Christmas ain't the only holiday!*
Chanukah (or Hanukkah, or however you prefer to spell it) starts almost two weeks before Christmas this year, so here's "Hanukkah in Santa Monica" by Tom Lehrer, sung by Tom Lehrer:
Video from Tom Lehrer-Topic, Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group North America
Like many of these songs, everybody seems to have covered this song--only the "everybody" in this case are almost all amateurs
(This seems to be a major oversight. Seriously, why has no one put this on a holiday album? DO THEY NOT GET THE JOKE?)
between which I cannot choose. And then there's this, which I'm not sure how to describe:
Video by and of Michael Feinstein
***
Tom Lehrer is, of course, Jewish (Upper East Side variety) although he identifies as agnostic. His education is as a mathematician, and he taught mathematics and musical theater (yes, you heard that right) for many years--until 2001, in fact--but he is best known for the satirical/comedic songs he wrote and performed in the 1950s and '60s. If you haven't heard "Lobachevsky":
Video from FredeTI
or "The Elements":
Video from The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel
listen to them now. I'll wait.
Of course, if you are of a certain age you will know him best by the ten songs he wrote for The Electric Company, especially the "L-Y" and "Silent E" songs (both sung by Tom himself, as you'll no doubt hear for yourself):
Video posted by Edgar Aldrett
Video posted by Edgar Aldrett
Although he stopped performing in the early 1970s, Lehrer has left his mark on American satirical music, with such artists as Randy Newman, "Weird" Al Yankovic, and Dr. SETI citing him as an influence. And Lehrer himself said of his musical career in the liner notes to one of his albums: "If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while."
___
*(See the Dec. 1 post for the source of the blog title. Or rather, listen to the song in the Dec. 1 post.)
Like many of these songs, everybody seems to have covered this song--only the "everybody" in this case are almost all amateurs
(This seems to be a major oversight. Seriously, why has no one put this on a holiday album? DO THEY NOT GET THE JOKE?)
between which I cannot choose. And then there's this, which I'm not sure how to describe:
Tom Lehrer is, of course, Jewish (Upper East Side variety) although he identifies as agnostic. His education is as a mathematician, and he taught mathematics and musical theater (yes, you heard that right) for many years--until 2001, in fact--but he is best known for the satirical/comedic songs he wrote and performed in the 1950s and '60s. If you haven't heard "Lobachevsky":
or "The Elements":
listen to them now. I'll wait.
Of course, if you are of a certain age you will know him best by the ten songs he wrote for The Electric Company, especially the "L-Y" and "Silent E" songs (both sung by Tom himself, as you'll no doubt hear for yourself):
Although he stopped performing in the early 1970s, Lehrer has left his mark on American satirical music, with such artists as Randy Newman, "Weird" Al Yankovic, and Dr. SETI citing him as an influence. And Lehrer himself said of his musical career in the liner notes to one of his albums: "If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while."
___
*(See the Dec. 1 post for the source of the blog title. Or rather, listen to the song in the Dec. 1 post.)
BIG SMILE! Also the silent “e” song is great when teaching long vowels, a fun and effective tool.
ReplyDeleteAnd very effectively you used it, too!
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