Fun Music Information -> Tom Lehrer

This is the most recent information about Tom Lehrer that has been submitted to amIright. If we have more information about Tom Lehrer, then we provide a link to the section where it appears (the actual page whenever possible).

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Misspellings and other Alternate Names:

These are the alternate spellings of the performer's name we've had to correct in submissions to amIright.

Tom Leher

Use a Song Title to Answer a Different Song:

Song & Band Name
Song & Band Name
Comments & Submittor Name
"2+2=5""New Math," Tom Lehrer...which is factually incorrect - Raphael

Add a Letter To a Song Title:

"New Match" originally "New Math"
Deirdre Collins
"The Vatican Rage" originally "The Vatican Rag"
Is something "all the rage" there?
Alison Runyon
"The Vatican Drag" originally "The Vatican Rag"
Alison Runyon

Change a Letter In a Song Title:

"Pew Math" originally "New Math"
For those doing their math homework in church.
Deirdre Collins
"New Mash" originally "New Math"
Deirdre Collins
"The Vatican Wag" originally "The Vatican Rag"
Ava Murphy
"The Vatican Tag" originally "The Vatican Rag"
Ava Murphy
"The Vatican Sag" originally "The Vatican Rag"
Ava Murphy

There are additional song titles with a letter changed available.

Song Parody Recordings:

Aug 14 "Corruption" by Phil Alexander a parody of "Pollution" by Tom Lehrer
The problems of giving humanitarian aid in the real world soundclick.com: (mp3) (Comments)

Song Parodies:

Original Song Name
Parody Song Name
Parody Author
"The Folk Song Army""The Greenback Party"Phil Alexander
"The Vatican Rag""A Jellicle Fan (A Song for "CATS")"I Spoof, Therefore Amiright
"I Wanna Go Back to Dixie""I Wanna Pair Me Some E/O"I Spoof, Therefore Amiright
"National Brotherhood Week""Rational Government Week"Phil Alexander
"It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier""It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Chemist"Susanna Viljanen
"The Vatican Rag""The Laboratorag"Katharine Dickson
"Lobachevsky""Scooter Libby"MacDaffy
"I Wanna Go Back To Dixie""I Wanna Upgrade To Vista"Phil Alexander
"Poisoning Pigeons In The Park""Doing Some Laundry In The Dark"Tokusou Sentai Blessranger
"MLF Lullaby""Make Peace Iraq"Bill Sullivan

There are additional song parodies available.

Bad Choices for On Hold Music:

Song Name
Company/Organization
Submittor
"The Vatican Rag"The Vatican (who else?)Iludium Phosdex
Poisoning Pigeons in the ParkRacing Pigeon ClubsThe Skuz
The Vatican RagCatholic church/ConventIngeborg S. Nordén
The Element SongThe Science Department Of A College Or UniversityMorphine Moroii

Duets Not Yet Performed:

First Band/Song Name
Second Band/Song Name
New Song Name
Submittor
Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
   AC/DC
We Will All Go Together When We Go
   Tom Lehrer
Hell Ain't A Bad Place And We Will All Go There Together
The next big vacation thing?
Brian

Misheard Lyrics:

"Masochism Tango"
Misheard Lyrics:
I long for the touch of your lips dear.
Original Lyrics:
I ache for the touch of your lips dear.
"Clementine"
Misheard Lyrics:
Got her hung up on a splinter
Got her hung up on a splinter
Clue them out!
Original Lyrics:
Got you hung up on a splinter
Got you hung up on a splinter
Klooglimah!
"It Makes A Fellow Proud To Be A Soldier"
Misheard Lyrics:
Would love to be allowed to be a soldier!
Original Lyrics:
What luck to be allowed to be a soldier!
"We Will All Go Together When We Go"
Misheard Lyrics:
When you see that icy beam [pronounced as 'bee-em']
Original Lyrics:
When you see that I.C.B.M.

Misheard Lyrics Story:

"Clementine"
Misheard Lyrics:
Got her hung up on a splinter
Got her hung up on a splinter
Clue them out!
Original Lyrics:
Got you hung up on a splinter
Got you hung up on a splinter
Klooglimah!

Story about this misheard lyric by: Doug Montgomery

I didn't expect Lehrer to do scat-singing, other than the 'Evrak!'at the start of this stanza.(My source for 'Klooglimah!' is letssingit.com )

Song Parody Fragments:

"My Home Town"
Better Lyrics:
[I originally created the lyric in a singing class in college at the request of the instructor] That fellow was no fool, who taught the golden rule,
And neither was our kindly Parson Brown;
They shocked the congregation when they tied the knot in My Home Town!
Original Lyrics:
That fellow was no fool... ...Parson Brown;
[Lehrer left this line blank 'for several reasons']
In My Home Town!
Submitted by: Doug Montgomery

Funny Lyrics:

"New Math"
The Funny Lyrics:
And so you have thirteen tens
and you take away seven and that leaves five.
...well... six, actually...
but the idea is the important thing.
Why They're Funny:
Tom Lehrer is a math professor. :)
Submitted by: BECKER
"New Math"
The Funny Lyrics:
And so you have thirteen tens
and you take away seven and that leaves five!
...well... six, actually...
but the idea is the important thing!
Why They're Funny:
It's a good illustration of his earlier comment that in New Math the important thing is to understand what you're doing, rather than to get the right answer.
Submitted by: Bob F.
There are additional Funny lyrics available.

Insincere Lyrics:

"She's My Girl"
The Insincere Lyrics:
The girl I gave up Lent for...
Is the girl that Heaven meant for me...
So though for breakfast she makes coffee that tastes like shampoo,
I come home for dinner and get peanut-butter stew!
Or if I'm in luck, it's Broiled Hockey Puck!
But oh well, what the hell,
She's My Girl...and I love her!
Why They're Insincere:
We can see that, Mr. Lehrer. You give up your religion for a girl who cooks unpalatable food for you--and you love her! And just how do you know what shampoo tastes like? Have you been drinking shampoo?
Submitted by: Doug Montgomery
 

Misrhymed Lyrics:

"Smut"
The Misrhymed Lyrics:
Stories of tortures
Used by debauchers
Why They're Misrhymed:
This is literally the only set of lines in any of Mr. Lehrer's songs which is supposed to rhyme but doesn't. Really, it is.
Submitted by: Estelendur
"Oedipus Rex"
The Misrhymed Lyrics:
And you may end up like Oedipus
I'd rather marry a duck-billed pledipus
Why They're Misrhymed:
Okay, this isn't really misrhymed. Tom Lehrer does a wonderful job coming up with very creative ways to rhyme. I merely wanted to say that I, and, I'm sure, other people, would be much happier if people who cannot say anything better than 'It doesn't rhyme' and variations on such would say nothing at all. As Tom Lehrer said, 'I feel that if a person can't communicate, the least he can do is to shut up'.
Submitted by: Estelendur
There are additional misrhymed lyrics available.

Insulting Lyrics:

"Werner von Braun"
The Insulting Lyrics:
Gather 'round while I sing you of Werner von Braun
A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience
(Later in the song...)
Don't say that he's hypocritical
Say rather that he's... apolitical.
Why They're Insulting:
This satirical song was meant to bring light to the ironic fact that the primary rocket science advisor to the U.S. during the space race had also orchestrated the bombings of London by Nazi Germany during WWII. Here, Mr. Lehrer is basically accusing von Braun of being a fickle opportunist... only he makes it sound flattering.
Submitted by: Raphael
 

Dated Lyrics:

"MLF Lullaby"
The Dated Lyrics:
Let's make peace the way we did at Stanleyville and Saigon
Why They're Dated:
Good luck trying to find Stanleyville and Saigon on a map! They are now known respectively as Kinshasa, Congo and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Submitted by: Raphael
 

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