Tom Lehrer performs "Werner Von Braun"
The greatest comic songwriter of the 20th century? Could be.
Tom Lehrer was my prof for a class at UC Santa Cruz, and he is a way awesome guy. Very crotchety in the best way possible. The only songwriters he likes since the 60s are Sondheim and Randy Newman. He always made fun of my announcements about my improv group or radio show, but he always let me do them. King of teachers.
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posted by Jesse Thorn at Wednesday, July 11, 2007
3 Comments:
Oh my god, you met Lehrer?! I used to be obsessed with him. You've got to get him on the Sound!
Wow, I'm envious. Lehrer is a true genius and the fact that he went out on the top intrigues me to no end. I always keep seeing the potential for great songs, but he was content to be teaching math. Reminds me a bit of the way "Calvin and Hobbes" creator Bill Watterson went out.
I have his boxed set and I downloaded the musical Cameron Mackintosh did in London's West End from iTunes...and I still haven't memorized "The Elements". I'll keep trying.
I am huge Lehrer fan. I read in an Onion interview that many students sign up for his class who are dissapointed that he isn't more funny when he's in professor mode.
Mentioning Sondheim; The Broadway legend was introduced Lehrer performing in a concert celebrating producer Cameron Mackintosh. Sondheim mentioned that he and Tom went to camp together as kids.
(A clip from that concert of Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber performing together is on YouTube and it is astonishing)
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