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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 65 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Lehrer, Tom
| Tom wrote a dainty, non-violent fight song for which college? | Tom Lehrer
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Harvard. 'Fight fiercely, Harvard, fight fight fight, impress them with our prowess, do... Oh how we'll celebrate our victory, we shall invite the whole team out for tea, how jolly!' -Tom Lehrer
| In his hunting song, what does Tom tie to his fender? | Tom Lehrer
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Two Game Wardens, Seven Hunters, and a Cow. 'I tied them to my fender, and I drove them home somehow, two game wardens, seven hunters, and a cow.'
| In his song, 'My Hometown', Tom mentions the 'fellow... that taught our Sunday School... and the kindly Parson Brown'. What did they do? | Tom Lehrer
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He doesn't say. 'That fellow was no fool who taught our Sunday school, and neither was the kindly Parson Brown... you know, I'd better leave this part out just to be on the safe side, in my hometown...' -Tom Lehrer
| From what object did Tom drink wine in the song 'Weinerschnizel Waltz'? | Tom Lehrer
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A shoe. 'I drank some champagne from your shoe, la-da-da... little did I know as I raised that cup, it took three bottles to fill the thing up...' -Tom Lehrer
Agnes. 'I got it from Agnes, she got it from Jim, we all agree it must have been Louise who gave it to him...' -Tom Lehrer
| What metaphor does Tom use to describe life in 'Bright College Days'? | Tom Lehrer
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razor blade. 'Soon we will be sliding down the razor blade of life... eww...' -Tom Lehrer
Literally, a dope seller. 'It's the old dope peddler, with his powdered happiness.' -Tom Lehrer
| What animal is the unfortunate victim of Tom's malicious intent? | Tom Lehrer
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pigeon. 'So, if Sunday you're free, why don't you go with me, and we'll poison the pigeons in the park?' -Tom Lehrer For the sake of more Lehrer lyrics, feel free to e-mail me, or better yet, buy the box set, 'Remains of Tom Lehrer'.
Harvard. He both taught and studied at Harvard, though you really wouldn't think it from "Fight Fiercely Harvard" and "Bright College Days", which shine no more sympathetic light upon his opinion of the place!
| "The Elements" takes its tune from which opera? | Tom Lehrer
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The Pirates of Penzance. From "Songs and More songs by Tom Lehrer" is the major general's song from "The Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan. The words of its last line were true as of the date of recording, but presumably will not remain so for long.
Jim. From "I got it from Agnes": "I got it from Agnes, she got it from Jim, we all agree itmust have been Louise who gave it to him".
His Spaniel. "She gave it to Daniel, whose Spaniel has it now"
| And who did their dentist "Get it" from? | Tom Lehrer
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They don't know. "Our dentist even got it and we're still wondering how."
| Where does Tom Lehrer not suggest one might "Get it"? | Tom Lehrer
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The street. "You might get it at the pub or in the club or in the loo and if you will be my friend then I might- mind you I said might give it to you!" If anyone has anything other than my sordid speculations to suggest as to what "It" is I would be very grateful!
| What is the secret of success in mathematics? | Tom Lehrer
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Plagiarize. From "Lobachevsky": "In one word he told me the secret of success in mathematics- Plagiarize! Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes! Remember why the good lord made your eyes, so don't shade your eyes but plagiarize plagiarize plagiarize!- only be sure to always call it please- research!"
| Ingrid Bergman gets which role in "The Eternal Triangle"? | Tom Lehrer
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Hypotenuse. From "Lobachevsky", in which the bestselling novel is turned into a film called "The Eternal Triangle", with Ingrid Bergman playing the part of hypotenuse.
| How does the girl in "The Irish Ballad" kill her sister? | Tom Lehrer
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Sets her hair on fire. "She set her sister's hair on fire, Rickity tickity tin, she set her sister's hair on fire and as the smoke and falme rose higher danced around the funeral pyre playing a violin".
| The inside cover of "Songs and More Songs by Tom Lehrer" features Mr Lehrer doing what? | Tom Lehrer
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Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. And how cute they look with their little legs in the air! Heh heh. As far as I know we have never seen him peddle dope or dance the tango, though he does take his glasses off and raise them on high when performing "Bright College Days"; you know- "To thee we toast with our glasses raised on high". Yes I know, boom boom.
| Which song was not released until "Songs and More Songs By Tom Lehrer"? | Tom Lehrer
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I Got it From Agnes. "I Got it From Agnes" was not recorded until 1996. Incidentally I apologise for any minor mistakes I may have made in song lyrics, as I'm getting them off the top of my head, though the top of my head is usually right! :-)
| According to the (humorous!) introduction to "The Vatican Rag" on the album "That Was the Year That Was", what was the Second Vatican Council trying to accomplish? | Tom Lehrer's "The Vatican Rag"
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make the church more commercial. As he says in the introduction to the song: "Another big news story of year concerned the ecumenical council in Rome, known as Vatican II. Among the things they did in an attempt to make the church more commercial was to introduce the vernacular into portions of the mass to replace Latin, and to widen somewhat the range of music permissible in the liturgy, but I feel that if they really want to sell the product, in this secular age, what they ought to do is to redo some of the liturgical music in popular song forms. I have a modest example here. It's called "The Vatican Rag"."
| With all the changes to established rituals to be kept in mind, what is the first thing you have to do, according to "The Vatican Rag"? | Tom Lehrer's "The Vatican Rag"
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Get down on your knees. On entering a church, it is traditional to genuflect (get down on your knees and bow your head) in deference to the image of the crucified Christ that is usually to be seen above the altar. After being seated, one might choose to recite a rosary, which would involve touching each bead of your rosary in order as the appropriate prayer is recited.
| According to "The Vatican Rag", behavior inside a church is becoming less prescribed. Under what conditions can you do whatever steps you want? | Tom Lehrer's "The Vatican Rag"
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If you have cleared them with the pontiff. This seems to be a reference to the introduction of liturgical dance as a part of church services, one of the 'radical' innovations of the Second Vatican Council. For many older parishioners, this type of change had a far more immediate impact on their lives than the more theologically revolutionary changes introduced by Vatican II.
| The verbal aspects of the traditional Roman Catholic Mass are also shown to be changing dramatically. What does "The Vatican Rag" urge everyone to say? | Tom Lehrer's "The Vatican Rag"
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His own Kyrie Eleison. These are all traditional names for common prayers in the Roman Catholic church. "Kyrie eleison" is Greek for "Lord have mercy", a prayer that forms part of the prayers of intercession. "Mea culpa" is Latin for "by my own fault", a part of the rite of confession. "Agnus Dei" is Latin for "Lamb of God", a prayer that asks for the forgiveness of our sins. "Pater Noster" is Latin for "Our Father", also known as "The Lord's Prayer." As a result of Vatican II, services started to be said in the vernacular instead of the traditional Latin (with touches of Greek). Hence, everybody can say them in their own languages.
Step into that small confessional. The sacrament of penance (formerly known as confession) was traditionally carried out in a confessional - a small booth with two sides divided by a screen so that the priest hearing the confession could not see the confessor. The penance required to show sincere contrition and make one eligible for absolution may well have involved more rosaries, genuflection and head bowing, but that is not the stage described in the song. The image conjured in the song of a conga line approaching the confessional suggests a rather frivolous interpretation of events!
| Still considering the rite of penance as described in "The Vatican Rag", what will 'the guy who's got religion' tell you? | Tom Lehrer's "The Vatican Rag"
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If your sin's original. The guy who's got religion is a reference to the priest who conducts the rite of penance. Apparently, ordinary churchgoers do not have religion (or at least, not as much). Actually, the concept of Original Sin is not usually relevant for the rite of penance - mortal and venial sins are of more common concern in the context of confession. A mortal sin leads to much more severe consequences than a venial sin. The traditional Seven Deadly Sins are pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth.
On your abdomen. Actually, the chest is a more usual place for making the sign of the cross, but it doesn't rhyme nicely. Before the reading from the Gospel in a service, it is usual to cross one's forehead, lips and chest, indicating the desire to open the mind to understand, the mouth to praise and the heart to feel the message that is about to be heard.
When in Rome do like a Roman. Hence the need for making a cross on the abdomen (which can be made to rhyme with Roman, trust me). The other options are fine ideas, but not in the song.
'Gee it's good to see ya'. 'Ave Maria' is another familiar Latin phrase, meaning 'Hail Mary' - the opening words of the angel Gabriel as Mary was informed of her impending role as the mother of Christ. The prayer of this name is repeated during the recitation of the rosary.
Herewith the complete lyrics:
First you get down on your knees,
Fiddle with your rosaries,
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!
Do whatever steps you want, if
You have cleared them with the Pontiff.
Everybody say his own
Kyrie eleison
Doin' the Vatican Rag.
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!
So get down upon your knees,
Fiddle with your rosaries,
Bow your head with great respect,
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!
Make a cross on your abdomen,
When in Rome do like a Roman,
Ave Maria,
Gee it's good to see ya,
Gettin' ecstatic an'
Sorta dramatic an'
Doin' the Vatican Rag!
| The first song for the evening has the following introduction: "I'd like to take you now on wings of song as it were, and try and help you forget, perhaps, for a while, your drab wretched lives. Here is a song all about springtime in general, and in particular about one of the many delightful pastimes that the coming of spring affords us all." What ditty follows? | An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer
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Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. As he sings,
"But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me,
And makes every Sunday a treat for me.
All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon,
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park."
'The Hunting Song' celebrates the joys of hunting (he bags two game wardens, seven hunters and a cow); 'The Old Dope Peddler' is a paean to those who spread joy via powdered happiness; 'Springtime for Hitler' is not a Tom Lehrer song: it comes from "The Producers".
| What song, with a title that sounds like a Charles Dickens novel, has an introduction that claims "none of the Christmas carols that you hear on the radio, or in the street, even attempts to capture the true spirit of Christmas as we celebrate it in the United States, that is to say the commercial spirit"? | An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer
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A Christmas Carol. Cutting to the commercial heart of the Christmas season, Lehrer tells us:
"It doesn't matter how sincere it is,
Nor how heart felt the spirit,
Sentiment will not endear it,
What's important is the price."
The other answers are books by Dickens, but not songs by Lehrer.
| What song's introduction includes, "I'd like to sing a song which is completely pointless, but is something which I picked up during my career as a scientist. This may prove useful to some of you some day, perhaps, in a somewhat bizarre set of circumstances"? | An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer
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The Elements. 'The Elements' is a patter song to the tune of 'The Major-General's Song' from Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Pirates Of Penzance".
It starts with
"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium"
and ends with
"And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin and sodium.
These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard,
And there may be many others but they haven't been discovered."
The later synthesis of transactinide elements that had not been created at the time when Lehrer wrote his song shows the wisdom of his final two lines!
'Lobachevsky' describes the value of plagiarism in achieving academic success; 'New Math' takes the audience through the joys of arithmetic described with new terminology and using number bases other than 10 (a trend which caused much confusion for parents trying to help their primary children with arithmetic homework); 'Wernher von Braun' is about the German rocket scientist.
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