His songs made presidents uncomfortable and left bishops turning red.
Now the man who mocked humanity’s worst impulses with a grin is gone.
Tom Lehrer has died at 97, taking with him a brand of bold, musical satire that may never be matched. Fans are mourning, scholars are looking back…

Lehrer’s passing marks the end of a rare cultural spark: an artist who could make you whistle along to tunes about nuclear doom, moral hypocrisy, and political foolishness. From “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” to “The Vatican Rag,” he delivered biting critique wrapped in cheerful melodies, nudging listeners to laugh first and realize the sting afterward.

A child genius who entered Harvard at 15, Lehrer spent most of his life teaching, largely uninterested in celebrity even as his albums circulated like treasured secrets. Though he stepped away from public performance many years ago, his work kept finding new audiences—students, comedians, and internet fans who treated his songs as timeless lessons in satire. As tributes arrive from all corners, one truth stands out: the world is still thoroughly ridiculous, but it has lost one of its sharpest and most joyful commentators.