14 Comments

I still sing his songs.

They are all brilliant.

I think my favorite is the “World War III Fight Song.”

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Yes; yes they are brilliant.

I didn't recognize that title, so my first thought was, "New-to-me Tom Lehrer!" YouTube pulled up "So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III)," which I know well but still listened to all the way through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrbv40ENU_o

I can't choose a favorite, in part because they're all so good, and in part because they change with my mood. I will say that "Vatican Rag" is my favorite ragtime song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do

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"The Vatican Rag" is another classic.

His song about Wernher von Braun was also hilarious.

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So long, Mom, I'm off to drop the Bomb

So don't wait up for me...

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Great song.

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I think I still have an original vinyl of him performing his songs.

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Wow! What's on it?

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I didn't see this one coming, Jackie... until your sub-title gave it away. You have eclectic tastes.

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My parents get the credit for that; when I was a kid, they listened to an AM variety radio station that played everything but the hardest rock music. (I discovered that myself when I started high school.) They also had an extensive collection of albums that included country, classical, jazz, and my dad's collection of comedy and novelty songs. His birthday is coming up in a few days, so you might want to consider that a hint ... or a warning.

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Does your dad's collection include Tom Lehrer? Is that where you first heard his clever songs?

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If my dad had any of Lehrer's music, I never found it. A friend introduced me to it in the early 2000s with "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park."

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I listened to his records as a child because my parents had several. They stay with me to this day “two game wardens and a cow”. Still completely disturbed by “The Irish Ballad” 😉

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Rickety tickety tin!

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Yup. I remember asking my Mom, "why did she do that???" 😱

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