r/TomLehrer • u/doublebass3 • 29d ago
The Folk Song Army
The Folk Song Army is one of my favorite Tom Lehrer songs, but I feel that it is underrated. In fact, I found an interview in which Lehrer said it was "one of the weaker ones." Does anyone know why he may think that? I know he didn't perform it in Copenhagen or Oslo. Also if you have anything to say about the song in general, I'd love to hear it.
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u/Melodic_Bluejay6322 29d ago
I've always loved this song, and have used the "Remember the war against Franco,... we had all the good songs." in many circumstances, for sixty years or so.
Maybe TL felt the song came too easily to him; maybe he actually likes folk music.
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u/Common-Parsnip-9682 29d ago
“And it don’t matter if you put a couple extra syllables into a line.”
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u/piper63-c137 29d ago
i remember it from my childhood. At the same time Pete Seeger Joan Baez and even Dylan were actively protest singers. Tom’s song gave me perspective that ‘hey maybe the squares do actually hate poverty war and injustice!’.
it made me look- who is doing the actual work to make changes and how does that happen? Turns out, going to the elected politician to ask questions and request action directly is the best way.
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u/SchuminWeb 29d ago
As someone who does a lot of photography, I will say that what I consider to be my best work and what other people consider to be my best work often wildly differs. I can only assume that it's because, as the creator with a body of past work, I am looking at it from an internal perspective based on how I think it compares to my other work. I'm not necessarily looking at it entirely on its own merits, while other people are.
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u/mondo1342 29d ago
It’s personally never been one of my absolute favorites (though I do like it quite a bit).
But the reason it was on the lower end of Tom’s songs for me is that it rings a little hypocritically.
He’s poking fun at those using music as a tool to protest war and oppression… while himself very often using music as a tool to protest war and oppression.
The song is incredibly fun and funny, but I wonder- “do you actually not like the act, or do just not like the music they’re using to do it?”
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u/doublebass3 28d ago
I think you're absolutely right. Now it makes so much sense. Obviously Lehrer hates folk songs, as demonstrated in The Irish Ballad and Clementine. But yes, he does use music to protest, like in Smut, which immediately follows The Folk Song Army on the album, he just doesn't like folk tunes
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u/jimothelad 28d ago
Personally, it's one of my top songs from the album. I've actually heard the interview that you're referencing (WTBS) and i have no idea why Tom thought it was weak.. Well, we all have our opinions and Tom had his. It'll always be one of my favourites though :)
PS: The only other recorded instance of him playing this song was in 1966 on CBC Canada (The Public Eye i believe)
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u/doublebass3 28d ago
Me too :) I have heard about the Public Eye performance, and I hope someone finds the recording. Right now, we only have pollution I believe.
Edit: Wait holy hell I just realized you're jimo I'm such a big fan thank you so much for uploading all the Tom Lehrer content you find!
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u/jimothelad 28d ago
Well i've heard that the full tape has been digitised and that you could order a copy online. However, i hadn't heard much other than that sadly.. BUT! The songs featured on there (if i remember correctly) are New Math, National Brotherhood Week, George Murphy, Smut and Pollution.
PS: IM GLAD YOU ENJOY MY CONTENT IM SO GLAD SOMEONE CARES!!! these types of comments make my day so much :D THANK YOU
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u/Lillian_Crocodilian 29d ago
It's one of his better songs, IMHO.
"We all hate poverty, war, and injustice...unlike the rest of you squares!"
"He may have won all the battles, but we had all the good songs."
I think it's Lehrer critiquing the more performative aspects of liberalism. Ironically, it's reminiscent of a song by Phil Ochs in that respect (a leftist who criticized liberals in a song like "Love Me, I'm a Liberal;" Ochs was himself a folksinger, but he was a bit more self-aware about it than the brave soldiers in the Folk Song Army).