Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Tom Lehrer Sings "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"

For some of our younger readers who may not know who Tom Lehrer is, he's a 94-year-old retired American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s. His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so. 

Lehrer's early musical work typically dealt with non-topical subject matter and was noted for its black humor in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he produced a number of songs that dealt with social and political issues of the day, particularly when he wrote for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was. The popularity of these songs has far outlasted their topical subjects and references. Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet." 

In the early 1970s, Lehrer largely retired from public performances to devote his time to teaching mathematics and musical theater history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

The clever lyrics in this song are based on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service program to to control pigeon populations in Boston public areas during the 1950s by feeding them cyanide-coated peanuts and strychnine-treated corn.  

Enjoy!

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  #Throwback Thursday      #TBT

Tom Lehrer on the Perils of Ignoring Social Distancing

This short, humorous ditty was written and performed by Tom Lehrer in 1953. Although it doesn't mention the disease that was transmitted back then, he could have written it today about the coronavirus.

For some of our younger readers who may not know who Tom Lehrer is, he's a 91-year-old retired American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. 

He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s. His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



(A tip of the kippah to Dan Mosenkis for reminding us about this 1953 classic.)

Throwback Thursday Musical Nostalgia: Tom Lehrer Sings "The Elements"

We had to go back 50 years to find this one, to a recording made in Copenhagen, Denmark in September 1967. We've previously posted some of Tom Lehrer's satirical masterpieces. The Elements is one of his most famous works.

For some of our younger readers who may not know who Tom Lehrer is, he's an 89-year-old retired American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s. His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so. 

A notable exception is The Elements, where he sets the names of the chemical elements to the tune of the Major General's song from Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance.

The ordering of elements in the lyrics fits the meter of the song, and includes much alliteration, and thus has little or no relation to the ordering in the periodic table. When Lehrer wrote the song in 1959 there were 102 elements. Today there are 118.

Lehrer drew the inspiration for The Elements from the song Tchaikovsky and Other Russians, written by Ira Gershwin, which listed fifty Russian composers in a similar manner.
Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



#Throwback Thursday   #TBT

The Great Jewish Comedians: Tom Lehrer, Master of Song Parodies

Tom Lehrer, now 88 years old, is a retired American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s.

His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so. A notable exception is "The Elements", where he sets the names of the chemical elements to the tune of the Major-General's song from Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. 

Lehrer's early work typically dealt with non-topical subject matter and was noted for its black humor in songs such as Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. In the 1960s, he produced a number of songs dealing with social and political issues of the day, particularly when he wrote for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was. 

In the early 1970s, he mostly retired from public performances to devote his time to teaching mathematics and music theatre at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

In 1934, the National Conference for Christians and Jews came up with the idea of celebrating National Brotherhood Week during the third week of February. But it only lasted through the 1980s. One of Lehrer's most popular, clever, and biting satire pieces was National Brotherhood Week, written in 1965, when the annual week of putting aside hatred and distrust of the other was celebrated.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.