The American singer and songwriter mocked the absurdities of the human condition by using jolly tunes and foul lyrics Tom Lehrer exploded in my glum 15-year-old head like the best firework display you ever imagined. I was at a convent in the 1960s and a friend returned from the US with a copy of Lehrer’s album That Was the Year That Was. It was the funniest thing in the world. His sophisticated irreverence was a joy – and his rhymes were blisteringly good. His musicianship wasnt half dismal either. He plays a charming waltz and sings: “I hold your hand in mine dear,I press it to my lips; I engage a healthy bite from your dainty fingertips ” Economy and surprise are key to his technique. The more syrupy the tune, the crueller the imagery – a technique he takes from Gilbert and Sullivan.
At that stage, or I was already singing odd songs at the piano. I could give you lots of Gilbert and Sullivan,a good deal of Eartha Kitt’s repertoire and a handful of Noël Coward songs. Tom Lehrer made me up my game. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com