Talk:Tom Lehrer

All works in public domain

Tom Lehrer has released his works into the public domain. See notice at

• https://tomlehrersongs.com/

Blue Rasberry (talk) 20:19, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

@Bluerasberry: fantastic news. Who's next? SamHolt6 (talk) 20:33, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

@SamHolt6: I cannot think of another artist like Tom Lehrer who started giving their artistic collection to the world in this way. I also am wondering whether Tom Lehrer will actually release audio recordings.

As for what is next, Public Domain Day has more to do every year along with WP:Wikipedia Day around the same time. Next year is everything in the United States from 1925, except recorded music. Blue Rasberry (talk) 23:25, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

Does anyone have a verification for this website and disclaimer statement actually being by Tom Lehrer? It’s making the rounds on Twitter (e. g. Cory Doctorow), but so far the only source I’ve seen is the website itself, which in theory could’ve been put up by anyone. (Also, the Internet Archive has a March 2020 capture with the same statement.) --Lucas Werkmeister (talk) 23:46, 20 October 2020 (UTC)

I feel like this is a notable link to include, however a certain user is rolling back addition. Endated (talk) 14:22, 15 December 2022 (UTC)

@Endated, I reverted it when you added tomlehrersongs.org. Try that link, see what that page is. Schazjmd (talk) 16:13, 15 December 2022 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Tom Lehrer in 1950s.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 20:08, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

WP:RS regarding Tom Lehrer's work at the NSA?

It seems a bit out of place to be making this assertion with the reliable source being a SFWeekly article and self disclosure by Mr. Lehrer himself. I checked with ChatGPT regarding this question and ChatGPT was not able to find concrete evidence that he did work at the NSA.

That being said, I do know that at times truths are disclosed and recorded in history through verbal repetition. For example in Hindu culture history is often kept by Oral tradition. I've also seen this pattern in mathematics, specifically Cryptography in the pattern of a Cryptographic nonce.

I don't dare to make a change here, as I'm sure the editors of this page know the score. Just something for them to keep in mind, whether there is sufficient reliable sources here to assert this. Theheezy (talk) 02:05, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

I found this page from the NSA website showing a paper by Tom Lehrer (about math) https://www.nsa.gov/Helpful-Links/NSA-FOIA/Declassification-Transparency-Initiatives/Historical-Releases/ (7th from the top)

P.S. Don't use ChatGPT as a source of information. It's not a reliable source because it's a language model, which means it merely talks as if it's a human responding. It doesn't check if the info is correct or not, just if it resembles answers made by humans. This means ChatGPT will be correct on trivial things like the tallest mountain or what 1+1 is, but not about complex math problems or unpopular questions (For example, I asked it if Lehrer has any children, and it replied that he has a daughter while he doesn't) Mirnim0000 (talk) 08:40, 25 January 2024 (UTC)

1960 New Zealand tour: anti-All Blacks tour song

In Spiro Zavos's book Winters of Revenge, he claims that Tom Lehrer wrote a song in opposition to the All Blacks' tour of Apartheid-era South Africa. Zavos was mistaken: the lyrics he cites were not written by Tom Lehrer. Rather, they were written by Auckland Star columnist John Berry as a Lehrer-esque satirical pastiche:

American satirist Tom Lehrer has mailed to Auckland Star "Show Folk" columnist John Berry a song setting out his ideas on the All Black tour controversy.

Tom writes: "The car I rented to see the South Island has no radio, so I wrote this to keep from going mad."

He adds that the song, "Oh, Mr Nash," can be sung to almost any tune:

When the early missionaries first brought Rugby to New Zealand,
It became the state religion right away,
And to the ten commandments has been added an eleventh,
And it says: No matter what - thou shalt play!

CHORUS: Oh, Mr Nash, why so rash?
Is the Rugby Union so hard up for cash?
Though you talk about the Maori
In your phrases sweet and flow'ry
I'm afraid you've missed the point, Mr Nash.

When the team goes to South Africa we all must act politely,
So to all their local problems, let's be mute.
It might be a friendly gesture as a token of affection
If we brought along some blacks for them to shoot.

CHORUS: Oh, Mr Nash, etc.

No, it doesn't really matter what New Zealand may have lost,
As long as Kiwi Rugby players are supreme,
And just think how glad they'd make us if they came back with the title
Of the World's Greatest Non-Pigmented Team!

CHORUS: Oh, Mr Nash, etc.

— John Berry, ""Oh, Mr Nash," says Tom Lehrer", Auckland Star (16 April 1960)

Darobsta (talk) 15:32, 30 September 2023 (UTC)

Update... well, I've found sources that would support the fact that Lehrer did indeed write those lyrics, not John Berry. Updating the article... Darobsta (talk) 17:39, 7 October 2023 (UTC)

That Berry attributes it to Lehrer is evidence that Berry wrote it, how? —Tamfang (talk) 01:54, 15 October 2023 (UTC)

Appearance on Hey, Mr. Producer

In the page, it says that he sang Poisoning Pigeons in the Park and an updated version of Who's Next?, but I can only find his performance of Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. Is there any proof of his performance of Who's Next? Mirnim0000 (talk) 08:58, 25 January 2024 (UTC)

1972 McGovern Fundraiser, Cleveland Heights, OH bootleg recording

I'm apparently forbidden to upload this mp3 recording to Wikimedia. Anyone know how to get it done? Thanks.

Hpage66 (talk) 23:47, 3 March 2024 (UTC)

I don't know why you can't upload an mp3. You could ask at WP:HELPDESK about technical issues. However, please don't attempt to upload a bootleg mp3 because copyright is strictly enforced at Wikipedia. Even links to copyright violations are prohibited (WP:COPYVIOEL). Johnuniq (talk) 02:44, 4 March 2024 (UTC)

Thank you, Johnuniqe. Yes it is a bootleg however Tom Lehrer has explicitly placed all his works in the public domain:

"All copyrights to lyrics or music written or composed by me have been permanently and irrevocably relinquished, and therefore such songs are now in the public domain. All of my songs that have never been copyrighted, having been available for free for so long, are now also in the public domain. In other words, I have abandoned, surrendered and disclaimed all right, title and interest in and to my work and have injected any and all copyrights into the public domain."

https://tomlehrersongs.com/disclaimer/ Hpage66 (talk) 05:09, 4 March 2024 (UTC)

That statement covers the compositions, but not performances. —Tamfang (talk) 23:24, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

@Hpage66: You could try sending Lehrer a letter and ask if he is willing to give up his performance rights. His address isn't too hard to find on Google. FunnyMath (talk) 19:04, 11 July 2024 (UTC)