Tom Lehrer passed away yesterday at age 97. Harvard alum and professor of mathematics, Lehrer generated thousands of fans worldwide despite having a short performance career and limited discography. Here is a thoughtful obituary just published by the New York Times.

We owned all three of his original vinyl records, “Songs By Tom Lehrer” (1955), “An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer” (1959), and “That Was The Year That Was” (!965). I remember listening to them from an age way too young to understand the black and biting satire they contained.

Despite stating his website would be shut down, Tom Lehrer’s site happily remains live. It contains all his song lyrics, sheet music, and recordings.

Those who knew his songs loved the witty lyrics often containing hilarious rhymes:

“These are the only ones of which the news has come to Ha’vard,
And there may be many others but they haven’t been discavard.”
– closing lyrics to “The Elements“

The dark, sometimes bordering on gruesome images his songs sometimes conjured often were carried by lovely melodies. My father and I performed dinner music when I was in junior high and high school, including “The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz,” “When You Are Old and Gray,” and “I Hold Your Hand In Mine.” The first two, upbeat and lively Viennese waltzes speak of the transience and superficiality of youthful beauty and lust. The last, a sweet, romantic melody delivers a shudder-inducing love letter from a necrophiliac.

His song, “Pollution” was undoubtedly the first environmentalist song I learned. His “We Will All Go Together When We Go” resonated for me and my generation, growing up in the looming shadow of mutually assured destruction. I was a big fan of “The Masochism Tango” for probably a decade before I had a clue what that word meant (later after I took up ballroom dancing, I couldn’t ignore what a great tango the song really is!).

In my teens, I was enjoyed hearing Lehrer’s songs on the syndicated radio show, “Dr Demento.” I was delighted when I got to college and found many kindred Lehrer fans with and for whom to sing.

I wrote a letter to Lehrer in November, 2009, requesting permission to arrange, perform, and sell an arrangement of “The Masochism Tango.” People love his music, I wrote, although “I daresay some would have blanched had they heard the lyrics.”

He graciously wrote me back a hand-signed letter granting me permission to all of the above. We exchanged a couple more letters. The last letter he wrote me, in July, 2010, he closed with:

“Again, no payment will be required. If, however, you ever make a lot of money from it, please feel free to send me some.”

Those two hand-signed letters will remain treasures in my collection.

Click here if you are interested in the sheet music to my string quartet arrangement of “The Masochism Tango.”

In October, 2020, Lehrer announced he was relinquishing the rights to of his songs and lyrics. “[P]ermission is hereby granted to anyone to set any of these lyrics to their own music, or to set any of this music to their own lyrics, and to publish or perform their parodies or distortions of these songs without payment or fear of legal action.”

Long before Tim Minchin, far more biting than Steve Allen, Tom Lehrer will remain a giant in my parody song repertoire.

The word, “Lehrer,” means “teacher” in German. You taught us a lot through humor and music.

Rest in Peace, Professor Lehrer!