Tom Lehrer - Oedipus Rex

[@fressers1]

Have enjoyed his humor for 60 years and still come back to hear him regularly.

[@mdhede200]

I found him through Dr. Demento when I was but a child and have been loving listening to him for 30 years :)

[@pamr4040]

Me, too!! :-D

[@donrobertson4940]

Every Christmas, every spring☺

[@margueritejohnson6407]

I discovered him 60 years ago when I was 14 ish. Most of his songs were unsuitable for children then, but my mother, having a wicked sense of humour, was quite happy for me to listen to them with her. She had to explain a few things, like masochism, the Oedipus complex, drugs,and a lot of ‘It makes a fellow proud to be a soldier

[@rylannn_stew]

I’m late to this comment but I wanted to say something. I found Tom earlier this year. I am younger (part of gen-z). I love musical comedy and I can listen to Tom Lehrer Over and over without getting bored. I’m glad I found him

[@blixer8384]

My favorite Tom Lehrer quote is by far “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Noble Peace Prize.”

[@eatingonlyapples21]

Relevant even today!

[@no99mnecfw]

Not thar funny

[@kavinskysmith4094]

@@no99mnecfw really now, well maybe you should go watch count dankula's video on the man,

[@mitchellwright5478]

@@no99mnecfwIt’s not supposed to be, because it’s an objective fact

[@Congruesome]

@@mitchellwright5478 It’s “Nobel”. -Grammar Nazi

[@kizuna8]

When my Ancient Greek teacher was a professor at a different college, a woman who also worked there was given a $50,000 grant to do an interpretive dance full-length MOVIE version of one of Sophocles' Oedipus plays (Antigone, to be specific). OEDIPUS. INTERPRETIVE. DANCE. FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF.

[@pendularnuncius2618]

You deserve to be paid twice that to sit and watch the event.

[@alpaczka6078]

Runing for you life, from Creon of Thebes He's brandishing a knife, Creon of Thebes.

[@mitchellwright5478]

@@alpaczka6078 He’s stabbing you in the leg now, Actual cannibal Creon of Thebes!

[@jmurray1110]

There was certain a lot of pelvic thrusts

[@assghoul]

Amazing.

[@TheKing-os3li]

From the Bible to the popular song There's one theme that we find right along Of all ideals they hail as good The most sublime is motherhood There was a man though, who it seems Once carried this ideal to extremes He loved his mother and she loved him And yet his story is rather grim There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex You may have heard about his odd complex His name appears in Freud's index 'Cause he loved his mother His rivals used to say quite a bit That as a monarch he was most unfit But still in all they had to admit That he loved his mother Yes, he loved his mother like no other His daughter was his sister and his son was his brother One thing on which you can depend is He sure knew who a boy's best friend is When he found what he had done He tore his eyes out, one by one A tragic end to a loyal son Who loved his mother So be sweet and kind to mother now and then have a chat Buy her candy or some flowers or a brand new hat But maybe you had better let it go at that Or you may find yourself with a quite complex, complex And you may end up like Oedipus I'd rather marry a duck-billed platypus Than end up like old Oedipus Rex

[@jacobfoss7783]

Proverbs 31 is the one chapter of the Bible that comes to mind from that first line.

[@chimp1561]

Thank you

[@Shichard2006]

...be sweet and kind to Mother, now and then, have a chat. Buy her candy or some flowers or a brand-new hat, but maybe you had better let it go at that..." An absolutely hilarious line with flawless delivery. Lehrer is a genius. Love him.

[@NemoN0body]

okay okay, i will

[@Popperite]

Absolutely right!

[@jessydowling912]

Chard O'Mania That's one of my favorite lines of his too.

[@JimmyneutronwasokayIguess]

Even the elements song makes me laugh and there really isn’t a joke to that one. The guy’s delivery was so eccentric and his inflections were so utterly absurd. Love the guy

[@imafish6488]

I have loved Tom Lehrer since I was 11. I'm 55 now. His humor is dated but still timely.

[@stagdragon3978]

+Ima Fish Dated!? i'm in highschool, going to college and I'd say hell yeah this is funny!... then again can't say i'm like the rest of my generation...

[@TheLordexilius]

+Ima Fish I consider his humor timeless. :) And peerless.

[@mdhede200]

Oh, I think his music is as relevant now as it ever was!

[@steven_003]

I'm 12 and love it! :D

[@pallasproserpina4118]

I’m glad that Tom Lehner is still staying relevant, though perhaps not quite as popular.

[@tarantinosnumber1fan]

only tom lehrer would be able to find a word that rhymes with "oedipus"

[@NxDoyle]

Yes. Only Tom Lehrer. Or another person.

[@tarantinosnumber1fan]

@@NxDoyle bruh I was 16 when I wrote this okay 😆

[@i_what9584]

@@tarantinosnumber1fan How old *are* you, then?

[@tarantinosnumber1fan]

@@i_what9584 idk dude do the math

[@i_what9584]

@@tarantinosnumber1fan I physically can't without your actual age??

[@RamenLuvah]

This guy is so funny! Tom Lehrer has officially put a great first impression on me. He does have a point when he says that movies are only known for their songs at first. But I loved how he portrayed the perfect tragedy, especially with Oedipus' personal "mother complex" and because of that, we think of the story as a comedy than a tragedy. This is indeed the simplest interpretation of Oedipus Rex.

[@AlexisPK13]

I remember one of my friends back in High School gave me a cassette tape of Lehrer's "An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer". That was in '88. I've been a huge fan ever since! I must admitt that I hadn't realized how old the songs were. I grew up in Tampa, and we had a Sat. afternoon show called "Creature Feature". The host was Dr. Paul Berrer and he used to lip sync Lehrer's songs, so I knew "Poisoning Pidgeons" as far back as when I was 4 or 5. His stuff will always be funny and relevent! :D

[@aprilthrusday]

I'm writing an essay on Oedipus... It's due in three days...

[@maxvetter1336]

Five years later, how did that essay turn out?

[@dueie83]

MaximumLearn Animations i wanna know to

[@charliemarten9340]

Same here

[@margueritejohnson6407]

I hope not too many quotes!

[@lavendercomrade2376]

So, how’d that essay go?

[@LunarPaganPrincess]

He is truly the sass-master.

[@babony5]

Her trolls would say, quite a bit, That as a goddess she was quite unfit. But even they had to admit, Chris LOVED her mother.

[@SadnessCentral]

Fuck you. Take my like

[@jeroenschoondergang5923]

My dad introduced Tom Lehrer's music to me in the 1970's. Ever since whenever something weird happens in world affairs, I always think: "that is a Tom Lehrer song for sure".

[@liisaniemi8476]

I memorized all the songs with my sister and cousin in the late 1960's when I was 9. I didn't always get the humor at that point but still can sing all the songs and entertain friends and family with them regularly. He is an absolute genius in many ways, and a fantastic musician by the way.

[@kumquatwhat]

This is by far the best song he ever wrote, you guys. Not to take away from his other songs-they were all great-but you simply can't compete with this. It's too damn perfect. He "loved" his mother...

[@zaifodbeebelbrox8430]

This is horrible... I love it.

[@feartheghus]

Just don’t love your mother ok?

[@oedipusrex353]

@@feartheghus no wait, just don't love her... Too much...

[@killinglyre]

@@feartheghus just dont love your mother like oedipus rex*

[@MrJonmonter]

A freakin genius, and way before his time!

[@deanbagdasarian5017]

I've heard a lot of Tom's songs , but this is the first time I've heard this one . He was great .

[@josiep137]

this song really summarizes the tragedy to the point. i like how it mixes a bit of comedy into it even though it really is a serious situation Oedipus went through.

[@JBarr-lw6kp]

Don't fret: Oedipus was a fictional character. So were his mom, dad and kids. They were not real people.

[@casvandijck9338]

JBarr is right. I too confused myth with stageplay, you're not alone.

[@Cherry-bq4oh]

This song is dedicated to Christine Weston Chandler

[@amandalynn4979]

Took me a good minute to realize who you meant-

[@mitchellwright5478]

Fuckin killed me for a second because this came out of nowhere on a years old video lol

[@Cherry-bq4oh]

@@mitchellwright5478 I know! What's up? :D

[@johnnygreenface]

Chris...

[@nolitetebastardescarborund9761]

Who dat?

[@carmengutierrez6302]

I really enjoy the song because it summarized somewhat of the story and what Oedipus did like loving his mother and being a father and brother to his children. He made the perfect tradegy into a really entertaining song.

[@arieneuhauser]

19 people are duck-billed platypuses

[@cjstar01jones17]

oh noooooooooo. now it 29!!!!

[@blainecash1242]

33 now

[@blainecash1242]

They are reproducing

[@margueritejohnson6407]

They have all had a sense of humour bypass and are all very easily offended. We should feel sorry for them. OK, we should, but..............

[@personalRCH]

Don't call them out, or they'll start sweating milk everywhere.

[@queenhazelcaraca3633]

Lyrics: From the Bible to the popular song, There's one theme that we find right along; Of all ideals they hail as good, The most sublime is motherhood. There was a man though, who it seems, Once carried this ideal to extremes. He loved his mother and she loved him, And yet his story is rather grim. There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex, You may have heard about his odd complex. His name appears in Freud's index 'Cause he loved his mother. His rivals used to say quite a bit That as a monarch he was most unfit. But still in all they had to admit That he loved his mother. Yes, he loved his mother like no other, His daughter was his sister and his son was his brother. One thing on which you can depend is, He sure knew who a boy's best friend is. When he found what he had done, He tore his eyes out, one by one. A tragic end to a loyal son Who loved his mother. So be sweet and kind to mother, Now and then have a chat. Buy her candy or some flowers, Or a brand new hat. But maybe you had better let it go at that. Or you may find yourself with a quite complex complex And you may end up like Oedipus. I'd rather marry a duck-billed platypus Than end up like old Oedipus Rex.

[@cimbalok2972]

HBD #94, April 9, 2022 to Tom Lehrer. This is the best Mothers' Day song ever!

[@casvandijck9338]

Only for true motherfuckers anyway =)

[@katyids2211]

I'm just delighted you are sharing them. My cassettes are completely worn and forget the lps. He is so much fun.

[@octaviovourvoulias3188]

As a Classics Major this is officially my favorite thing in the world

[@casvandijck9338]

As a total noob in any craft and art, same here.

[@andreapatane4204]

This song is bouncy even though Oedipus Rex is a tragic play. 🎭 isn't easy stuff to take classes for at 🏫.

[@JBarr-lw6kp]

That's why it's funny. Should he have written a tragic song? Would that be funny? No.

[@oceannalewis190]

[@kyawkyawwin1]

He's in his 90s!

[@jacksimpson-rogers1069]

ImagineTom Lehrer on Trumpism

[@casvandijck9338]

@@jacksimpson-rogers1069 He already had made a joke about eating pigs on friday ^^

[@cjstar01jones17]

I wish that I could see what he is showing them...

[@lseul8812]

Humour can be dated and even a bit dry but it still gets me every time

[@sallieplanty3102]

Tom Lehrer is never out of date, Iseul. Can you imagine the field day he'd be having in 2019?

[@jamesdettmann94]

@@sallieplanty3102 he's still alive

[@robrophside3691]

Dated? These songs were way ahead of their time.

[@jmwoods190]

@@robrophside3691 Actually Tom Lehrer's songs are timeless!

[@jmwoods190]

@@jamesdettmann94 But he has since sadly retired. I'd pay to get him out to perform again!

[@TheGuerrillaPoet]

My favourite Mother's Day song...

[@loneronin6813]

Tom Lehrer is nothing short of a genius!

[@tea.is.going.insane]

he's so iconic, PERIOD! his humour is timeless omg

[@mariehur2030]

Tom is my hero.

[@brandone4162]

This song saved my life.

[@BerenElendilAPGaming]

1:57 The song begins now.

[@alibryant8588]

no no no Tom is a comedian, not just a musician. The talking is all part of the act.

[@MisterAppleEsq]

But the song is catchy.

[@samvidas9599]

Thanks

[@dogsareprecious4842]

Thank you---this brings back so many memories of childhood. Even more fun to listen as an adult.

[@RaineStudio]

The chuckle at 2:25 is, I think, for a lick from Leroy Anderson's "Fiddle Faddle," an instrumental that was recorded many times in the 1950s.

[@timmmahhhh]

Looks like 28 people couldn't leave it at that.

[@davids7646]

They sure LooOOoovedd their mother

[@feartheghus]

Wooden Nickel what are you talking about?

[@casvandijck9338]

@@feartheghus They supposedly fucked their mother and therefore feel offended by the song. That's the suggestion anyway. All jokingly, I think.

[@wineoe]

Thank you Alice Freer to have introduced me to this amazing chansonnier.

[@sheldonburnston497]

FYI: AFAIK, Prof. Lehrer is still alive, living quietly in Southern California. Some time back, he made all his music available in the public domain, which means all of us are free to listen, copy, sing and otherwise disseminate it far and wide. He has made it clear that this part of his life was far in his past and he is done with it.

[@ArchOwl]

update: he's still alive!

[@123Dayz17]

As a student who has studied the tragedy of Oedipus Rex Tom Lehrer's song makes perfect sense. It is unfortunate that more people didn't see the motion picture but in my opinion the greater reason for why people did not see the movie was probably because of its tragic ending. The public would not like to see such uncommon topics like those discussed in the tragedy. I do agree with Tom Lehrer a good song is an essential element for a movie to be good, as is for a play to be a perfect tragedy.

[@glassesguy904]

I'm sending this to my english teacher. Maybe it will get me some more time on my Oedipus essay.....

[@cpob2013]

Well? Did it work?

[@glassesguy904]

It did not.

[@comically_large_cowboy_hat3385]

@@glassesguy904 hard luck mate

[@NealCatastrophe]

@@glassesguy904 was a good shot anyway

[@casvandijck9338]

I wonder what grade you got to show your mother. Was it a D? =P

[@ParadoxicalParody]

"Ooooooooor, you might end up like Oedipus..."

[@martiabr2]

i found this album at a second hand store and is relatively clean and good playing! no skips, was a good buy! :)

[@Greygower]

I am blown away! This guy is probably the best and brightest lyricist of all time.

[@outofbluepills]

I brought in a recording of this and played it for my high school English class, after we read the book.

[@kyawkyawwin1]

A true icon. Brilliant.

[@ParadoxicalParody]

I really want to know what happens before, "May I have the next slide please." ARGHH

[@Pippaqueenofdumb]

11 years and only 52 dislikes That's impressive

[@casvandijck9338]

Now imagine the downvotes if KZbin had been a '60s thing =)

[@mayramartin3867]

Tom Lehrer's song was great. It makes sense and also tells the whole story. Well maybe not the whole story but the main parts of it. Great way to entertain the audience with teaching a lesson (:

[@mcrgd21]

the song was very entertaining and funny; i loved it. i really like how he made the piano tune all happy and entertaining when he said, "and yet his story is rather grimm." lol

[@casvandijck9338]

The same (but different) with "We will all go together when we go". He says "here's a browsing, uplifting song", followed by the lyrics: "When you attend a funeral..." The man likes to play with moods lmao

[@ZepRocker]

Genius.. pure and simple. genius.

[@CartwAalbiel]

Second fav Tom Lehrer song after Werner von Braun

[@steeltrap3800]

I grew up listening to this album from about as far back as I can remember. Explains a lot, lol.

[@belknapdlg26]

First heard this in about 1965 and I was hooked on Lehrer.

[@DieFlabbergast]

+belknapdlg26 I remember singing his songs at parties, with a friend playing the piano, back in 1969. His humour has never gone stale in all the years that have passed.

[@margueritejohnson6407]

Once heard - addicted for life. So far, for me, that’s 60 years and I hope for some more.

[@NecoMimi43]

I Love Oedipus. simply my favorite play. Im a major lover of the trilogy

[@agauss2714]

@Chris-Chan this is so sad

[@larry1012]

I bought this record album in 1967 and don't have a working player any longer. Thank goodness for KZbin, I can still listen.

[@strongwilledwoman]

"Apart from Rock and Roll and other children's records..." I love Rock, but I love you more Tom Lehrer. You're just too funny for words.

[@crvorhees]

The response to his "Rock and roll and other children's records" line really dates this recording. I have been listening to An Evening Wasted with Tom Leher since i was in elementary school.

[@jamesdettmann94]

Well when he wrote this all the boomers who loved rock were children. They're all dying now and yet Tom Lehrer lives on like the icon he is

[@robertlehnert4148]

Love the ragtime riffs

[@hipocampelofantocame]

This is one of Tom Lehrer's best songs, and was on his original 10 inch LP. Wow!

[@Edgelordess]

I wish I can listen to this during my english midterm, I'm sure it could help me with Oedipus portion.

[@beverlypollack5887]

I love everything this guy did. He's such a comic genius! Glad this was posted. Thank you!

[@jkhtravelrn]

Beverly Pollack my parents introduced me to his music when I was 9 or 10. My dad was a music professor and also taught bassoon to many of today's top bassoonist. My dad also liked to change around lyrics to songs that us kids would play from the radio. I'm now 49 and have continued making new crazy songs from popular songs. Have you heard of Victor Borge? He has some great comedic piano songs, as well. Did you play Tom Lehrer's music on a record player? We had a RED record with all his songs on it. I always remember that cuz most records were black. Let me know what you think of victor Borge.

[@margueritejohnson6407]

Julie Klimko I was lucky enough to see Victor Borge in his one man show at the London Palladium. I love his punctuation and the inflationary language. “Darling, you look twoderful threenight ‘!

[@casvandijck9338]

@@margueritejohnson6407 "What did I deserve that five?"

[@MovieFan1912]

Song starts at 1:58, for those who are just here for that. Although his little stand up routine before that is pretty enjoyable too.

[@penguinLol]

song start at 2:00

[@johnnieangel99]

Between my Doctor Demento and my sainted mother who owned several of the Professors lps. I came up knowing of his talents by the time 1969 came around. I still have those old records. But I fear I will be forced to sell them in the coming weeks

[@TheOtherRoger]

This was taken from an album entitled "An Evening {Wasted| with Tom Lehrer". A friend of mine played it for me way back in the 1960's. Hilarious then, still funny after all these years. You might also want to check out the video "We Will All Go Together When We Go" this was also on the album. LOL

[@prizmarvalschi1319]

There's a bunch of shade in the intro and I love it

[@thrandompug2254]

anyone here from overly sarcastic productions

[@musicalraven6078]

Th Random Pug me

[@dhartmahmed50]

yes obviously

[@goodnewsgeek42]

Me!

[@hansakkerman2611]

Yep, same.

[@moxinater2342]

Yep

[@immortalartisan4724]

This man I is not a musician he is a comedian! I love it!

[@immortalartisan4724]

You know I wasn’t expecting a murdered by words level of rant when I posted the joke comment

[@SimplyJustRed]

@mabarry3, @vhazhiphor It's not about that he coughed, but about that he sang "rather grim" and, after that, attending to the fashion, he added a tune that's full of joy ^^

[@edgarallanpoestan]

Favorite stand-up comedian

[@penguinmama88]

Elements is still my favourite. It's the only reason I passed chemistry/SAT and so on LOL RIP TOM :) Thanks for uploading this!

[@casvandijck9338]

RIP? He's still alive, and was so **fourteen years** ago as well :P

[@phyzome]

Happy Mother's Day!

[@bowserhunter1]

"You're way ahead of me"

[@waytoobiased]

when you’re happy, you enjoy the music when you’re sad, you understand the lyrics…

[@casvandijck9338]

When you're happy and you know it clap her hand...

[@not_the_useless_cake856]

The audience was indeed miles ahead of Lehrer.

[@skellymin]

Christian and the hedgehog boys should cover this on their new jail album

[@amalgamatedgioconda266]

oh sick Chris Chans new theme song j dropped!

[@mashpeewee1]

The land of the boll weevil where the laws are medieval...

[@convictedVILLAIN]

Just awsome

[@balkris]

This song is actually from the 50s, when rock and roll was still a fairly new sound. As with any new style of music, it was always going to be criticised by people who grew up listening to a different kind of music: Lehrer was in his thirties at the time and would have grown up with the Big Band sound of the 1940s, no doubt he viewed Rock & Roll as very much a modern fad.

[@juanfena1716]

I’m so glad my English teacher showed me this lol.

[@anonUK]

Do you think 16 people loved their mother a little more than was necessary?

[@laserenissima]

Don't forget Hamlet!

[@margueritejohnson6407]

Barbara Mountrey And let that also be a lesson to you. Everybody died except poor Horatio who had to deal with the mess!

[@h100spfld]

This is from "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" and was released in 1959.

[@casvandijck9338]

The title of that album is a lie, I had a fond evening when I got to know him. So where can I get a refund? I don't like being lied to and this is **clearly** an infringement on my right to be bored out of my ass.

[@alienalajna]

I'm well-acquainted with the music of Tom Lehrer, but I hadn't heard his Oedipus Rex; brilliant as usual. I found this while looking for a bluegrass song of the same title that my brother told me about. The chorus goes, "Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Rex, another sad story about love and sex. He killed his pa and married his ma; they don't even do that in Arkansas." Later, the last time through the chorus, "That's a thirty-dollar fine in Arkansas." Still looking.

[@WarningPuzzle]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpC2gYaMbceYiJI this song?

[@alienalajna]

Yes, of course! Thank you so much! I have just forwarded the link to my brother. It's also impressive the wealth of detail in the story, well beyond the basics, way beyond what I knew. Graham and Johnson must have studied very thoroughly. They display an erudition rare in country music. My highest compliments.

[@immortalartisan4724]

Best out of context quote “I love you incredible shrinking man” -Tom lehrer

[@casvandijck9338]

I never get to hear that in bed, and feel like I'm missing out.

[@Jourell1]

I can't be certain as I can't find any direct information on the song That said, i think it's likely he's referring to the 1957 version of the movie. Tom had stopped touring regularly by the early sixties and the 57 version was more of an accurate "arthouse" type film as he mentions in the intro. However its not impossible he meant the Pasolini version as he did occasionally perform and VERY occasionally tour after that. either way its a very late song for him.

[@awsomefullerestest]

rly i grew up w/ this played in my house 24/7 since i was about 6... im 15 see the generations arent too different... WE ALL LIKE TO LAUGH @ TRAGEDIES

[@ihavenomothandimustscream6387]

Oh god you guys are here from the chris-chan thing too 💀

[@florriehathorn1890]

So what else rhymes with duckbilled platypus?

[@lillyahoo]

I still can't believe he did these so long ago. They're such modern political satire. Come to think of it, they're much BETTER than most modern political satire. Bring back Tom!

[@Fyrebahl]

"I'd rather marry a duck billed platypus..." Genius.

[@RavenoftheBlack]

My father has an old tape from the sixties about Rock n' Roll music, on which they actually interview several people, one of whom (on national television, mind you) called it evil {n-word} music that was corrupting the youth of the day. When I saw that just a year or so ago, I was first of all horrified, and then confused, since what was then Rock n' Roll is by comparision to today's music incredibly soft.

[@gibbs7444]

love hearing his jokes

[@Fyrebahl]

@MarkNie1 That's their name, though. A Duck-billed Platypus. I guess the name is a bit redundant, I just didn't know what you were talking about.

[@strongwilledwoman]

"Or you may find yourself with a quite complex , complex" It just doesn't get much funnier than that.

[@MrTrenchcoatguy]

'...rock 'n' roll and other children's music.' :)