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Oedipus Rex Lyrics by Tom Lehrer

Songs & More Songs

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[Verse 1]
From the Bible to the popular song
There's one theme that we find right along
Of all ideals they hail as good
The most sublime is motherhood
[Verse 2]
There was a man, though, who it seems
Once carried this ideal to extremes
He loved his mother and she loved him
And yet his story is rather grim
[Verse 3]
There once lived a man named Oedipus Rex
You may have heard about his odd complex
His name appears in Freud's index
'Cause he loved his mother
[Verse 4]
His rivals used to say quite a bit
That as a monarch he was most unfit
But still in all they had to admit
That he loved his mother
[Verse 5]
Yes, he loved his mother like no other
His daughter was his sister and his son was his brother
One thing on which you can depend is
He sure knew who a boy's best friend is
[Verse 6]
When he found what he had done
He tore his eyes out, one by one
A tragic end to a loyal son
Who loved his mother
[Bridge]
So be sweet and kind to mother now and then, have a chat
Buy her candy or some flowers or a brand new hat
But maybe you had better let it go at that
Or you may find yourself with a quite complex complex
[Outro]
And you may end up like Oedipus
I'd rather marry a duck-billed platypus
Than end up like old Oedipus Rex
Credits
Tom Lehrer

Tom Lehrer

About “Oedipus Rex” by Tom Lehrer

Read the complete lyrics to "Oedipus Rex" by Tom Lehrer from the album "Songs & More Songs". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Oedipus Rex" is performed by Tom Lehrer. from the album "Songs & More Songs" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Oedipus Rex", explore more songs by Tom Lehrer using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Oedipus Rex" is credited to Tom Lehrer. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Oedipus Rex" appears on "Songs & More Songs".

Visit the Tom Lehrer artist page at /artist/tom-lehrer for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.