Lehrer, Tom (1928– )

US humorist and mathematician. During the 1950s and 1960s he wrote and performed satirical songs, accompanying himself on the piano. Sometimes political, mainly characterized by black humour, songs like ‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’ (1963) won a following throughout the world.

Lehrer's music was full of quotations from popular songs of the past; such numbers as ‘My Home Town’, ‘The Old Dope Peddler’, and ‘I Hold Your Hand in Mine’ parodied old sentimental songs, while the rousing march ‘We Will All Go Together When We Go’ anticipated a nuclear holocaust. His albums include the live An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer (1959) and That Was the Year That Was (1965).

Lehrer was born in New York. He began writing songs as a graduate student at Harvard, and performed professionally from 1953. After returning to teach mathematics at Harvard in 1960, he continued to write songs until 1967, and performed occasionally. In 1972 he joined the faculty of Cowell College, University of California at Santa Cruz, to teach both mathematics and the history of American musical comedy.