In preparation for his Art of Pleasure recital at The Barns this coming week, Steve Blier is enjoying introducing the comedic pleasures of Tom Lehrer to a new generation of singers.
A Harvard-trained mathematician, Lehrer moonlighted as a songwriter until his career as a purveyor musical satire threatened to outstrip his life as a math professor…. he incorporated songs in his lectures to help explain mathematical principles.
Lehrer’s own take on his work: “If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while.”
Click on through for Steve’s whole post, including the composer’s own take on this guilty pleasure.
Second only to “AN IRISH FOLK SONG” in my Tom Lehrer favorites list. “. . .for lying she knew was a sin!”