Tom Lehrer
American musician and mathematician (1928–2025)
Why this is trending
Interest in “Tom Lehrer” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-06-03.
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Key Takeaways
- Thomas Andrew Lehrer ( ; April 9, 1928 – July 26, 2025) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist and mathematician, who later taught mathematics and musical theater.
- His songs parodied popular musical forms, often with original melodies.
- In the 1960s, he produced songs about timely social and political issues, particularly for the U.
- Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet.
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Source summary
WikipediaThomas Andrew Lehrer ( ; April 9, 1928 – July 26, 2025) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist and mathematician, who later taught mathematics and musical theater. He recorded pithy, humorous, and often political songs that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. His songs parodied popular musical forms, often with original melodies.
Lehrer's early performances dealt with non-topical subjects and dark humor in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he produced songs about timely social and political issues, particularly for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was. Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet." In the early 1970s, Lehrer largely retired from public performance to devote his time to teaching mathematics and musical theater history at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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