So, Tom Lehrer’s gone. Well, at 97 hardly a surprise but still.
Oddly, the Times obit makes no mention of his work for Electric Company. “Silent E” and so on. Ho well, mebbe more an American thing.
So, Tom Lehrer’s gone. Well, at 97 hardly a surprise but still.
Oddly, the Times obit makes no mention of his work for Electric Company. “Silent E” and so on. Ho well, mebbe more an American thing.
Telegraph does.
An excellent obit. So was Cleo Laine’s.
Good innings, and all that. It’s still sad that he’s gone.
If you want a few minutes’ fun, ask your friendly neighbourhood AI model to write song lyrics in Mr Lehrer’s style on a modern-day topic.
A sad loss. I love a good rhyme scheme and Lehrer was a master of rhyme. Quickening/Strychnine. Try and hide/cyanide. Harvard/discahhhvered.
I shall try to place Lehrer references into my comments today.
My favourite rhymes form another superb departed rhymesmith: Nina/Cortina/hyena/obscener/cleaners/misdemeanours/ between her/Ribena.
all together now…” and we will all go together when we go!”
..when the air turns uraneous,…
Who but Tom Lehrer could sing the periodic table to the tune of “Modern Major-General”?
A few years ago I tried out a skit in the style of Tom’s “We’ve got the bomb”, pertinant again today:
And “Focus” speads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
And “In Touch” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
And “Labour Today” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
Ok, who have we got left? Ok…
“The Guardian” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
“The Daily Mail” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
Who’s next?
“The Telegraph” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
Who’s next?
“The Express” spreads lies and misinformation and must be shut down.
Oh, we’ve got the Truth and Truth is good, like apple pie and motherhood.
But Apple’s got the Truth, but things are still good, who’s next?
Hey, Google’s got the Truth and so have YouTube,
But they’re on our side, so I’m no rube, who’s next?
Hey, InfoWars and Breibart too,
They’ve got the truth, well who knew? who’s next?
Hey, that’s not the truth, at least not my truth
They should only say what I say’s the truth, who’s next?
Shut them down! shut them down!
That’s not the truth, I’m no clown, who’s next?
who’s next?
who’s next?
Sun readers don’t care who’s running the country, as long as she’s got big tits.
The country is certainly run by a bunch of tits at the moment….
I am stunned. Who knew he was still alive? I enjoyed his entertainment 65 years ago.
“And Nikolai Ivanovich . . . Lobachevsky was his name.”
As an addendum to rhoda klapp’s piece above:
Good evening, I’m from Essex
In case you couldn’t tell
My given name is Dickie
I come from Billericay
And I’m doing very well
Had a love affair with Nina
In the back of my Cortina
A seasoned-up hyena
Could not have been more obscener
She took me to the cleaners
And other misdemeanours
But I got right up between her
Rum and her Ribena
Well, you ask Joyce and Vicky
If candy-floss is sticky
I’m not a blinking thicky
I’m Billericay Dickie
And I’m doing very well
I bought a lot of Brandy
When I was courting Sandy
Took eight to make her randy
And all I had was shandy
Another thing with Sandy
What often came in handy
Was passing her a mandy
She didn’t half go bandy
So, you ask Joyce and Vicky
If I ever took the mickey
I’m not a flipping thicky
I’m Billericay Dickie
And I’m doing very well
I’d rendezvous with Janet
Quite near the Isle of Thanet
She looked more like a gannet
She wasn’t half a prannet
Her mother tried to ban it
Her father helped me plan it
And when I captured Janet
She bruised her pomegranate
Oh, you ask Joyce and Vicky
If I ever shaped up tricky
I’m not a blooming thicky
I’m Billericay Dickie
And I’m doing very well
You should never hold a candle
If you don’t know where it’s been
The jackpot is in the handle
On a normal fruit machine
So, you ask Joyce and Vicky
Who’s their favourite brickie
I’m not a common thicky
I’m Billericay Dickie
And I’m doing very well
I know a lovely old toe-rag
Obliging and noblesse
Kindly, charming shag from Shoeburyness
My given name is Dickie
I come from Billericay
I thought you’d never guess
So, you ask Joyce and Vicky
A pair of squeaky chickies
I’m not a flaming thicky
I’m Billericay Dicky
And I’m doing very well
Oh golly, oh gosh
Come and lie on the couch
With a nice bit of posh
From Burnham-on-Crouch
My given name is Dickie
I come from Billericay
And I ain’t a slouch
So, you ask Joyce and Vicky
About Billericay Dickie
I ain’t an effing thicky
You ask Joyce and Vicky
I’m doing very well
Played the piano acceptably.
…with twelve incredibly agile fingers.
“So was Cleo Laine’s.” It sent me to youtube to enjoy this again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebzMjaIbxSA&list=RDebzMjaIbxSA&start_radio=1
And this, Mr Gershwin’s wonderful lullaby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKgunC9fDpg&list=RDebzMjaIbxSA&index=13