For more than half a century, fans have been lamenting the now late satirist’s long silence – so why did he stop singing?

His songs were banned in US schools after protests by Roman Catholics over The Vatican Rag (‘Two four six eight/ Time to transubstantiate’)

A child prodigy in mathematics who graduated Harvard at just 19, his darkly prophetic and cynical show tunes won him a cult following in the 50s and 60s

Longtime friend David Herder said Lehrer died Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For more than half a century, fans have been lamenting the now late satirist’s long silence – so why did he stop singing?

Singer, songwriter and satirist who eschewed the limelight to return to teaching mathematics