So Long, Tom

I guess you can't complain if you make it to the ripe old age of 97, but I gotta say, the world is a sadder place without Tom Lehrer in it.

public domain photo

Lehrer passed away July 26th. But oh, what a legacy he left behind. If you're not familiar with his work, permit me to enlighten you. 

Tom Lehrer was a brilliant satirist with a wicked sense of humor who wrote laser-sharp lyrics and catchy music to dozens of ditties. His largest body of work was penned in the 1950s. Many of his songs remain topical today.

Although his heritage was Jewish, according to Wikipedia, Lehrer and his family "loosely practiced Christianity," attending Sunday school and celebrating Christmas. This no doubt helped him compose the classic, "The Vatican Rag," which was also one that Harry knew all the words to. He and I would sometimes sing it together in his office: 

First you get down on your knees,

Fiddle with your rosaries, 

Bow your head with great respect 

And genuflect, genuflect genuflect.

(If there's a heaven, I hope Tom and Harry are singing it together.)

Lehrer did the table of elements to the tune of Gilbert & Sullivan's Major-General's Song from The Pirates of Penzance. (Could it have been a foreshadowing of his career as a professor after he moved on from his musical appearances?)

Then there's my personal favorite, National Brotherhood Week, which is as topical today as it was when he wrote it:

Oh the rich folks hate the poor folks

And the poor folks hate the rich folks

All of my folks hate all of your folks

It's American as apple pie

But during National Brotherhood Week

It's National Everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood Week. 

Be nice to people who

Are inferior to you.

Then there's the chilling, "Who's Next?" in which Lehrer sings about a popular cold war topic, the atomic bomb:

First we got the bomb and that was good, 

'Cause we love peace and motherhood. 

Then Russia got the bomb, but that's O.K., 

'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way. 

Who's next?

He then goes on to list an assortment of other possible countries with hopes of acquiring one.

How cool was Tom Lehrer? He claims to have invented the Jello shot during his stint in the army in the 1950s. He wrote songs for the PBS children's show, The Electric Company. And in 2020, he relinquished the rights to all his songs. They're currently in the public domain, where anyone can perform them without paying royalties. (He never married or had children, so no squabbles there.)

Many celebrities have credited Lehrer with inspiring their work. Among them are "Weird Al" Yankovic (no surprise there) and Steely Dan. Daniel Radcliffe is also a fan – he performed The Elements song on Graham Norton's show, and as a result, scored the title role in the "Weird Al" movie.

Sadly, there are not a lot of people who remember Tom Lehrer, and I'm not sure future generations will get his dark sarcastic wit.

More's the pity.