Tom Lehrer - My Home Town - LIVE FILM From Copenhagen in 1967

[@adrianfell4161]

Lehrer has said of his musical career, "If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while"

[@allwinds3786]

closeupman exactly the response he was looking for!

[@annbush1826]

and nothing could be done Because he was the mayor’s son Anybody thinking”Hunter”?

[@zer-op2gq]

@Derian Setoguchi now you're getting it =)

[@Jorvaskrr]

@@annbush1826 no, but now that you mention it.....

[@ibz470]

@@annbush1826 As if he's a republican. lol. He's far to bright.

[@rogerkay3676]

I grew up with this guy singing in my living room after my mother plied him with a scotch or two. They were friends from college. She designed his house. He lived a few blocks away. He said he could play anything he'd heard even once. I asked him to play Beethoven's Fifth, and he did bang out the first few chords before trailing away on the next bit.

[@frankbremer1042]

Was he gay, you think? Just curious...

[@rogerkay3676]

@@frankbremer1042 Was and is. He's still around.

[@frankbremer1042]

@@rogerkay3676 Was/is he open about it? Pity he wasn't more open about it, what with emancipation etc. But that's his choice of course.

[@rogerkay3676]

@@frankbremer1042 He came up in a different time. Old habits die hard.

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

​@@rogerkay3676idve thought because he's Tom Lehrer hedve brought it up more

[@woubit23]

The "original" version was "they're recording tonight, so I'd better leave this line out". Whether or not Tom Lehrer actually had a single line suggesting that the feller who taught Sunday school was in any kind of inappropriate relationship with kindly Parson Brown will never be known. But if anyone did, he did.

[@tonyyoung3985]

I'm guessing it was a homosexual relationship, which wouldn't be a big deal nowadays.

[@aaronbrown8377]

He didn't have a line for that so he figured it would be funnier to leave it up to the imagination.

[@casey6556]

According to the sheet music posted to his website, there are no lyrics for that section. It says to hum for a bit.

[@klandersen42]

The line seems to be intentionally "censored". On one of the recordings he hums a little then says "Shall I? I think I better not".

[@Ronn_V]

A Parson Brown refers to a protestant preacher, which kinda has darker implications 💀

[@jamescloninger2666]

The line in "Hometown" he is saying is "Jeg ma hellere stryge den linje, ikke?"meaning Ï had better leave that line out, eh?

[@cooperdavis9663]

What language is that?

[@WillitDoesMusic]

​@@cooperdavis9663Danish, as this performance is in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark

[@saintac31Northernsoul]

Netherlands ​@@cooperdavis9663

[@Nogli]

Tom said himself in an interview that there was never a line there. Whether to believe him or not is a different matter!

[@charlesgibson646]

Here is my own version of what that verse could be: "Miss. Unis was no fool, Who taught our Sunday school, And neither was the kindly Pastor Brown; When they conducted the most unusual definition of church business, In my home town."

[@narakagati5872]

"The guy who took a knife, And monogrammed his wife, Then dropped her in the pond and watched her drown. Oh, yes indeed, the people there were just plain folks, In my home town!"

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Love watching Tom’s fingers rippling across the keys as he plays this!

[@MarcBrewer]

Amazing how real genius never goes out of date.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

My husband, Michael, was a close friend of Tom’s and always said that Tom Lehrer was the greatest pianist he had ever seen. This film shows exactly why Michael thought so....

[@999tsukuyomi]

[@johnvolstad5870]

I had an old 10" record of his. Memorized every tune. I was around 10.

[@charlesgibson646]

Me, too! I grew up on his genius lyrics. And I wonder if people like Weird Al and Sean Morey did, too.

[@jimcalhoun361]

@@charlesgibson646 Probably. Tom Lehrer was fairly popular on Dr. Demento.

[@brandaccount7124]

Me too I listen to these and I sing along every single line My parents played his 33rpm records at their cocktail parties I am 73yo

[@G6JPG]

Reissued as a 12", by, according to him, spacing the grooves further apart.

[@geraniaceae4470]

​@jimcalhoun361. He was played often on Dr. Demento.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

My late husband always said of Tom Lehrer that Tom was the greatest pianist he had ever heard and I think his playing in My Home Town is a wonderful demonstration of this skill!

[@G6JPG]

I've always thought I'm glad I'm not his tuner though - he doesn't half hammer it sometimes! (I enjoy all of his playing.)

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

I do hope that when you used to stay with us in Downley you enjoyed sharing your bedroom with a Steinway piano. We loved waking up to hear your music filtering up the stairs!

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Tom is such a magnificent pianist and this is a really great example of his skill!

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

What a joy to listen to Tom’s beautiful singing and piano playing. Miss you, Tom!

[@crazymawile5]

That's his hometown...explains alot.

[@Nogli]

"Jeg må hellere styre den linje.... Ej lige meget!" which means 'I had better control that line. Never mind.' Special thanks to a Danish friend for telling me that!

[@aglioeolio7730]

A correction: he says "Jeg må hellere *stryge* den linje," that is, "I'd better get rid of that line."

[@megelizabeth9492]

Apparently, he could never come up with a line that was nearly as funny as the implication here.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

I love “My Home Town” with its beautiful piano playing!

[@jeroenschoondergang5923]

I remember a quote from legendary tv-chef Keith Floyd after losing a chili contest from a local in a small Texas town: "and nothing could be done, because he was the mayor's son"..

[@helensearle1896]

Ah, thank you. You and your friend have brightened up my crappy virus-ridden day :)

[@blenderrender793]

Brings up a whole new meaning 8 years later.

[@parthsharma6606]

@@blenderrender793 Exactly

[@ProFireHazards]

A new virus has emerged

[@tradecraft46]

My friend Lizard, used to sing along with all the albums in the early 1960s, back in Denver. Show the universality of the message....

[@isaaco5679]

Mildly relatable to my home town of Bellevue, Iowa!

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

I don’t know if this song is suggestive of life in Copenhagen, where this was was recorded in 1967, but the New York in which Tom Lehrer was born and grew up would have been VERY different, as was the Boston where he taught and studied at Harvard University!

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Love this song!

[@TheRealEvilkitten3]

that seems relatively chill for new york, honestly

[@cimbalok2972]

He's playing a Steinway! That was the instrument that served Artur Rubinstein very well. Great song!

[@xyhi2833]

Thanks. Do you know what does "after school, he sold the most amazing pictures" mean?

[@cimbalok2972]

@@xyhi2833 Yes. Yes, I do.

[@xyhi2833]

@@cimbalok2972 Could you please explain it to me? Thanks in advance.

[@cimbalok2972]

@@xyhi2833 sure, it means he showed "dirty" pictures (nudes).

[@dawnless852]

@@xyhi2833 pornographic pictures. It wasn't that easy to get them in his days

[@MegaGo68]

Genius

[@mejsjalv]

01:38 Casually addressing the audience in Danish. Such a clever songwriter and comedian. Still makes me laugh with his lyrics.

[@francoiscote4461]

I like to think that Tom Lehrer plays a single character in his songs and that this song is just his backstory

[@jadeshiota784]

I would love for somebody to sing this to me when I'm sad or happy still works

[@G6JPG]

For a song I defy anyone not to have a smile after (or even during), I always think of kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4SlpoOKgc1reKc - come to think of it, another excellent pianist/composer - in this case taken from us far too soon.

[@zandergrier1302]

How the fuck does he play this that easily?

[@charlesgibson646]

As a teenager, he did study classical music. But, I agree, very few can sing and play that well.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

This man is a musical genius! Tom, do get in touch with me soon, I haven’t heard from you for ages and I don’t have a mobile number or an address for you. Best wishes to you and the family from Lesley M-W!

[@anonUK]

South Park, 50 years before it started...

[@Languslangus]

🎹🎶

[@bessied.5694]

As brilliant as he was, he actually seems kind of bored with this song that at the time of this performeance was already around twenty years old. Lehrer said that he knew it was time to quit when it reachd a point where he felt like an author reading his own novel aloud every night.

[@boRegah]

I like the Elements song. Because if that is in humanely dead cynical, I haven't discovered it yet

[@loganr5707]

I really have a yen To go back once again Back to the place where no one wears a frown To see once more those super-special just plain folks In my home town No fellow could ignore The little girl next door She sure looked sweet in her first evening gown Now there's a charge for what she used to give for free In my home town I remember Sam The druggist on the corner, He was never mean or ornery He was swell He killed his mother-in-law and ground her up real well And sprinkled just a bit Over each banana split The guy that taught us math Who never took a bath Acquired a certain measure of renown And after school he sold the most amazing pictures In my home town That fellow was no fool Who taught our Sunday School And neither was our kindly Parson Brown We're recording tonight so I have to leave this line out In my home town I remember Dan He was the village idiot And though it seems a pity, it was so He loved to burn down houses just to watch the glow And nothing could be done Because he was the mayor's son The guy that took a knife And monogrammed his wife Then dropped her in the pond and watched her drown Oh, yes indeed, the people there are just plain folks In my home town

[@charlesgibson646]

Here is my own version of what that verse could be: "Mrs. Unis was no fool, Who taught our Sunday school, And neither was the kindly Pastor Brown; When they conducted the most unusual definition of church business, In my home town!"

[@Snakebite105]

He sensors every recording after the parson brown line. I really want to know what the actual lyric is.

[@audubon5425]

There was no line

[@Mortimer50145]

Snakebite105 Maybe we should try to make up our own versions of what line he *could* have written that would have fitted. Maybe something ending in "down". Now what might the Parson have pulled down?

[@juanhanes6741]

audubon5425, while there was no line, there was some idea that he came up with. He decided to leave it out, and tell people that he can't say it live

[@helensearle1896]

Yes - leave the audience's filthy minds to fill the gap ;)

[@charlesgibson646]

Here is my own version of what that verse could be: "Mrs. Unis was no fool, Who taught our Sunday school, And neither was the kindly Pastor Brown; When they conducted the most unusual definition of church business, In my home town."

[@beritbranch2436]

navigating the Bardo

[@1andonlyzara]

Okay, I don't speak Danish. What did he say in that bit when he spoke to the audience?

[@pmacca01]

On the records, he said "We're recording tonight so I'll have to leave this line out."

[@philiph6819]

+Zachary Matthew James It means "I should probably wipe that line" (As in he wants to draw a line over it)

[@ActiveAdvocate1]

Ah, so homey. Isn't it just like Mr. Rogers?

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

0:58

[@MURDERPILLOW.]

1:56

[@beritbranch2436]

the drugist on the corner moved away-a very very sad day!

[@Toggitryggva]

Think he's saying „stryge“ (whipe/erase).

[@Popthebop]

basically batman to every one of the gothham rouges.

[@francislelievre5172]

what did he say there?

[@zaygezunt]

Dear Mr Lehrer, Please write a new song for today. In this you can depict the rules and laws that keep us safe, the adverts that keep us identical (tall, slim and under 30) & the underlying, nagging belief that once we were all individuals free to make our own mistakes. However, please be aware that your new song will be blocked on copyright grounds & will only be released in plain wrappers with the public health warning - "Listening to this song may seriously damage your sense of democracy"

[@dutchik5107]

Going on a limb and say he is probably dead. Yeah i responded to a 5 year old comment. Uf you see this, enjoy the cringe of your young self

[@narakagati5872]

@@dutchik5107 He isn't dead, he'll be 91 in April. As a matter of fact, it isn't incredibly hard to find his phone number.

[@kurteisner67]

​@@dutchik5107 I'm responding to you 5 years later now... for reasons (see comment above).

[@helensearle1896]

What's the bit at 1:40 (the 'missing line' line), Danish people? (Well, I presume it's in Danish.)

[@narakagati5872]

It's roughly "I'd better leave that line out".

[@Drak976]

Olden days music was great or is this a parody either way thanks

[@lightningmcqueen1717]

its old. he was doing this dark humor music back in the 60s and the mf is still alive and apparently gay. last bit is an insanely obscure rumor that could be completely false so take it with a grain of salt

[@tradecraft46]

It is what you do, not your beliefs: they are all friends, so just give them a kind words.

[@petergarrone8242]

Rhyming "idiot" and "pity it".

[@Citizen-w-e-a]

I don't get the "sprinkled just a bit over each banana split". Is it literal or a metaphor?

[@helensearle1896]

I think he wanted to make the song as sick as possible, so... probably literal, yes.

[@spartan70055]

Cristobal Fernandez he was referring to a drug store owner and back then drug stores sold bandanna splits, burgers,soda ect.. so he was implying that he fed his customers ground up flesh.

[@rjjcms1]

We had the Songs By Tom Lehrer album on vinyl when I was a kid,and the cover was done like a newspaper with all these columns of headlines and articles related to the lyrics of the various songs,so there was one headline that said: "HUMAN FINGERTIP FOUND IN BANANA SPLIT",for example. The bit about Dan the village idiot never fails to make me laugh.

[@diyaelizabeth13]

Wasn't he born in New York?

[@rabbi120348]

He taught math at MIT for his day job. (Born: April 9, 1928 (age 89), New York City, NY)

[@lightningmcqueen1717]

7 years late but uh yeah Manhattan new york