Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehreris an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSongwriter
Date of Birth9 April 1928
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
fewest knew studied
I thought about majoring in Math, Chemistry and English, but Math had the fewest requirements, so I went with it. I knew I wanted to teach, and Math was my field, so I studied Math.
answer rather understand understanding
In the new approach, as you know, the important thing is to understand what you are doing rather than to get the right answer
rainy-day weather looks
Bad weather always looks worse through a window.
hate catholic religion
Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics/ And the Catholics hate the Protestants/ And the Hindus hate the Muslims/ And everybody hates the Jews.
positive-thinking life-is-like trying
Life is like a sewer what you get out of it depends on what you put into it." It's always seemed to me that this is precisely the sort of dynamic, positive thinking that we so desperately need today in these trying times of crisis and universal brouhaha.
sex vocabulary comedian
One of the problems I see with these comics on television, particularly cable television, is, since you can say anything in terms of sex and scatological references and so on, therefore, you should do it. So they all limit themselves to these subjects and this vocabulary. My objection is that it is a lack of articulateness. Irreverence is easy, but what is hard is wit. Wit is what these comedians lack.
political henry-kissinger satire
Political satire became obsolete when they awarded Henry Kissinger the Nobel Peace Prize.
two eight missing
Base eight is just like base ten really, if you're missing two fingers.
peace war moving
When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I guess, But first send the Marines!
night temperament performers
I don't have the temperament of a performer, and I certainly couldn't do it every night.
prophet worst
Always predict the worst, and you'll be hailed as a prophet.
two years age
It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.
lips ache dear
I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.
humorous angel heard
Angels we have heard on High Tell us to go out and Buy.