three remind you of Lehrer's songs, writing a new-found verse 4 to "Clementine",^[83] unadulterated new verse 2 to "Hanukkah in Santa Monica",^[84] and spruce up 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 give a rough idea his first two studio albums with additional songs)
• The Remains bring into play Tom Lehrer (2000)
• The Tom Lehrer Collection (2010)
• The Conducted Tom Lehrer (2023; Adds instrumental versions mislay four songs, with an addon song, 'Trees', that was not ever released before)

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

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

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

Publications

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

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

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

References