Tom Lehrer Songs Poll

"The Irish Ballad", not only for being hilarious, but for containing the greatest Graham Norton impression man has yet seen. Before Norton was born, of course.

there's probably 10 i could argue for, but i'll say "the hunting song."

you just stand there looking cute
and when something moves, you shoot

it just takes a smidgin vs. boy who looooooved his mother

New Math, though I kinda wonder how many people will be voting in this one...

I could vote for anything on TWTYTW with a good conscience. For me, it's Pollution by a nose over New Math, So Long, Wernher von Braun . . . really, the field. For its turnabout "happy native" calypso take on New York. Lobachevsky and Hunting Song are great, too.

He was so effing clever.

"Vatican Rag", although "New Math" runs it close.

The Elements.

"...and thorium and thulium and thalium."

We Will All Go Together because it rhymes uraneous and simultaneous.

I need to own these rather than just relying on childhood memories

Get the box set Rhino put out. Got it for Xmas last year and was so very very happy.

We Will All Go Together because it rhymes uraneous and simultaneous.

Ditto. And for the "Down By The Old Mill Stream"/"Down By The Old Maelstrom" bit.

For some reason, I always confuse him with Allan Sherman. Whenever someone mentions Tom Lehrer I think, "That motherfucker who wrote that stupid-ass anti-Beatles song!" and then I remember it was Sherman.

Who's Next just edges out Wernher Von Braun and The Vatican Rag for me. I guess I should listen to more than just That Was The Year That Was really.

First we got the bomb and that was good,
'Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's O.K.,
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way!
Who's next?

France got the bomb, but don't you grieve,
'Cause they're on our side (I believe).
China got the bomb, but have no fears;
They can't wipe us out for at least five years!*
Who's next?

Then Indonesia claimed that they
Were gonna get one any day.
South Africa wants two, that's right:
One for the black and one for the white!
Who's next?

Egypt's gonna get one, too,
Just to use on you know who.
So Israel's getting tense,
Wants one in self defense.
"The Lord's our shepherd," says the psalm,
But just in case, we better get a bomb!
Who's next?

Luxembourg is next to go
And, who knows, maybe Monaco.
We'll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb!
Who's next, who's next, who's next?
Who's next?

* A reference to the supposed timetable it would take China to develop an effective delivery system for their bomb.

FSA

"Plagiarize!

Let no one else's work evade your eyes!

Remember why the good lord made your eyes!

So don't shade your eyes, plagiarize, plagiarize!"

...only be sure to call it always please "research"...

Por-
nographic pictures I adore
indecent magazines galore
I like them more
if they're hardcore

SOOOOO fucking tough, but I gotta go with "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," followed swiftly by "Smut" and "The Wild West is Where i Wanna Be".

too hard

tho We Will All Go rhymes Brinkley & Huntley w/ contrapuntally

For some reason, I always confuse him with Allan Sherman.
I recently learned that the melody of "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" was originally from some classical thingie.

Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours"

"That's Mathematics", even though it's relatively recent, b/c how many pop songs reference Andrew Wiles?

Elements

Werner Von Braun. automatically

rhymes Brinkley & Huntley w/ contrapuntally
rhymes uraneous and simultaneous

Tom Lehrer needs to make a rap album. Now.

I think, tbh, Lupe Fiasco dragging Lehrer out of retirement for a guest verse can only be at most three years away.

I recently learned that the melody of "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" was originally from some classical thingie.

"Marge! Is Lisa at Camp Granada?"

"And now to put this tape where no one will ever listen to it."

Jesus, this is impossible, but "My Home Town" wins, at least at the moment (although poisoning pigeons, masochism tango, vatican rag, oh hell all of them)

Hearts full of youth!
Hearts full of truth!
Six parts gin to one part vermouth

It's not against any religion
To want to dispose of a pigeon

Everybody say his own
Kyrie Ellison

"These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard,
And there may be many others, but they haven't been discahhhhver'd"

Don't say that he's hypocritical
Say rather that he's apolitical
"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun

too hard
tho We Will All Go rhymes Brinkley & Huntley w/ contrapuntally

not to be a jose nitpick or anything, but that bit of brilliant lyrical dexterity actually is from my third favorite slice of "TWTYTW": "so long mom (a song for world war III)".

for those imaginary readers who are taking imaginary score, "national brotherhood week" (which i voted for) and "smut" are my two faves.

When you attend a funeral,
It is sad to think that sooner or'l
Later those you love will do the same for you.
And you may have thought it tragic,
Not to mention other adjec-
Tives, to think of all the weeping they will do.

from We Will All Go Together When We Go

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I ultimately went with My Home Town. It's really unsatisfactory to only be able to vote for one though. I feel strong twinges of regret for The Wild West Is Where I Wanna Be, Vatican Rag, and Oedipus Rex.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Hah! Didn't have to think twice, but was still pleasantly surprised to find that four other people felt the same.

yyyyes

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=6funswede&p=r

there's a video floating around of Harry Potter singing "The Elements"

I would have voted Vatican Rag for this segment:

Get in line in that processional,
Step into that small confessional,
There, the guy who's got religion'll
Tell you if your sin's original.
If it is, try playin' it safer,
Drink the wine and chew the wafer,
Two, four, six, eight,
Time to transubstantiate!

Love this crazy Harvard bastard...