Tom Lehrer - a song about nuclear war

Today a little American culture - an anti-war song from the comic singer Tom Lehrer, from forty or so years ago. Here are the lyrics :



This is the song that some of the boys sang as they went bravely off to World War III:



So long, mom,

I'm off to drop the bomb,

So don't wait up for me.

But while you swelter

Down there in your shelter

You can see me

On your TV.



While we're attacking frontally

Watch Brinkally and Huntally

Describing contrapuntally

The cities we have lost.

No need for you to miss a minute of the agonizing holocaust. Yeah!



Little Johnny Jones, he was a US pilot,

And no shrinking violet was he.

He was mighty proud when World War III was declared.

He wasn't scared, no siree!



And this is what he said on

His way to Armageddon:



So long, mom,

I'm off to drop the bomb,

So don't wait up for me.

But though I may roam,

I'll come back to my home

Although it may be

A pile of debris.



Remember, mommy,

I'm off to get a commie,

So send me a salami

And try to smile somehow.

I'll look for you when the war is over,

An hour and a half from now!

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In 1964 the Beatles were at the height of their career. This video from Youtube gives some of the atmosphere of the time. Notice that Harold Wilson, prime minister of the time, wanted to be seen on TV with the Beatles. This was very much a new approach at the time for a politician. More recently, however, Tony Blair made a point of being seen with Blur.

NB Youtube videos may not play on university network computers.