Tom Lehrer- Your favorite song? What's he doing?

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 02:14 PM

Zombie Jamboree is a very good song but has nothing to do with Tom Lehrer. I got my version of Z J from the singing of Nadia Catthouse
back in the good old days.Thanks for the comment Cllr- Poisoning has always been one of my faves,along with Masochism Tango. Or perhaps We Will All Go Together, which has a SERIOUS chord run.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Little Robyn
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 02:09 PM

'Christmas time is here by golly.....'
We played it on our radio show just before Christmas - sung by Artisan. But I also like 'I hold your hand in mine dear'.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: RWJ
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 02:05 PM

I put i hold your hand in mine as top but it is only just above the rest . Nice to know he is still up and running .

    Ron

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 11:41 AM

I just checked the UC Santa Cruz Web site, and yes, he's listed as faculty in American Studies and Mathematics (at Cowell College).

I'm a Zombie Jamboree fan, meself. Masochism Tango runs a close second, though.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: EBarnacle
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:26 AM

Ah, yes--"The old dope peddlar, doing well by doing good." His general level of creation is so good that simply choosing one is an insult to the remainder.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: GUEST,Cllr at work
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:26 AM

PS Cllr at work is not an oxymoron. Cllr

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: GUEST,Cllr
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:25 AM

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: GUEST,Cllr at work
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:25 AM

Poisoning Pigeons In The Park which I first heard sung by Leadfingers, who has a great line in Lehrer songs sung with great glee.Cllr

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:20 AM

And Dave, there is absolutely NOTHING "unspecified" about that disease being passed from partner to partner in that song! As the saying goes, you could drive a Mack truck between the lines because Lehrer's performance of it drips with meaning. ;->

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:13 AM

Too many favorites to enumerate here! The tops? Vatican Rag, Elements, We Will All Go Together When We Go, Plagiarize, Oedipus Rex, Clementine, Pollution, Senator Murphy (might not have that name). . . and anything that used Gilbert and Sullivan.

NPR had a "funny dentist" story a few weeks ago, with some half-assed attempts at putting new words to standard rock classics. It was so non-funny I wondered who got paid to run the stupid thing. The kids were in the truck with me when I muttered "Tom Lehrer doesn't need to worry about this guy!" and they thought that was pretty funny. I corrupted my children a couple of years ago. I consciously got out the CD and put it in the player and told them to stay there for a few minutes, there was something I wanted them to hear. They were instantly smitten. Even better than that, they understood his point of view and well-placed satire and sarcasm. Want your kids to instantly understand the motivation behind drug pushers and why they are un-cool? Just play "The Old Dope Peddler."

For some unknown reason I no longer had copies of all of the songs, so this year for christmas my 15-year-old burned a copy of "That Was the Year That Was" after a friend gave the CD to her. A very nice stocking stuffer! Visit Amazon for several Lehrer disks.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: alanabit
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:10 AM

Hugh Jampton, I think you have your wires crossed. The song you can recall which starts with those lines is called, "Follow Me", by the South African Paddy Roberts. I like the song, but Tom Lehrer's "Be Prepared" is altogether sharper, ruder and funnier.
I like just about everything Tom Lehrer did. "Masochism Tango" and "Poisoning Pigeons" are high on my list, but "National Brotherhood Week" and "Werner von Braun" are not far behind. It's worth mentioning that his deadpan song introductions were often even funnier than the songs themselves... "If people can't communicate, the least they can do is to SHUT UP!" He was a master of his craft.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Wolfgang
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:55 AM

from a websearch:

Tom Lehrer Covers

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Wolfgang
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:51 AM

Covers? I don't know if that can be called a cover, but German singer songwriter Wolf Biermann has taken a part of one of Lehrer's songs (the folk song army) and has rewritten it into a completely serious song. The lyrics are very close to Lehrer's, the tune still is the same, but the character of the song has completely changed into serious.

Wolfgang (loving Alma most, also for the rhymes)

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: ray bucknell
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:45 AM

My son's fifth grade science teacher played Lehrer's "The Elements" for the class during the first week of school. Upon hearing of this, I knew immediately that I liked the science teacher.

    My Lehrer favorites have to be "Vatican Rag" and "National Brotherhood Week." Does anyone know if there are covers of any of Lehrer's material? I don't think I've ever heard any.

                                     'Ray

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:45 AM

Vatican Rag, for the line: "there the guy who's got religion'll/tell ya if your sin's original". And because of all the other lines too, come to think of it. Never fails to make me laugh.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:40 AM

The one that's still as topical as ever, Pollution.

Just think Amos,
"The breakfast garbage that you throw into the bay.
They drink for lunch in San Jose"

John

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:29 AM

The Folk Song Army

At last report, Professor Lehrer was still teaching math at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:27 AM

I like the song about some unspecified ailment which has been passed from person to person - it ends up "I might - give it to you". I can't remember what the proper title is though.

"Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and "Massochism Tango" are high on my list as well.

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:26 AM

A choice is really impossible, but I'll mention ONE of my favorites: "Plagiarize!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Amos
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:09 AM

Give 'em hell, Harriet!! Yeeha!

As for Mister Lehrer, I think he should be sainted.

I have always been partial to the "Wild West is Where I wanna Be". But I love 'em all madly.

A

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Jeanie
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 08:15 AM

My daughter and some of her friends have been plotting for the past few years to perform an all singing all dancing version of "Vatican Rag" at their girls' convent school talent show. They are thinking along the lines of a Busby Berkely dance extravaganza.... I hope they're going to wait until their final year to actually do it !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Schantieman
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 07:57 AM

I go for I Hold Your Hand in Mine which I have been known to perform with a pink rubber glove dripping with something gooey and red. When I was a Scouter I was very keen on Be Prepared too. And all the others! Why do we have to have favourites?

Happy New Year!

Steve

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 07:56 AM

The Scout Song is "be Prepared" - he was offically banned by the Police form singing it when he visited Australia - so then he didn't tell them in advance what he was planning to sing for the rest of teh tour... :-)

I think one of my favourites is "Poisoning Pigeons In The Park" follwed by "Masochism Tango:...

The ABC Oz has interviewed him a few times - just recently last year - he is still alive, just gave up on writing those kinds of satire.

I think you will find all the words to his songs on the Web - even some here in Mudcat.

Robin

Robin

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: Splott Man
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 07:40 AM

Funny. Was only last night talking in the bar about Tom Lehrer (and Jake Thackeray). I was amazed how many of his songs came back to me, even ones I hadn't specifically learned.
Is it time for a Best Of... ?
My personal favourites are Vatican Rag (goes down well in Catholic Cardiff) and The Old Dope Peddler.

Splott Man

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: RWJ
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 07:07 AM

I hold your hand in mine is tops fpr me
Ron

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 06:59 AM

Vatican Rag I think.
John

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: 8_Pints
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 06:50 AM

"Sliding down the razor-blade of life"!

Brings tears to your eyes, don't it!!!

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Tom Lehrer
From: GUEST,Hugh Jampton
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 06:43 AM

It may be called "Jamboree" but I know one verse starts "When I was a Little Boy Scout and You Were a Brownie"

Subject: Tom Lehrer
From: Ethereal Purple
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 06:34 AM

What's your favourite Tom Lehrer song?

And I was wondering what he's upto now. Still alive? Teaching math?

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Lots of Lehrer lyrics here (click)