h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The real shame about Tom Lehrer is he was meany decades before his time. I have played my one CD of his (a live compilation of 2 LPs) to several friends who all placed his humour as late 60s to 70s, ie Python period. ie He was poisoning Pigeons a decade before Python were killing Parrots.

A year or so ago I heard a interview with him. it was late and I was half asleep but two things stand out. He went back to academia as reality over took his satire and his amazement at finding "The Irish Ballard" in a collection of folf song list as "Trad" (Traditional). When reality overtakes satire it is time to be scared, to be very scared.

Of now to wipe out some pigeons

Chris

I'm a great fan, and "do" a couple of his numbers myself, although with bad guitar!

I was in a pub in Mid Wales several years ago with a group of classical musicians and opera singers, and did "Be Prepared" and "My Home Town" as a party piece. To my surprise, not only did they all know the songs, but most of them had a Tom Lehrer song tucked away in their repertoires. As fortune had it, my car contained the Tom Lehrer songbook, so for the next couple of hours we gave a very bad taste "concert". I don't think it was quite what the locals had expected from such distinguished entertainers!

There was a show in London called "Tomfoolery" - there exists an LP of the songs, which includes "I Got It From Agnes", which doesn't appear on the two original LPs.

I've been looking for a compilation CD for ages - all a can find is a two cassette set. What is it called/where did you get it?
-OPD

Watch this space.....a co-worker has it at present. As soon as he returns it I'll give you name and number.

Chris

and no I'm not following you as if I did I might end up in Peterborough, and I cannot go there again this decade.

The CD is called Tom Lehrer in Concert is on the Eclipse lable reference 844 241-2

Good luck

Chris

Cheers!
I've also added the info to the artical.
-OPD

Mr Lehrer retired from the field of satire, admitting defeat, in the year that Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for bombing Cambodia !

I'll just let that statement stand...

I "do" quite a few TL songs, myself - in fact, the Irish Ballad was the first song I learnt to play on the guitar (and mandolin). It's funny, and you only need three chords (Dm, Gm and C - all of which are easy). I grew up with my mother singing "I hold your hand in mine" which was a favourite of mine from age about six upwards.

The Elements is still a good showoff song: I can still get it word perfect at 3am while completely p****d out of my head

It never ceases to surprise me how often, when doing The Irish Ballad or Poisoning Pigeons, how many people in the audience sing along.

Did you catch the Radio 2 interview, last year I think it was? Including a rendition of the russian composers which was the inspiration for the Elements. As TL says, it's much harder as there aren't enough vowels to go round.

Phil
...another Tom Lehrer fan

You should also note that in May 2000, Rhino Records released a "definitive" 3-CD box set of Mr Lehrer's work, "The Remains of Tom Lehrer". It's produced with the collaboration of Mr Lehrer himself, and comes with a little hardback book with all the lyrics, past and present liner notes, new interviews with the man and so on:

http://www.rhino.com/features/79831p.html

Thanks for this information. I have memorised most of TL's works and would love to perform them but can play neither the 6 or 88 string guitar!

Quite a few of his songs can be safely sung without accompaniment.

In fact, if I ever learn the words of the Elements I will always sing it accompanied as trying to do that particular song on a guitar never seems to work. I think "I'll Hold Your Hand" is probably another good one to do solo.

I love tom lehrer, I have the collection cd, the sheet music, and the live cd's, I've memoriezed the lyrics to all most all of the songs and can freak my friends out with them, its fun! I was singing "I hold you hand in mine" to my girlfriend and I got her nervous, it could be worse, I could have sung "I got if from Agnes"

...or even "When you are old and grey"

though I find that tends to be taken too seriously

Phil

good point, maybe "poisoning pigons in the park"?

Though if you want to get her _really_ worried, sing "The Masochism Tango"

(it's one of my favourite performance bits, as the tango rhythm works surprisingly well on the guitar)

Phil

hahahahaha, that would be funny. I want to learn to play the guitar, been trying to learn but I forget it too fast