With Tom Lehrer’s passing, I suppose this is a moment to share the story of the prank he played on the National Security Agency, and how it went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.
https://bsky.app/profile/opalescentopal.bsky.social/post/3luxxx2a2f623
3 years ago, he gifted all his songs to the world. A farewell gift for us, I should think.
https://tomlehrersongs.com/
PS. I am rarely touched by the death of strangers, even if they entertained me. This gesture touched me as someone who has often complained about common culture being “private property”. I don’t begrudge any creator their money, but they need to accept that at some point, their work also belongs to the fans who made it theirs.
It’s crazy, how long and far the fame of some black and white musical comedian spreads.
Thank you, Tom Lehrer, for everything.