Tom Lehrer: The Vatican Rag (concert live) (1965)

[@katanah3195]

Way funnier now that I actually know what all those words mean.

[@gabrielcusack-mercedez8859]

Did you become an English Major just to learn these words?

[@MoreMedication]

I can relate. Years ago I took my non-Catholic husband to see, “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You” and gave him a brief catechism lesson on the way to the theatre. And like you, he enjoyed it much more once he got the hang of it 😂. Cheers from 🇨🇦

[@jenniferlapidus2229]

“Ave Maria, gee it’s good to see ya” slays me every time I hear it! Love the audience reaction here.

[@LordKellicos]

I had an older friend I worked with at my high school job. He let me borrow this album and I played it on the way home. I was SCREAMING laughing when this song came on. I hadn't heard it since then, about 17 years ago, until this morning, when it randomly popped into my head. So I looked it up and played it. It made me happy and was amused, until the "2, 4, 6, 6, time to transubstantiate" line. I LOST it, erupting in laughter. It's still so funny, half a lifetime later.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Even though there is the perfectly clear visual version of Tom Lehrer at his Copenhagen Concert, the audience in that does not laugh as well as they do in this version. The audience response in THIS version is JUST PERFECT! Sad that we have only the audio.

[@rootbeerconnoisseur6104]

That's probably because this was the first time the song was performed, so the shock factor kicked in.

[@michaeldorcey9305]

So I'm on a tour bus in the middle of Israel, a catholic pilgramage of sites where Jesus walked. To pass the time I put this song on, and instantly one of the more stoic fellow tourists, turns around, big grin on his face, and starts singing along. Completely animated.😊

[@AlexSh789]

Please stay safe! 🙏

[@michaeldorcey9305]

@@AlexSh789Thanks. It was a tour, 5 months ago. Back in the states now, I'm happy to say

[@lindsaywarden1746]

This man is an absolute genius! These songs were written when I was ten...I'm heading for 70... I can't think of any comedy performances that would be so current after all these... And oh, the piano! If he'd only produced this sparkle of genius he would be a legend... but there are the lyrics and the performance, just stunningly brilliant!

[@manicmath3557]

This crowd was especially happy and laughing more than most Lehrer performances

[@alexsysoev7774]

Most of his live performances are recordings from that concert in Denmark. I feel like his American audience is more vocal during concerts.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Absolutely LOVE the LIVE LIVELY laughter from the audience. It ENORMOUSLY adds to the recording.

[@tobalwin]

I suspect this is the first time ANYONE heard this song hence the near hysterical reaction. For the Copenhagen concert most people knew what was coming so it had lost its politically incorrect shock effect. Getting the word "transubstantiate" into a popular lyric was quite an achievement as well.

[@kildrummer]

I'm sure I heard a recording where there were shocked gasps from the audience,so maybe in towns or cities with large Catholic populations the reception would be different.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Tom Lehrer is a wonderful pianist and songwriter. His lyrics are clever and witty and I love his music. Proud to call you my friend, Tom, so I hope you read this comment!

[@aureoberlinerinn4679]

Vatican 2: Religious Boogaloo

[@Frankcastlepunisher74]

The Vatican deserves this mockery! I was an altar boy in the late 80s. The priest would pour more wine than water and get drunk !!

[@casvandijck9338]

The few religious people I've had the unpleasantness of meeting on a substantial level were either paedophiles or defending paedophiles.

[@pizmak6268]

The best mockery of the second Vatican Council I've ever heard. This council destroyed the Catholic church, made it such a song...

[@anthonylowder6687]

Agreed and Pope Francis is making things worse every day

[@smakyakproductions4466]

I didn’t know Bo Burnham lived in the 60’s.

[@Osamathegamer]

He is still alive.

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Please don’t compare the magnificent Tom Lehrer with the awful Bo Burnham!

[@Ardvards]

@@leemumbray-williams2440what do you have against bo burnham?

[@wynndoesthings8662]

@@leemumbray-williams2440 Burnham isn't awful. He's worse than Lehrer, but he is still funny.

[@heatherk5199]

@@leemumbray-williams2440 I think both of them are very intelligent, thought provoking, and hilarious entertainers in their own right. No need to judge or shame. Just enjoy...

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

The triple rhyme at the end shoots this song into the stratosphere of greatness.

[@daleschmitt2163]

This recording would be much poorer without its spoken introduction. In my view, the words "modest example" shoot it into greatness. You have an idea of where he's going, but there's no way you can be prepared for what follows.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

Gettin' ecstatic and sorta dramatic and doin' the Vatican RAAAAG!! The TRIPLE CROWN of RHYMES!

[@muriloamorim2731]

and the third rhyme is an internal rhyme "... ecs - *tatic* " "... dra - *matic* " "... the *Vati* - can Rag" Lehrer really was/is amazing

[@maedhros9285]

@@muriloamorim2731 actually he rhymed ecstatic an' & dramatic an' with vatican. Doesn't make it less genius though.

[@ebthedoc4992]

Best stand-up comedian, humorous poet, fizzing with ideas, ever, and noted mathematician, and teacher, as well (still prowling the halls of the library at Santa Cruz, where he's retired, last I heard.) And this song proves his versatility as a musician: wonderful ragtime, in addition to tango (Pollution), balladry (Rickety-Tickety-Tin), lilting chanson (Poisoning Pigeons). Superlative pianist!

[@phbarnes]

The “2, 4, 6, 8” etc is a nod to a by then common expression which continued with “who do we appreciate?” Apparently it began as a chant by fans of the 1920s boxer Jack Dempsey.

[@roberthill799]

It was still done by our cheerleaders at my grade school in the early 70s.

[@christianandersen8931]

"I have a modest example here"... 😊

[@lublondon]

Tom Lehrer is a genius

[@davidwhite8220]

Amazingly good piano playing for being live. The same thing is true about Peter Allen in Everything Old is New Again (All That Jazz),

[@thehotyounggrandpas8207]

The man could damn well write good lyrics!

[@DieFlabbergast]

Never mind the words! This is one of the catchiest tunes I've ever heard!

[@steven_003]

+DieFlabbergast It is.

[@threedicksonabench3141]

Is this the 1965 equivalent of Bo Burnham

[@isaiahpichardo1980]

Cri Lune holy shit most definitely

[@abside30glu]

ALL OF THIS FAMOUS GUY PLAYLIST. HAPPY EASTER 2019.

[@fiddlefaddle1]

I use to listen to some of these jems......uh......gems,(whew, a little Freudian slip there) when there use to be a radio show called Doctor Demento Show. God, I love listening to these again. Thank you and remember, somewhere it's take a Jew to dinner day..................oh hell, every day is take a Jew to dinner day!

[@abside30glu]

EVERYDAY... ! HAPPY EASTER🐇🐰💜💛💙🍂🍃🍁☘️2019 LAKE CHAPALA🦂🐝 JALISCO 🐝🐇🐰💃 🐡🐌🐚🍇🏺 M E X I C O🏺🌶️🍉🥑

[@wynndoesthings8662]

Dr. Demento still has a show! He does it online now, I believe.

[@mckavitt]

His derring-do is amazing here. On a level w "they'd rather kill them off by peaceful means."

[@ebthedoc4992]

Thanks, Alexander. I'm the kind of guy, you give me a scansion, metric, and rhyme scheme, and I'll run with it. Thank you for putting Tom out there with so much info!

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

#1 greatest Tom Lehrer song!

[@roberthill799]

Agreed. Closely followed by "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park".

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

A performance of genius from my wonderful friend, Tom Lehrer!

[@bahamastarry3054]

coming in hot with this spirit would get you double banned now

[@Lpmgato1]

Incredible wit and satirical humor, indeed! Still laughing.

[@matthewthayer9316]

The instrumental is excellent.

[@tbthomas5117]

Thanks so much for putting this together. Last I checked, Tom was still with us, possibly living in Santa Cruz, CA. Anybody know how he's doing?

[@fiddlefaddle1]

Tb Thomas, yep, still Jewish!

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Tom Lehrer is doing fine and is now living in England so I occasionally get to see him, but not as often as I would like to do!

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

Mom and Dad saw the Kingston Trio at the 'Hungry i' during their honeymoon in 1958

[@jasongoodwin6132]

I have to wonder if the Protestant Reformers would have rolled in laughter over this song.

[@postscript67]

I wonder if anyone has attempted a Protestant version. How about: Don't you dare get on your knees, Throw away those rosaries, Smells and bells are so absurd, Just - Hear the Word! Hear the Word! Hear the Word! Better hope that your salvation, Is fixed by predestination. Faith'll justify you, Or else Hell'll fry you. Doin' the Protestant Rag!

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

Yes We Do.

[@thiagodeandrade7081]

@@postscript67 😀😀

[@roberthill799]

Many of those "reformers" were even more loony than the Catholics.

[@jasongoodwin6132]

@@roberthill799 That depends on which ones you’re referring to. I admit that some were loose cannons. Then again, we would be too if we threw off the shackles of a massive and corrupt institution.

[@austoncortez8923]

Ha ha! Laughing just at the tough of my religious friends they would hate me for listening to this

[@DantheToonMan]

I imagine an alternate universe where Spike Jones did a cover of this.

[@hector-lee-taylor]

Excellent!

[@AlexSh789]

+Hector Taylor - Thank you!

[@Ponderro]

It's funny because they actually did that.

[@waffl001]

I'm a Christian and this is so funny to me because I know what some of the religous words mean .

[@inlizwetrusst7904]

You’re a Christian and that’s funny to me

[@leemumbray-williams2440]

Wish I could watch this performance but all that comes up on the screen of my iPad is the text that Tom speaks...

[@AlexSh789]

Well, yeah. CD's carry audio, not video.

[@BlueThing64]

Lulz

[@jamescampbell39]

Why do I have a vision of The Inquisition by Mel Brooks from History of the World?

[@fslubin]

Caused more conversions to Judaism than bagels.

[@pppp-bo9hf]

0:50

[@cosmicwatermelon3927]

A petition make it the law to play this while catholics have sex is an order.

[@alexanderhay-whitton4993]

Might distract the choirboys!

[@oval2716]

I second that

[@Osamathegamer]

69,420 views.

[@abside30glu]

TOM HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A FEW SONGGWRITTERS ... WHEN HEROES, HUMAN REMARKS, PHILOSOHERS Went away of this planet TO SCAPE FROM U S A GOVERENMENT... Any "similarly reality" IS COINCIDENCE...! #freeassangenow.

[@ebthedoc4992]

And anothe, Alexander: If the news feeds make you "Sad," Say their sources are all bad! Find an issue no one knows, and Bait and switch, bait and switch, bait and switch! Get your "Foxies" nice'n riled, Everybody talkin' wild, Talkin' heads're gabbin' on, but you'll be gettin' further on, Doin' Bannon's White House Rag!

[@TheSharoneus]

Thank you.Ya lost me at POTO.Ain't seen the chandelier fall, and don't wanna.

[@steven_003]

What is meant by "2, 4, 6, 8"?

[@Midnight_Brambles]

Steven003 I don’t think it had any significant meaning it’s just like a count down

[@apollosaturn5]

Those are the passing hours before you "transubstantiate" the wine and the wafer into pee and poo.

[@lj2762]

​@@apollosaturn5 You literally don't, Unless I decided to have a meal with plate fulls of wafers and cup-fulls of wine, It is absorbed. it's very different from eating a proper meal because it's not about filling your stomach. Hope that clarified your comment. I hope you return from Saturn I heard it's not very nice down there.

[@lj2762]

@@Midnight_Brambles For song sake I think your right it's for the rhyme. Knowing his a mathematician 2 4 6 8 can also talk about the turning of a line into a cube (and considering that's what a cross is , an unfolded cube) it would be fitting.

[@apollosaturn5]

@@lj2762 AND YOU GET A LIFE!!! Don't take things too seriously. Afterall, the song is just a Joke. Take it or leave it!

[@Languslangus]

🎹🎶

[@reggiecollantes5883]

FlikBor Castle in BOTW 2

[@TheHutchy01]

Pure curiosity, are these louder recordings than the Orchestra or is it an illusion coming from the audience?

[@AlexSh789]

It might be an illusion, but then again, the presence of an audience will most likely make it louder either way. (This, by the way, is the only recording I have of "The Vatican Rag". No studio recordings exist of it.)

[@alexanderhay-whitton4993]

Orchestra?

[@mickmccrohon]

In the beginning... there was a story so ridiculous that over time and after education the myth needed tweaking or the flock would work out it was all mythical and ridiculous. So they decided to make it more "commercial" again & again.

[@roberthill799]

But millions still swallow the original nonsense whole.

[@beritbranch2436]

T G I F

[@MichaelBoyce-tm2vw]

A Comedian did a cover of this.

[@billlenahan4014]

Wow is that offensive!

[@rbcrist]

No, that is funny ! To many offended people those days...if you dont like it, move on !

[@billlenahan4014]

@@rbcrist I did and I will. Some people are too stupid to know when they're being mocked.

[@edwardm1326]

The Catholic Church is offensive.

[@billlenahan4014]

@@edwardm1326 Yes, to Satan.

[@edwardm1326]

Bill Lenahan No. to the billions of poor and uneducated people it regularly exploits around the world.

[@nikolopapini2410]

Dear EU...KINDLY...genuflect...MORE REFUGES ARRIVING....

[@theangryholmesian4556]

*Refugees. You're not exactly the brightest bulb on the tree are you?

[@mr.caleblynn9246]

@PintsWithAquinas

[@bbbloodboy6121]

0:51