Quotes by Tom Lehrer

If after hearing my songs just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend or perhaps to strike a loved one it will all have been worth the while.

I don’t think this kind of thing [satire] has an impact on the unconverted, frankly. It’s not even preaching to the converted; it’s titillating the converted. I think the people who say we need satire often mean, ‘We need satire of them, not of us.’ I’m fond of quoting Peter Cook, who talked about the satirical Berlin cabarets of the ’30s, which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the Second World War.

Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky.In one word he told me secret of success in mathematics:Plagiarize!Plagiarize!Let no one elses work evade your eyes!Remember why the good Lord made your eyes!So dont shade your eyes,But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize -Only be sure always to call it please resea

Its a sobering thought: When Mozart was my age he had been dead for two years.

I know that thete are people who do not love their fellow man and I hate people like that!

It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age he had been dead for two years.

Laughter is involuntary. If its funny you laugh.

My last public performance for money was in 1967. For free, it was 1972, with the exception of two little one-shot, one-song things. But thats just for friends, out of friendship for the people involved, and also because it was fun.

Political satire became obsolete when they awarded Henry Kissinger the Nobel Peace Prize.

Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize.

“If after hearing my songs just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend or perhaps to strike a loved one it will all have been worth the while.”