Jul 28, 2025
Tom Lehrer was found dead in his home this morning. He was 97 years old, so it's hard to say he was taken from us too soon, but anything short of immortality would've felt too soon for the mathematician, writer of pointed satiric songs during the early Cold War era, and writer of less pointed but no less genius songs to teach kids phonics on the 1970s PBS show "The Electric Company."
He never lost his sense of humor. In 2012, 2 Chainz asked if he could sample Lehrer's song "The Old Dope Peddler" for an upcoming track. Lehrer responded, "I grant you motherfuckers permission to do this. Please give my regards to Mr. Chainz, or may I call him 2?"
His works are all in the public domain, something which he did in 2020.
