# Explain a Tom Lehrer joke to me, Please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 7, 2025, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241 "2025-03-07T10:07:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241/1 "2025-03-07T10:07:43Z")

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I’ve recently been having my Amazon Echo play me Tom Lehrer’s songs (it’s been delightful, btw). From the album _That Was the Year That Was_, when he’s introducing the song “George Murphy,” he makes a joke about how, being from Massachusetts, he feels entitled to some bragging rights, due to the fact that his is the only state with three senators.

Is this some sort of obscure reference to the Kennedy clan?

For reference, the album was recorded in 1965.

TIA.

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**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241/2 "2025-03-07T10:18:14Z")

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> [@kaylasdad99](#):
>
> Is this some sort of obscure reference to the Kennedy clan?

Yes - it’s a reference to Bobby Kennedy, who had been elected as Senator from New York in 1964.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241/3 "2025-03-07T19:33:56Z")

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Got it in one.

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-a-tom-lehrer-joke-to-me-please/1015241/4 "2025-03-07T19:48:17Z")

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Same senatorial seat later filled by Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hillary Clinton.