The Elements (song)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Elements (song) – a short, easy-to-understand version

Overview
- The Elements is a 1959 novelty song by Tom Lehrer. It lists the chemical elements known at the time, up to number 102 (nobelium).
- The music is adapted from the tune of the Major-General’s Song from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

What the song is like
- Lehrer's fast, playful verses use a lot of alliteration and follow the rhythm of the melody more than the real order of the periodic table.
- The opening lines sing many elements in rapid succession, followed by more as the song continues.
- Lehrer accompanies himself on the piano as he performs.

Background and music
- The Elements borrows its tune from the Major-General’s Song and was influenced by a similar style used in Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians).
- Differences from the Major-General’s Song:
- It omits the third verse and the chorus-style responses.
- The melody is simplified, with many phrases sung on a single note.
- It is in the key of C major (where the Major-General’s Song is in E-flat major).
- In live performances, Lehrer sometimes pauses for spoken interludes while vamping on the piano.
- The song ends with a piano coda: “Shave and a Haircut.”
- Lehrer, who studied and taught mathematics at Harvard, even plays with accent in the closing lines to make a Harvard-discovered rhyme, though he didn’t normally speak with that accent.

Where it appears
- The Elements can be found on Tom Lehrer’s albums Tom Lehrer in Concert, More of Tom Lehrer, and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer.
- It was also included in the musical revue Tom Foolery, along with many of Lehrer's other songs.

In popular culture
- The song has appeared and been referenced many times:
- NCIS (Timothy McGee and Abby Sciuto hum the tune to solve a case).
- The Big Bang Theory (in an episode where Sheldon sings it).
- Gilmore Girls (a bus scene features the song).
- Daniel Radcliffe sang it on The Graham Norton Show.
- Better Call Saul (a character sings the song in an episode).
- There are cover versions and performances by other artists, and the song has appeared in various media as a cultural touchstone for science and humor.