<P> Lehrer was a Harvard Mathematics lecturer, and the final rhyme of "Harvard" and "discovered" is delivered in a parody of a Boston accent--a non-rhotic manner--so that the two words rhyme . Lehrer did not normally speak with that accent . Lehrer accompanied himself on the piano while singing the song . </P> <P> Lehrer drew the inspiration for "The Elements" from the song "Tchaikovsky and Other Russians", written by Ira Gershwin, which listed fifty Russian composers in a similar manner . </P> <P> "The Elements" differs from the "Major - General's Song" in that: </P> <Ul> <Li> 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 . </Li> <Li> 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 . </Li> <Li> The song ends with a piano coda (Shave and a Haircut). </Li> <Li> "The Elements" is in the key of C, while the "Major - General's Song" is in E-flat . </Li> <Li> In some live versions, after the song is finished, he may tell the audience of an earlier version, from Aristotle's time, that consists of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, explaining that it was a much simpler time . </Li> </Ul>

Words to the elements song by tom lehrer