Misplaced Pages

The Elements (song): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 21:38, 11 March 2007 editPtelford (talk | contribs)147 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 21:17, 15 December 2024 edit undoSsilvers (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers178,993 edits rm WP:OR. See also WP:V.Tag: Manual revert 
(495 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Song by Tom Lehrer and Arthur Sullivan}}
:''This article is about the Tom Lehrer song. For the unreleased Beach Boys song from "]", see ].''
{{About|the Tom Lehrer song|the unfinished suite by the Beach Boys|The Elements (suite)}}


] of the chemical elements]]
'''"The Elements"''' (]) is a song by ] which recites the names of all the ]s known at the time of writing, up to number 102, ]. It can be found on his albums '']'' and the live album '']''. The song is sung to the rhythm and tune of the ] from '']'' by ].
{{Listen|type=music|filename=1-16 The Elements.mp3|title=The Elements|description=Lehrer sings "The Elements"}}
"'''The Elements'''" is a 1959 song with lyrics by musical humorist, mathematician and lecturer ], which recites the names of all the ]s known at the time of writing, up to number 102, ]. Lehrer arranged the music of the song from the tune of the "]" from '']'' by ].<ref name=Shep>Shepherd, Marc. , The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 5 October 2008, accessed December 15, 2017</ref> The song can be found on Lehrer's albums ''Tom Lehrer in Concert'', '']'' and '']''.


The song is also included in the musical ] '']'', along with many of Lehrer's other songs.
⚫ The ordering of elements in the lyrics fits the ] of the song, and includes much ], and thus has little or no relation to the ordering in the ]. This can be seen for example in the opening and closing lines:


== Description of the song ==
⚫ :''There's ], ], ], ], ''
⚫ The ordering of elements in the lyrics fits the ] of the song, and includes much ], and thus has little or no relation to the ordering in the ]. This can be seen for example in the opening and closing lines:
⚫ :''And ] and ] and ] and ],''
⚫ <!-- DON'T PUT THE WHOLE SONG HERE. SEE TALK PAGE. THANK YOU! -->
:''....''
⚫ :''And ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].''


{{blockquote|<poem>
⚫ :''These are the only ones of which the news has come to ],''
⚫ There's ], ], ], ],
⚫ :''And there may be many others but they haven't been discovered.''
⚫ And ] and ] and ] and ],
⚫ ... <!-- DON'T PUT THE WHOLE SONG HERE. SEE TALK PAGE. THANK YOU. -->
And ], ], ], ], ], ], and ],
⚫ And ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].
⚫ These are the only ones of which the news has come to ],
⚫ And there may be many others, but they haven't been discovered.</poem>}}
Lehrer had been a mathematics student and lecturer at Harvard;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-26-ca-34112-story.html |title=Tom Lehrer's Playful Satire Still Delivers a Musical Punch |first=Richard |last=Cromelin |newspaper=] |date=May 26, 2000 |access-date=October 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/that-was-the-wit-that-was/Content?oid=2138455 |title=That Was the Wit That Was |first=Jack |last=Boulware |work=] |date=April 19, 2000 |access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref> in the closing lines of the song, he pronounced "Harvard" and "discovered" in a parody of the ] ] to make the two words rhyme, even though he did not normally speak with that accent. He accompanied himself on the piano while singing the song.


== Background ==
Since that time, 15 more elements have been ]
⚫ The music of "The Elements" is arranged from the tune of the "]" from '']'' by ].<ref name=Shep/> Lehrer also drew inspiration from the song "]", written by ], which listed fifty Russian composers in a similar manner.<ref name=Interview>"A Conversation With Tom Lehrer", BBC Interview, 1999.</ref>
(''synthesized'', technically), and 9 of those have been named. Those 9 are ],
], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].


⚫ "The Elements" differs musically from the "]" in that:
Lehrer was a Harvard math professor (coincidentally, 'Lehrer' is German for 'male teacher'), and the final rhyme of "Harvard" and "discovered" is delivered in a parody of a ], i.e. ] so that the two words rhyme. Lehrer, a native of New York, does not normally speak with that accent.
⚫ * It omits the third verse of the original as well as all of the choral "responses", and it adds an extra two lines at the end of the last verse.
* Lehrer simplifies the melody by primarily singing each phrase on a single note, instead of rapidly moving back and forth between two different notes as in Sullivan's original melody.
* It is in the ] of ], while the "]" is in ].
⚫ * On some of the live recordings, Lehrer pauses in the middle for spoken interludes, in which he talks to the audience (e.g., "I hope you're all taking notes, because there's going to be a short quiz next period!") while ] on the piano.
⚫ * The song ends with a piano ]: "]".


In some live performances, after the song was finished, Lehrer joked that an earlier version, from ]'s time, lists only the ]: ], ], ] and ], explaining that "life was much simpler in those days".<ref>{{YouTube|id=AcS3NOQnsQM&t=1m58s|title=Tom Lehrer – The Elements – Live Film from Copenhagen in 1967}}</ref>
⚫ Lehrer drew the inspiration for ''The Elements'' from the song '']'', written by ], which listed fifty Russian composers in a similar manner <ref name=Interview>"A Conversation With Tom Lehrer", BBC Interview, 1999.</ref>


== In popular culture ==
⚫ ''The Elements'' differs from ''The Major-General's Song'' in that:
"The Elements" has been featured in popular culture many times. In the episode "Ex-File" of '']'', ] and ] hum the song, which forms a key clue in their case. In '']'' episode "The Pants Alternative", a drunk ] starts to sing the song during his acceptance of an award from his university. In the 2006 episode of '']'' called "The Real Paul Anka", ]'s daughter April and her classmates sing the song on the bus.<ref>{{cite web|title=IMDb Trivia: "Gilmore Girls" The Real Paul Anka (TV episode 2006)|website=]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765894/trivia}}</ref> ] sang "The Elements" on '']'' in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gajewski|first=Ryan|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/daniel-radcliffe-weird-al-biopic-elements-song-1235115049/|title=Daniel Radcliffe Says He Landed "Weird Al" Role Due to Novelty Song He Performed for Rihanna|work=]|date=March 19, 2022|access-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319232725/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/daniel-radcliffe-weird-al-biopic-elements-song-1235115049/|archive-date=March 19, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> ], as ], sang along to the song in ], a 2018 episode of '']''.<ref>Snierson, Dan. , '']'', August 21, 2018</ref>
*Lehrer's usual performance is more monotoned than its source tune, although the sheet music in the 1981 book contains Sullivan's normal score.
*As per usual with Lehrer, it is accompanied solely by his own ] playing (as opposed to a full orchestra).
⚫ *On the live version, Lehrer pauses in the middle for a spoken interlude, in which he talks to the audience ("I hope you're all taking notes, because there's going to be a short quiz next period!") while ] on the piano.
⚫ *The verse structure is altered, omitting the third verse of the original as well as all of the "responses" from the play's chorus, and adding an extra two lines at the end of the last verse.
⚫ *The song ends with a piano coda: ].


Cover recordings include ] on his album '']'', where the song is titled "Tom Lehrer's The Elements".<ref></ref>
==Trivia==
* ''The Elements Song'' has itself been parodied by the group ] (of ''London Underground'' fame) as ''The Drugs Song''.


==Footnotes== == Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==Further reading== == Further reading ==
'']'', 1981, has sheet music for many of Lehrer's songs, including ''The Elements''. * ''Too Many Songs by Tom Lehrer'', 1981, has sheet music for many of Lehrer's songs, including ''The Elements''.


==External links== == External links ==
* {{Wikisource-inline|single=true|The Elements (Lehrer)|The Elements}}, including audio and updated lyrics for the elements through 118, written by Tom Lehrer.
*
*
*
*Lyrics to , by ]


{{Tom Lehrer}}
⚫ ]
{{The Pirates of Penzance}}
⚫ ]

⚫ ]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elements}}
⚫ ]
]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 21:17, 15 December 2024

Song by Tom Lehrer and Arthur Sullivan This article is about the Tom Lehrer song. For the unfinished suite by the Beach Boys, see The Elements (suite).
The periodic table of the chemical elements
The Elements Lehrer sings "The Elements"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"The Elements" is a 1959 song with lyrics by musical humorist, mathematician and lecturer Tom Lehrer, which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing, up to number 102, nobelium. Lehrer arranged the music of the song from the tune of the "Major-General's Song" from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. The song can be found on Lehrer's albums Tom Lehrer in Concert, More of Tom Lehrer and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer.

The song is also included in the musical revue Tom Foolery, along with many of Lehrer's other songs.

Description of the song

The ordering of elements in the lyrics fits the meter of the song, and includes much alliteration, and thus has little or no relation to the ordering in the periodic table. This can be seen for example in the opening and closing lines:

There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium,
And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,
...
And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium,
And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium.
These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard,
And there may be many others, but they haven't been discovered.

Lehrer had been a mathematics student and lecturer at Harvard; in the closing lines of the song, he pronounced "Harvard" and "discovered" in a parody of the non-rhotic Boston accent to make the two words rhyme, even though he did not normally speak with that accent. He accompanied himself on the piano while singing the song.

Background

The music of "The Elements" is arranged from the tune of the "Major-General's Song" from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. Lehrer also drew inspiration from the song "Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians)", written by Ira Gershwin, which listed fifty Russian composers in a similar manner.

"The Elements" differs musically from the "Major-General's Song" in that:

  • It omits the third verse of the original as well as all of the choral "responses", and it adds an extra two lines at the end of the last verse.
  • Lehrer simplifies the melody by primarily singing each phrase on a single note, instead of rapidly moving back and forth between two different notes as in Sullivan's original melody.
  • It is in the key of C, while the "Major-General's Song" is in E-flat.
  • On some of the live recordings, Lehrer pauses in the middle for spoken interludes, in which he talks to the audience (e.g., "I hope you're all taking notes, because there's going to be a short quiz next period!") while vamping on the piano.
  • The song ends with a piano coda: "Shave and a Haircut".

In some live performances, after the song was finished, Lehrer joked that an earlier version, from Aristotle's time, lists only the classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, explaining that "life was much simpler in those days".

In popular culture

"The Elements" has been featured in popular culture many times. In the episode "Ex-File" of NCIS, Timothy McGee and Abby Sciuto hum the song, which forms a key clue in their case. In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Pants Alternative", a drunk Sheldon Cooper starts to sing the song during his acceptance of an award from his university. In the 2006 episode of Gilmore Girls called "The Real Paul Anka", Luke Danes's daughter April and her classmates sing the song on the bus. Daniel Radcliffe sang "The Elements" on The Graham Norton Show in 2010. David Costabile, as Gale Boetticher, sang along to the song in "Something Beautiful", a 2018 episode of Better Call Saul.

Cover recordings include Jesse Dangerously on his album How to Express Your Dissenting Political Viewpoint Through Origami, where the song is titled "Tom Lehrer's The Elements".

Footnotes

  1. ^ Shepherd, Marc. "Tom Lehrer's 'The Elements' and 'Clementine' (1959)", The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, 5 October 2008, accessed December 15, 2017
  2. Cromelin, Richard (May 26, 2000). "Tom Lehrer's Playful Satire Still Delivers a Musical Punch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  3. Boulware, Jack (April 19, 2000). "That Was the Wit That Was". SF Weekly. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. "A Conversation With Tom Lehrer", BBC Interview, 1999.
  5. Tom Lehrer – The Elements – Live Film from Copenhagen in 1967 on YouTube
  6. "IMDb Trivia: "Gilmore Girls" The Real Paul Anka (TV episode 2006)". IMDb.
  7. Gajewski, Ryan (March 19, 2022). "Daniel Radcliffe Says He Landed "Weird Al" Role Due to Novelty Song He Performed for Rihanna". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  8. Snierson, Dan. "Breaking Bad alum on his surprise Better Call Saul appearance – and whether he'll sing again", Entertainment Weekly, August 21, 2018
  9. "Tom Lehrer's The Elements" at Discogs.com

Further reading

  • Too Many Songs by Tom Lehrer, 1981, has sheet music for many of Lehrer's songs, including The Elements.

External links

Tom Lehrer
Songs
Albums
Live albums
Compilations
Theater
W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance
Films
Music
Related
Categories: