Tom Lehrer - "Silent E"

[@WizardGlik]

That "Sam" into the "same" is pure GENIUS.

[@Lola-la-parisienne]

yes

[@KokoGogo1728]

Uncle Sam nonetheless.

[@TryTheBLT]

Not only a musical genius, mathematics professor at MIT, but a great educator for children through these various animations for The Electric Company. He's also still alive as of 2024 and about to turn 96!

[@smittykins]

And he recently put all of his compositions into the public domain.

[@kaitiscarlett9022]

Can't beat a good Tom Lehrer song. He is a freakin' genius.

[@elc1960]

Sheer brilliance. The man has a degree from Harvard in mathematics, and gave it up to be a brilliant satirical songwriter. Takes a lot of guts, and to maintain his standing as a writer is amazing. Cheers, Mr. Lehrer!

[@tejaswoman]

As the man himself said, if not, he could have made a whole $3,000 a year!

[@Univarkian]

He never gave up math. Songwriting was a hobby.

[@gregoryharrington8557]

Uh he was a math teacher at harvard

[@paktype]

I am 51 years old and I still know every word to this song.

[@IlaughedIcried]

Yep. I'm listening to it now just for fun. There are no children present.

[@Ivy94F]

Me too. Every word. Lol. I used to love this one.

[@stevemandl5140]

get a life you fricken morn

[@Ivy94F]

Steve Mandl Sure. After you get a dictionary.

[@stevemandl5140]

I noticed the error I made,and go blow yourself

[@Ace_alexgsversion]

I remember watching this all the time younger, still sing it to this day 😭

[@OreadNYC]

I remember seeing this on "The Electric Company" when I was just a kid...and now I'm nearly 50.

[@sevenmagnolia]

cool

[@bleethteed8681]

I'm only 20 and I feel so so lucky to have parents who raised me on these cartoons, it is so awesome to me that they have the same sentimental value to so many generations of people! I grew up with what were the current kids shows at the time, of course. I had like the Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid and Between the Lions and such and while the music from them all definitely stuck with me none of them come close to the love and warmth that this era of Sesame Street gives me. There's just such a sincerity to it, I'm so glad that I can come back and binge all these whenever I want!!!

[@JackPlatt]

Sheer magic and brilliant animation! Reminiscent of another classic, the "Schoolhouse Rock" series on ABC in the early 70's!

[@kb7clx]

He's the great fish hacker. He can turn a cod into code. Put the fish up to your ear, you can hear the C.

[@DoctorInk20]

The finest in edutainment. Shine on, Mr Lehrer.

[@tomcastelli6890]

I had no idea Tom Lehrer wrote children’s educational songs. From a man who wrote a song praising smut, I half expected, “who can turn a pub… into a pube?” :D But this song, and L-Y? Pure genius as one would expect from Mr. Lehrer.

[@suzakule]

Tom Lehrer would have most likely delivered that " pub" line right after he gave the full line from ' my home town' about the Sunday school teacher and Parson Brown! :p

[@MountainHawkPYL]

In the Tomfoolery musical revue, they did, "He turned a rap into a" "That'll be enough!"

[@thisisjustaprofile]

He had two versions of this song, one for children and one for.... decidedly not children: tomlehrersongs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Silent-E-private2p.pdf

[@rogermwilcox]

L-Y wasn't bad. But his S-N song had some real zingers in it! And at least one instance of Lehrer's ineffable rhyming technique.

[@JeremyPhillips1981]

Same person who turns a rub into a rube.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

These cartoons written and sung by Tom Lehrer are brilliant. Sadly, though I can watch them on My iPad I am getting no sound at all...but I know that, as my granddaughter adores the man she has always called Uncle Tom, she will love watching these films!

[@thegreatgator2358]

You know, a guy who sang about poisoning pigeons in the park doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd write educational songs for children. Genius move by The Electric Company.

[@NJGuy1973]

He wrote songs about nuclear war, and another listing the elements. Yes, the one that Sheldon Cooper drunkenly sang without pants.

[@thegreatgator2358]

Yup, heard those too!

[@NJGuy1973]

Oh, and consider: Would the guy who voiced the main character in the first ever X-rated animated film seem like the guy who'd play Fargo North, Decoder? Would the guy who played Easy Reader seem like the guy who'd play a pimp, and go on to one of the most acclaimed film careers ever?

[@stevemandl5140]

oh for crying out loud,you friggen liberal

[@tishtashtishtash]

Steve Mandl Oh your mother wears combat boots, you stupid asshole who can't see a joke staring him in the face.

[@RMoribayashi]

I knew Tom Lehrer's music from late 60's underground FM radio (where it fit right in and got a lot of airplay). So when I heard his voice on The Electric Company's short films (the way he cracks his voice is unmistakable) it was a real WTF moment.

[@scottmclure1596]

I found one of my dad's old LP's of Lehrer in the 90's and bought several more. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized, "I know that voice!" It was the "LY" video. I just found out today by going through KZbin that he did Silent E as well. How does the guy who did "The Masochism Tango" and "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" do Seseme Street songs???? He's way cool, that's how. :)

[@BettyJoBialofski]

I remember the lyrics from "The Electric Company" too, but not sure if this was their video.

[@charlescrowell915]

It was.

[@heatherferreira4225]

Directed by Clark Gesner and animated by Tony Benedict. Enormous thanks to my friend from the former Children's Television Workshop for solving this mystery for our generation. She and I researched and she finally found it today, April 9, 2018... and now we know.

[@evanschad1006]

Slight correction: It was actually Clark GIST (who would later make his mark in Sesame history as the person responsible for the Bridgekeeper segments) who directed this segment for Tony Benedict, not Gesner.

[@turnipsw]

Memories...Memories...Memories!!!!!

[@sethflix]

I think I watched this cartoon on the PBS show, “The Electric Company” when I was just a little boy. I loved it then and I love it now. Thanks for posting!

[@beardedba]

Hug'e' fan of Lehrer, and this little ditty came to mind this morning...

[@dewfall56]

Brings back some wonderful memories. Always liked this skit.

[@stebaer]

This is one of my favorite memories of "The Electric Company." from 1971.If not The Best one itself?

[@elanianiyvwia8687]

I remember this from when I was a kid!! Thanks for posting it!!!

[@JaneDoe-rj4jn]

I’m 51 and still sing this song out loud all the time. Lol. Sometimes I throw my own words in there too.

[@flipflopmcgurt3403]

Who can turn RAP into a ...

[@broadcap]

Tom Lehrer, who wrote this song (and many others), invented the jello shot in order to smuggle booze into a military base

[@jpsned]

A good example of a Tom Lehrer song that can stand on its own as a nice piece of music.

[@PerpetualAgonizingTorment]

Congrats you were the first comment... and now I’m the second.

[@jpsned]

@@PerpetualAgonizingTorment 😎

[@PerpetualAgonizingTorment]

@@jpsned 😎

[@anawesomepet]

@@PerpetualAgonizingTorment 😎

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

these lines fill me with joy: 0:34 0:52 1:04 1:18 1:00

[@JennieBor]

He composed a rap, and it turned into..... oh my!

[@denizbluemusic]

Its not a felony its silent E !

[@loloholmes2793]

😆😆😆

[@tomcastelli6890]

It’s not too hard to see, it’s R. Kelly.

[@ameliawarfield5637]

Love it. Classic song, just like the Hound.

[@kennethhuang371]

TOM LEHRER… THE MAN WHO RECORDED THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS IN 1965, COMES TO. THE ELECTRIC COMPANY SINGING ABOUT “ SILENT E”. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I LAST SAW THIS! Kenneth Huang. 3/17/23.

[@MrBooktoad]

I don't believe it - another unknown Tom Lehrer song that's two today. Thanks for positing it.

[@FarginBastiges]

Wow, that was some substance-influenced artwork. Then again, that covers all of the 70's.

[@rogermwilcox]

Indeed, it was like watching _Yellow Submarine_.

[@Posttrip]

What a time! Absolute GENIUS! I still remember this decades latter. And, what are they teaching children now?😔

[@albertkirsch4301]

This was for a kids' show, "The Electric Company."

[@HYPNOTOAD291]

My sister and I were just singing this the other day. We're both in our 60s, lol.

[@allenbooth5193]

Man, that brings back memories. (I supposed I've just dated myself.)

[@alexkuzhuvelil3972]

Dated yourself...IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!! Just imagine, you've been rocking for decades!

[@jafafa]

There are so many silent e songs that have come out since (just search youtube), but this is the original and still the best.

[@indridcold8433]

A little hug become huge instantly. Just add silent E.

[@Mr.Stizblee]

Breaking news: Silent e goes on a destructive transforming rampage. 2 people confirmed dead.

[@RatPfink66]

Transformative, please.

[@KokoGogo1728]

Only one was reported dead. The other seemed to have turned into a lion.

[@pipsqueakeasy]

Oh my gosh over 45 years later, I still remember this funny short, can you believe the power of animation?? It's all because I am tutoring some young kids in phonics and then BLING, I instantly thought of this video!

[@chanyy6838]

The elements that use silent e are fluorine, chlorine, bromine etc.

[@johncampbell6165]

I use these in my ESL classes sometimes.

[@pintificate]

Excellent idea. "Lehrer" is German for teacher

[@texasnative123]

Wow, this is great quality!

[@cbsteffen]

The purpose of the silent “e” is to make a vowel long in a closed syllable.

[@echognomecal6742]

Edgar Aldrett, thank you for these!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@林寿-z2c]

I love this show ever！

[@TheMightyPALADIN]

I always thought he should've said: who can turn a tap into a tape? it's not the FBI it's silent e!

[@evelioherrera64]

Jesus Christ this is Gold

[@laqundrabarnett9473]

I love this song

[@JugglerLou]

I never knew Tom Lehrer sung this!

[@ellenmurphy2150]

There must be more than these.Who can turn a kit into a kite?Tom Lehrer is so cool.

[@kevin12567]

Who can give your car lots of care? Silent "e".

[@madturklad]

who turns a twin, into a twine ? Its not hard to see he's Mengel-e !

[@perfectionbox]

He turned a plan into a plane... he pushed a man under a train... Don't add witnesses, don't add X, don't add Y or Z.... Just stay silent E

[@tejaswoman]

Now I wish so hard my big brother were around for me to read this one to him. This was the guy who taught me as a kid 🎵You'd better watch out you'd better not cry you'd better not pout I'm telling you why - Santa Claus is dead🎶 *** and 🎵Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer🎶 ... 🎙️ was shot down today over the Soviet Union *** and Here comes Peter Cottontail Hopping down the bunny trail hippity hoppity, *BLAM* ❗ He would love the lyrics you just taught his baby sister.

[@perfectionbox]

@@tejaswoman heh heh 😆

[@perfectionbox]

@@tejaswoman Oh, just thought of another one: He turned a cav into a cave He turned a vap into a vape Those weren't even real words before But silent E is so hardcore

[@DinaBeeNYC]

I would like to see the Double E video sometime to show to my "neece" lol. "Oh you can see double e on a tree and a bumble bee.." 😊

[@Bitter_butter608]

I remember watching this in elementary school before

[@MisterMalleable]

He turned a mat into a mate. It’s not ‘cause he’s lonely it’s silent E

[@purplemermina8107]

He kicked the C of snack, and turned it into a snake! *MAGIC.*

[@caroldefender4144]

How did the dame feel about wearing that beautiful dress and trying to block a river at the same time, I always wondered.

[@amazydaisybackup3966]

tampons

[@RatPfink66]

That’s Queen Victoria! Britannia rules the waves. Or used to.

[@Lost_Johnny]

Brilliant!

[@FLshadyrock]

Idk how I got here but it was fun :)

[@thebaxman4459]

Let's take another intellectual look at this. First of all, at the 0:17 mark, that looks more like a full grown bear, not a cub. Secondly, at the 1:10 mark, I see a tractor trailer, not a van. At the 1:23 mark, I like the cool transition.

[@harrietamidala1691]

Wasn't there a remix of this song on Between the Lions? It used some of the same stuff (cub to cube, twin to twine).

[@tejaswoman]

Yup! Plus there were little sketches as well where silent E got away.

[@positivephonepranks1500]

Clever.

[@mattconaway7925]

Who can turn a can into a cane? Who can turn a pan into a pane? It's not too hard to see, it's Silent E. Who can turn a cub into a cube? Who can turn a tub into a tube? It's elementary for Silent E. He took a pin and turned it into a pine. He took a twin and turned him into twine. Who can turn a cap into a cape? Who can turn a tap into a tape? A little glob becomes a globe instantly If you just add Silent E He turned a dam- ALAKAZAM! into a dame. But my friend Sam stayed just the same. Who can turn a man into a mane? Who can turn a van into a vane? A little hug becomes huge instantly Don't add W, don't add X, and don't add Y or Z Just add Silent E

[@moviemaniac2159]

The beginning of this song was featured at the end of the Glove and Boots video, "Fix Your Grammar". I thought this was from "Sesame Street" at first.

[@theq4602]

good old tom lehrer. writing comedic song on controversial topic and for your childeren's grammar

[@stevemandl5140]

you fricken liberal

[@jerryg1964]

Who turns a butt into a butte? heh, heh, heh, heh ...

[@laqundrabarnett4141]

Boo

[@Lmbb256]

The Queen of Letters 👑: Where is my pin! I want to knit a sweater to my Present Simple King! Silent E: It's pinE not pin!

[@danielmccormick700]

Wasn't there another version of this Silent E cartoon on the Electric Company? I remember a version where instead of being Uncle Sam, Sam was just some cartoon guy in a brown jacket and hat, who shrugs his shoulders when he stays the same.

[@nostalgiaprincess]

yes this is electric company. some EC skits are on this playlist.

[@cloudwalker9572]

I’m deeply traumatised now

[@anawesomepet]

"Who can turn a pan into a pane?" You can, just by dropping it.

[@insertusername_51]

I like how he says “cane” and “man”

[@R.F.9847]

Oh wow. I just noticed that the can does not turn into any old cane, it turns into a *can*dy cane!

[@rogermwilcox]

Tom Lehrer composed three other songs for _The Electric Company_ besides this one: * L-Y * S-N * N-apostrophe-T

[@ItIsJustJudy]

Tom Lehrer wrote ten songs for the Electric Company.

[@frootloop09]

It looks like he's planning to overtake the world with his new silent e regime from the top of that mountain (plus the sinister looking red clouds in the background)

[@jeopardy60611]

Electric Company does a good job of teaching all the common phonics rules and that's a good foundation for literacy. But then kids start coming across all the exceptions. The silent E rule goes out the window when there are two consonants before it. Words like "rinse," "dense," "fence," and "dance" don't work because you say the vowel short.

[@LordSandwichII]

These aren't split digraphs because there are two letters in between the vowel and e.

[@sharirichards4689]

Uh then its not silent...

[@russellgrosser-7677]

I want Silent E's thrash boots!

[@mstegosaurus]

Okay, but can he turn heroin into a heroine?

[@KokoGogo1728]

How thin, how long, and how tall is that van? Because I doubt anyone will be able to drive that thing.

[@altonedwards2878]

Put on electric company brought back memories😅

[@Serai3]

I feel sorry that as a child you were deprived of the utter brilliance that was The Electric Company.

[@siayamba3279]

you're awesome I love you

[@castlecrusher909]

my dad showed this to me when i was like 4

[@elanianiyvwia8687]

Who can turn your pop into the pope??

[@CaryMGVR]

*I bet that was a line* *but they thought the better .... lol* 🖖🏻❤️

[@RatPfink66]

> Who can turn your pop into the pope? Throw a pail of slop right down a slope? It happens natch'rally with silent E Who can take a gap and make it gape? Who can shave the nap right off your nape? These services come free with silent E When our team would win, he'd chip in and buy the wine If we raised a din, he'd take us out to dine Who can turn your pal ghostly and pale? Who can make your gal blow up a gale? It’s not J, it’s not K, it’s not L M N O P It’s just silent E

[@jamesbaker4806]

Who can turn your slop into a slope? Who can help you rob a robe? Who can help a cop cope?

[@ul7185]

Oopsy! from Bananas in Pyjamas (40,000 Subscribers Special)

[@nikoreiesu]

Glove and Boots brought me here

[@pirateslifeb]

Niko Reiesu me too! :D

[@connieballon-almanza4285]

Niko Reiesu me too

[@Peter-Luior]

Niko Reiesu me to

[@kittycatbuttbutt]

Same

[@laqundrabarnett9473]

Same thing

[@jerryg1964]

@ophello- R. Kelly? DMX?

[@AnimeboyIanpower]

I'm actually surprised that Tom Lehrer sang this!

[@knowing125]

he said dam :)

[@jerryg1964]

Who makes a cut kind of cute?

[@allenbooth7033]

+jerryg1964 Silent "e".

[@WWEWorldHeavyweightChampion]

scrap into scrape Strip into stripe Quit into quite Hat into hate Mat into mate Rat into rate Stat into state Kit into kite Cut into cute Them into theme At into ate Slop into Slope To into toe Far into fare Her into here Do into doe Con into cone Car into care Bar into bare Not into note Plane into plane Breath into breathe Tim into time Min into mine Shin into shine Spin into spine Bit into bite Sit into site Sir into sire Us into use Bon into bone Rap into rape Pip into pipe Run into rune Ton into tone Rob into robe Mop into mop Pop into pope Pet into pete Lit into lite Past into paste Rang into range Scar into scare Star into stare Do into doe Mad into made Rid into ride Fin into fine Fat into fate To into toe Cop into cope Sit into site Pal into pale Flam into flame Slid into slide Slim into slime Mod into mode Ow into owe Unit into unite snap into snape Ric into rice Til into tile Hid into hide Rod into rode Fus into fuse Shad into shade Dim into dime Slop into slope Sal into sale Al into ale Cam into came

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

I doubt a kids song from the 60s~70s would use "rap into rape"

[@prowolf633]

At least this Silent E isn’t villainous like the one in Between The Lions

[@SingABrightSong]

He murdered two people by turning them into a coil of rope and a lion. That's pretty villainous, he just didn't get caught. Also pretty sure the version in Between The Lions is derivative of Lehrer's version

[@PyroGothNerd]

Is this the precursor for the "Silent E" character from Between the Lions? It uses almost all the same transformations

[@SingABrightSong]

Presumably. I remember seeing the version on "Between the Lions", and I'm pretty sure that's the only part of that show I've ever seen, and it seems blatantly derivative.

[@elanianiyvwia8687]

Who went on the lam but made it lame??

[@立青-u9g]

So fxxking funny

[@apollion888]

Tom is 95 but no longer performs Our loss

[@austinreed7343]

He has at least released all his songs into the public domain.

[@RaymondAndTheCircle]

Who can turn a dog into a doge? Who can turn a log into a loge?

[@Gemstin]

🎶Who can tap into a tap, into a Tape🎶 🎶Who can turn a rap, into a…😳…rappEr🎶

[@BARBIERobertsfanmadechannel]

Nooooo!!!!!! I can't believe it.

[@BARBIERobertsfanmadechannel]

Barbie Roberts fan made channel

[@stevemandl5140]

whatever

[@laqundrabarnett9473]

And i love the part when e truned A man into a Lion

[@blastromlifyedah]

-It predicted the toxic furry fandom-

[@laracroftvideos]

Ok, but why doesn't the silent e work in words like have, give, above, come, dove, none? Is there a rule I never learned that explains that?

[@laracroftvideos]

***** omg thank YOU! :D Never thought about that, but it makes perfect sense.

[@laracroftvideos]

***** rofl :D :D :D

[@rochellemendez2801]

laracroftvideos those are naughty red words I'm 2nd grade

[@stevemandl5140]

who the hell cares! this isn't fricken school

[@MisterMalleable]

A little fat turns into fate, you should put down that jerky, so you won’t add silent e