Selling Out - Tom Lehrer

Selling Out - Tom Lehrer

2:18

The Remains Of Tom Lehrer, 2003 (recorded 1953)

Written by Tom Lehrer

I've been a big fan of the satirist Tom Lehrer for many decades now.  He was a math professor who could have been his era's "Weird" Al, but shunned the limelight.   He put all his songs in the public domain.  He was a political progressive way, way before it was cool and he wasn't afraid to point at our society's hypocrisies and errors, and even name names.  So I know most of his brief oeuvre — but not every single song.  For example I don't listen to the spelling songs he made for "Electric Company."  So, while "We Will All Go Together" is a more appropriate send-off, this jaded look at artistic ideals vis-a-vis commercialism is a new one to me.  "I've always found ideals / Don't take the place of meals."  Wise words.  RIP to a genius.