Lyrical Lehrer

"It must be public television's pledge week," Mr. Ginley opined. "There's something on that I want to see."

So it was that we settled in to watch Tom Lehrer: Live in Copenhagen, filmed in 1967.

(And yes, it was pledge week.)

At a time when rock 'n roll ruled the music scene, Tom Lehrer came out of left field with songs that were playful and witty and biting. He took on social and political topics such as nuclear war, the Vatican and pornography. Who would think of rhyming "quibbled" and "ribald"? Why, Tom Lehrer, of course!

Oh, and he did a number where he sang all the elements in the periodic table.  Lehrer penned the ditty in 1959 when he was attending Harvard University as a PhD student.

I thought of my friend, Harry, who, although he is Jewish, knows all the words to The Vatican Rag, including:

First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect and
Genuflect, Genuflect, Genuflect!*

Mr. Lehrer's instrument of choice is the piano, which he pounds on competently. Certainly he's no Chopin, but the lyrics are his real genius.

There are a lot of comedians on late night poking fun of current events, but I can't think of any contemporary singers who are skewing the state of the nation. Certainly not with Lehrer's unique blend of wit and intelligence.

When he tired of touring and the music scene, Tom Lehrer became a mathematics professor, a profession he retained until retiring in 2001 from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

"I didn't know he was still alive," I said to Mr. Ginley, as the hosts of the pledge drive spoke about Lehrer in the present tense. A quick search of the Google sussed out that he is, in fact, still among us, at the ripe old age of 91.

While he hasn't published any tunes in the last several decades, the silver-tongued Tom Lehrer can be found in profusion on You Tube.

I invite you to partake. It's quite a feast, indeed.


*Copyright 1965 by Tom Lehrer