Tom Lehrer the Man, His Myth and his Music? (Satire, Mathematics, Political Song)
Tom Lehrer: The Man, the Myth, the Music In this report I will introduce the reader to Tom Lehrer—mathematician and songwriter. First, the man: Where did he come from, who was he, what did he do, and where is he now? Next, we’ll look at Tom Lehrer the myth—his effect on the genre of satire and, through satire, on the world—along with some of the stories that have sprung up about him. Finally, we’ll look at Tom Lehrer’s music. Thomas Andrew Lehrer was born in New York City in 1928. As a child he took piano lessons, and at the age of 15 he entered Harvard University, majoring in mathematics. Around the same time, he began writing and performing sarcastic little ditties and parodies—quickly becoming a popular fixture at Harvard parties, especially freshman smokers. He received his B.A. in 1947 (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). In 1953 he took up performing in nightclubs and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show . That same year he took advantage of a new technology—the long-pla...