American musical satirist Tom Lehrer dies at 97, US media report

American musician and satirist Tom Lehrer has died at the age of 97, according to US media reports.

Lehrer, a Harvard-trained mathematician, wrote darkly humorous songs, often with political connotations, that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Modern comedians such as Weird Al Yankovich said they have been influenced by Lehrer’s work.

His death was confirmed to the New York Times by David Herder, a friend.

Born in Manhattan in 1928, Lehrer was a classically trained pianist. But despite his musical success, he spent most of his life pursuing academia.

His teaching posts included spells at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of California.

Lehrer’s most enduring songs include The Elements, a list of the chemical elements set to the tune of I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General from The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera.

Other fan favourites include The Masochism Tango, in which singer extols his beloved’s violent passions with the lyrics, “I ache for the touch of your lips, dear / But much more for the touch of your whips, dear…”