# Tom Lehrer Question.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 3, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741 "2009-09-03T14:08:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/1 "2009-09-03T14:08:30Z")

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Seeing as I have nothing else to comend me, I pride myself on getting damn near all of Tom Lehrer’s jokes. However, one is a mystery to me.

On the album _That Was The Week That Was_, he says, and I quote:

> [@](#):
>
> During the last election we had a good deal of fun back east following your senatorial contest out here. I’m from Massachusetts and I feel we have a certain right to gloat over the other states **because Massachusetts is after all the only state with three senators.** Anyway, here’s a salute to your new junior senator.

The bolded words get a big laugh.

So, explain that joke to me please.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/2 "2009-09-03T14:15:04Z")

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Leverett Saltonstall and Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts, and Bobby Kennedy from New York.

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**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/3 "2009-09-03T14:17:31Z")

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You forgot to add “Need answer fast!”  
He explains it in the booklet that comes with the _Remains of Tom Lehrer_ boxed set. Which funnily enough I don’t have with me here at work. I’ll check it out when I get home in case there’s no answer by tomorrow.

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**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/4 "2009-09-03T14:17:45Z")

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To expand on that, Bobby Kennedy had only recently moved to New York from Massachusetts.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/5 "2009-09-03T14:23:28Z")

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And gotten elected Senator there, which was the reason he moved to New York from Massachusetts.

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-lehrer-question/508741/6 "2009-09-03T14:30:38Z")

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Ah, thanks. keep it coming, that makes alot of sense, I kinda thought it was a Kennedy thing.