Tom Lehrer has died

Legacy and Emotional Response

• Commenters express deep affection, calling him a formative figure in their childhoods and “nerd culture,” alongside other canonical satirists.
• Many note that his material still “hits hard” and feels timeless despite being rooted in 1950s–60s politics.
• There’s a recurring sentiment that the world is poorer without him and that he is especially missed in the current political climate.

Satire, Songs, and Themes

• Specific favorites repeatedly cited: “The Elements,” “We Will All Go Together When We Go,” “Wernher von Braun,” “National Brotherhood Week,” “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “New Math,” “I Got It from Agnes,” and “That Was the Week That Was.”
• His Wernher von Braun song is discussed both as a sharp critique of one scientist and, more broadly, of scientists who sideline ethics.
• Several mention his inter-song banter as at least as funny as the songs themselves.

Math, Science, and Hacker Ethos

• Multiple posts credit him with showing that math and music are compatible interests, influencing academic and career choices.
• His background as mathematician, cryptographer, and musical satirist is framed as very “hacker” in spirit: playful, technically clever, and subversive.
• The (self-reported) invention of the Jell-O shot, used to evade an alcohol ban on a base, is held up as a quintessential “hack.”

Public Domain Release and Preservation

• Several link to his official declaration placing his lyrics and music into the public domain, including performing, recording, and translation rights.
• There is some debate over the exact legal effect given past labels and publishers, but others point out he self-published much of his work and labels typically own recordings, not compositions.
• Community members share mirrors and archives, and there’s a broader concern about long-term digital preservation.

Media, Recordings, and Obituary Notes

• People trade links to concerts, interviews, TV appearances, and tribute/FAQ pages, and ask about surviving video of his shows.
• The NYT obituary is noted as outdated regarding his government work, and it’s pointed out that the obit’s author died before him—something commenters think he would have appreciated.