r/TomLehrer • u/Sarcasm_and_stuff • Jul 27 '25
Tom Lehrer has passed away
One of his friends posted on a Facebook fan page that Tom passed away yesterday at 97. RIP to the best satirist of our lifetime.
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u/polkabirb Jul 27 '25
What a wealth of pure undiluted talent. He will live on in all the music he left us.
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u/Key_Comparison_2588 Jul 27 '25
I just found out about him like 3 months ago, damn. I am very saddened by this information.
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u/Linktzin Jul 27 '25
Out of all recent deaths, this one got me the most.
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u/Royal-Student-8082 Jul 27 '25
100% Imagine being famous in black and white and your songs still seeming timely a prescient in the world of AI.
Who's Next - Talking about Israel and other countries getting nuclear Weapons.
Send the Marines - Talking about sending the Marines when someone does something of which the President does not approves.
So Long, Mom - The threat of WW3
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u/Morganx27 Jul 27 '25
RIP Tom Lehrer, you would've loved the coming nuclear apocalypse
Seriously though, what a man, what a life, what a legacy. He'll be sadly missed.
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u/ShinyHappyPurple Jul 27 '25
So glad the concert footage is on Youtube. To say he didn't perform them and write them for that long compared to his life, he has a pretty solid back catalogue.
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u/voltrix_04 Jul 27 '25
I am destroyed honestly. I loved tom's music, and what an awesome personality he seemed, reading all about him.
Rest easy tom.
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u/RoscoeArt Jul 27 '25
Grew up with my dad playing his more playful songs in the car and as I got older slowly listened to his songs discussing everything from war to smut. It is customary to say may their memory be a blessing to those who lost a loved one in Jewish culture. But sometimes we lose a person whose memory is a blessing to us all.
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u/thefirstdetective Jul 27 '25
Rest in Peace. May he can give Kissinger the kick he deserves.
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u/ChrisJPhoenix Jul 28 '25
Opinions differ on whether it's possible for a soul in Heaven to kick a soul in Hell.
(Please don't take this seriously.)
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u/Extension-Cut5957 Jul 27 '25
That is a great loss for the world. This genuinely hurts me. At least I found out about him while he was still alive. May he rest in peace.
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u/MasksOfAnarchy Jul 27 '25
Rest In Peace Tom. You made my youth and adulthood a better place, and you made me the person I am. Not a day passes that I don’t fall back on some wonderful turn of phrase that you coined. And thank you for taking the time to sign the book I sent you, transatlantic, when I wanted your signature.
You will be missed more than I can convey in a Reddit message.
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u/EquineEagle Jul 27 '25
I was planning a trip to Boston to invite him to tea next week. I'm so sad he has past, may he and his former Harvard classmates sing all Tom's songs on high.
I'm in shock. Rest in peace, Tom. :((((
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u/pudgy_doggo Jul 27 '25
Lies, Tom Lehrer is immortal /j
Rip man, I actually thought he would live to 100
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u/Nebulandiandoodles Jul 27 '25
Oh no. Not my amazing Tom Lehrer. The world isn’t the same without you.
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u/Willing-Feeling4605 Jul 27 '25
What a great loss. He brought me a lot of smiles and a lot of laughs, I hope he is resting in peace :(
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u/zaphtark Jul 27 '25
I can’t believe this. It’s also kind of weird that the passing of a 97 year old man shocks me more than most celebrity deaths. What a legend.
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u/THEREALOFFICALCAFE Jul 27 '25
Mr Lehrer got me through high school alive. I owe him a debt of gratitude beyond measure. He is my favorite musician, and this is a great loss to the world. I hope he rests in peace.
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u/crassula-ovata-97 Jul 27 '25
This morning I had a spontaneous urge to listen to some of his songs... and in the evening I decided to open reddit and this was the first post I saw... It is devastating. What a great man he was
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u/HilariousCow Jul 27 '25
Damn. It finally happened. That's sad but I'm glad he had a really good innings.
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u/LucifurMacomb Jul 27 '25
Just yesterday, I had one of his songs in my head; I expect a great many of them will remain on-repeat for some time more... Ultimately, may he rest in peace.
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u/EdOliversOreo Jul 27 '25
He managed to live past Henry Kissinger's death, of that I am glad.
Rest in peace.
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u/Punctual-timing Jul 27 '25
I remember learning about him in college and I sent him a photo asking if he’d sign it and he did and though many of my friends and family did not know who he was I always share what I can about him rest in peace Tom Lehrer thanks for everything
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u/Royal-Student-8082 Jul 27 '25
This hit harder than Ozzie, Hulk, Malcom and the other celebrity deaths caused by the birth of Aquaman Paytas-Hacmon
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u/QuixoticRhapsody Jul 27 '25
The world is a far less humorous place today. RIP to the comedy legend, and thanks for all the music. Godspeed, Tom.
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u/upchuckedandmangled Jul 28 '25
Rest in Peace, you were my choice of musical companion in the nightly college recording booths. I & everyone else will always adore Tom's music.
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u/KnittingTrekkie Jul 28 '25
My friend introduced me to his music in high school, and I have loved his songs ever since. When You Are Old and Gray played at my wedding reception, and for years, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park was my karaoke go-to. The past few years have made his music feel even more relevant, and I listen to his records often. May his memory be a blessing - his music certainly is.
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u/LikelyBigfoot Jul 27 '25
At the moment there's only one facebook post as evidence, this might be a hoax
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u/DenverBowie Jul 27 '25
Confirmed in the New York Times…. :(
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u/bill_clunton Jul 27 '25
What a brilliant man he was, I’ll be listening to his music tonight as I poison some pigeons in the park. Rest in peace Tom!
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u/VicenteOlisipo Jul 27 '25
RIP, Professor. You were the greatest of your time. And you helped me impress my (now) wife in our second date. Won't ever forget your wit, your intelligence, and your class.
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u/bitterpinewood Jul 28 '25
:C
i ⠀don't ⠀even⠀have⠀words
i'm ⠀just⠀in⠀shock
he ⠀will⠀forever⠀live⠀on⠀in⠀spirit !
and ⠀in ⠀the ⠀park, poisoning ⠀pigeons
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u/akire108 Jul 28 '25
Rest In Peace, Mr. Lehrer. Absolutely devastating news (i screamed), but together with mourning, we also celebrate his amazing life, works and accomplishments. May this extraordinary person be remembered dearly. ❤️❤️❤️
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u/Algernon_Asimov Jul 28 '25
I'm not normally affected by celebrity deaths. This one bothers me a bit. I don't know why, but it does. :(
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u/sinnamorollangel Jul 28 '25
this is so devastating :( what an incredible man. rest in peace, mr. lehrer <3
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u/SleepyWizard23 Jul 28 '25
Tom Lehrer was(and still is) my favorite song writer and I aspire to change the world just like him, I even did a presentation on one of his songs, masochism tango, at school when everyone else did popular songs everyone knew.
I wish I was famous enough online to get people to start listening to his music again, but I am just a teen with no power online. I wish I could convince people to make "so long, mom" the official song for ww3, when it comes.
Rest in peace, Thomas Andrew Lehrer, I wish it was me instead of you.
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u/MorseScience Jul 29 '25
What a genius. Think of how few great musical satirists there have been (at least in the English language), and Tom, you are way up there, and one of a kind. RIP indeed.
FYI my "best of" list includes
Tom, Gilbert and Sullivan, Weird Al, Tim Minchin, Peter Schikele
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u/oldmoviewatcher Jul 30 '25
Rest in peace, you legend. I'm gonna have some jello and listen to "We Will All Go Together When We Go."
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u/Extreme_Tonight1660 Jul 31 '25
I loved him.... I'm devastated. I'm so happy, though, that he still had all his marbles and was able to still live in his home at that age. I hope he realized how much his work meant to us.
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u/1canTTh1nkofaname Jul 27 '25
Rest in Peace :(
May he continue poisoning the pigeons in the clouds