Tom Lehrer, the popular and erudite song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities,

Tom Lehrer, the popular song satirist who lampooned marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died.

His songs included “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “The Old Dope Peddler,” “Be Prepared,” in which he mocked the Boy Scouts, and “The Vatican Rag,” in which he poked at the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church.