An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer
Whilst making dinner this evening I caught myself humming one of Tom Lehrer's songs, namely The Irish Ballad. Last time I had a sudden yearning to listen to any of these, I had lent my box set to my little brother, but he returned it some time ago, and apart from listening to New Math to remind myself how to do subtraction, I haven't listened to any for a while.
So I decided to listen to The Irish Ballad, and I've ended up leaving the whole CD on. There are many happy memories within; my mother constantly sang while she worked in the kitchen and I occupied myself in the playroom when I was very small, and amongst the things she sang were these wonderful tunes with their lyrics which I did not stand a chance of understanding at such a tender age.
I properly rediscovered Tom Lehrer at university as my mum suggested I should take our old cassette of "Tom Lehrer Revisited" and "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" with me, claiming that if the other mathematicians were not already aficionados then they would certainly thank me for making the introduction. And indeed they did; I recall us all sitting around roaring with laughter listening to the crackly tape through my little speakers, and a friend rushed out and bought the complete box set of Tom Lehrer's recordings there and then.
If you've never had the pleasure of hearing such wonderful songs as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and "The Masochism Tango", to name but two, then try to track them down; some of the songs are dated, but it's surprising how many of his political and sociological observations are still very apt.
So I decided to listen to The Irish Ballad, and I've ended up leaving the whole CD on. There are many happy memories within; my mother constantly sang while she worked in the kitchen and I occupied myself in the playroom when I was very small, and amongst the things she sang were these wonderful tunes with their lyrics which I did not stand a chance of understanding at such a tender age.
I properly rediscovered Tom Lehrer at university as my mum suggested I should take our old cassette of "Tom Lehrer Revisited" and "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" with me, claiming that if the other mathematicians were not already aficionados then they would certainly thank me for making the introduction. And indeed they did; I recall us all sitting around roaring with laughter listening to the crackly tape through my little speakers, and a friend rushed out and bought the complete box set of Tom Lehrer's recordings there and then.
If you've never had the pleasure of hearing such wonderful songs as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and "The Masochism Tango", to name but two, then try to track them down; some of the songs are dated, but it's surprising how many of his political and sociological observations are still very apt.
posted by Fluffy at 9:21 pm
4 Comments:
I have the box set too! I was able to impress my GCSE Chemistry teacher by standing up and giving a rendition of The Elements. My favourites are The Irish Ballad and Poisoning Pigeons In The Park.
I first discovered Tom Lehrer when he was featured on a freebie tape I got from travelling on Intercity trains. That was "Bright College Days". Then our chemistry teacher knew The Elements. And then I went to Cambridge, where it seems compulsory to know every song.
I think Tom Lehrer's great, too. I've got a couple of old cassettes but I'm just searching for some mp3s.
I can do the Element Song too (and, to my shame, I'm learning to play a piano accompaniment).
He rocks so hard...
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