Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Tom Lehrer Sings "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"

For some of our younger readers who may not know who Tom Lehrer is, he's a 94-year-old retired American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy, humorous songs he recorded in the 1950s and '60s. His work often parodies popular song forms, though he usually creates original melodies when doing so. 

Lehrer's early musical work typically dealt with non-topical subject matter and was noted for its black humor in songs such as "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". In the 1960s, he produced a number of songs that dealt with social and political issues of the day, particularly when he wrote for the U.S. version of the television show That Was the Week That Was. The popularity of these songs has far outlasted their topical subjects and references. Lehrer quoted a friend's explanation: "Always predict the worst and you'll be hailed as a prophet." 

In the early 1970s, Lehrer largely retired from public performances to devote his time to teaching mathematics and musical theater history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

The clever lyrics in this song are based on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service program to to control pigeon populations in Boston public areas during the 1950s by feeding them cyanide-coated peanuts and strychnine-treated corn.  

Enjoy!

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