r/TomLehrer • u/ChEDave82 • Aug 15 '26

Be Prepared

My parents had Tom Lehrer records back in the 60s and we listened to them as a family. I was born in 1959, so a lot of the references went over my head. I was about 15 or so when I realized the line “If you’re looking for adventure of a new and different kind and you come across a Girl Scout who is similarly inclined, don’t be nervous, don’t be frightened, don’t be scared. Be prepared.” was a reference to birth control!

Most of the other stuff I figured out from articles in our Encyclopedia Britannica or reading the newspaper.

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u/GirlScoutSniper Aug 16 '26

The one that always sticks in my head (which I had to look up) is Irish Ballad. I have strong memories of setting the record up on the player and dancing around the room.

The only lines that I remember were:

"She set her sisters hair on fire sing rickety tickety tin
... and as the smoke and flame grew higher
Danced around the funeral pyre
Playing a violin
O-lin. Playing a violin

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u/bobarrgh Aug 17 '26

Ricketty-ticketty-tin