Tom Lehrer Satirizes Nuclear Arms Race From Superpowers to Alabama

The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel

Superpower and regional justifications for atomic self-defense create an inevitable domino effect that ends with microstates and domestic factions acquiring nuclear weapons.

AI-assisted summary of Tom Lehrer - Who's Next - with intro — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2008-08-27

Key ideas

Tom Lehrer satirizes the media's reaction to China's nuclear test, pointing out how the American press abandoned euphemisms like 'Red China' and 'device' only after the nation successfully detonated a bomb. (0:16)
The satirical song 'Who's Next' charts the chain reaction of nuclear proliferation, showing how every state rationalizes its arsenal through self-defense, deterrence, or moral superiority. (0:56)
Lehrer escalates the nuclear arms race from global superpowers to regional rivals, European microstates, and ultimately domestic US states like Alabama to expose the absurdity of unchecked weaponization. (0:56)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel on August 27, 2008, this video presents a rare September 11, 1967 television performance preserved by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). The channel notes that this upload includes Tom Lehrer's original spoken introduction and highlights the enduring relevance of nuclear proliferation, alongside links to Lehrer's public domain archives and official collection releases.

## TL;DR Tom Lehrer opens with a dry spoken monologue satirizing the American press's shifting terminology after China's first successful nuclear test, questioning who will be next to join the nuclear club. Turning to the piano, he performs 'Who's Next,' an upbeat satirical song tracking the relentless, domino-effect spread of nuclear weapons across the globe. The lyrics trace proliferation from the United States and the Soviet Union through regional flashpoints such as apartheid South Africa, Egypt, and Israel, before descending into total absurdity with microstates like Luxembourg and Monaco. The song reaches its comic climax by imagining the domestic terror of Alabama acquiring the bomb, closing on an urgent, repetitive refrain wondering who will follow.

## Atmosphere & style The performance combines razor-sharp Cold War satire with Lehrer's trademark jaunty, vaudevillian piano styling. Lehrer's dry, deadpan spoken introduction transitions into a bouncy, cheerful musical romp that treats the existential dread of nuclear annihilation with breezy cynicism. The mood is playfully manic and darkly comic, drawing its power from the jarring dissonance between an infectious, toe-tapping melody and the grim prospect of global destruction.

## Bulletin - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) Tom Lehrer satirizes the media's reaction to China's nuclear test, pointing out how the American press abandoned euphemisms like 'Red China' and 'device' only after the nation successfully detonated a bomb. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) The satirical song 'Who's Next' charts the chain reaction of nuclear proliferation, showing how every state rationalizes its arsenal through self-defense, deterrence, or moral superiority. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Lehrer escalates the nuclear arms race from global superpowers to regional rivals, European microstates, and ultimately domestic US states like Alabama to expose the absurdity of unchecked weaponization.

## Key takeaways - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) The American press previously relied on ideological labeling ('Red China') and technical downplaying ('device') until forced to confront China's nuclear capability directly. - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) China's entrance into the nuclear club established proliferation as an inevitable, cascading geopolitical problem. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) The United States framed its initial acquisition of nuclear weapons in self-righteous moral platitudes, claiming alignment with 'peace and motherhood.' - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Soviet nuclear capability was rationalized by analysts and politicians under the pragmatic logic of the balance of power. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Allied proliferation, such as France's arsenal, was greeted with uneasy skepticism regarding true geopolitical allegiance. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Western complacency toward China's nuclear development relied on the comforting assumption that they could not destroy the West for at least five years. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Regional proliferation expands rapidly to developing nations, including imminent acquisition claims by Indonesia. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Apartheid South Africa's nuclear ambition is satirized as an absurd extension of racial segregation, demanding separate bombs for Black and White populations. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Middle Eastern tensions trigger rapid escalation, with Egypt seeking a warhead for targeted conflict and Israel countering through armed self-defense. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Religious faith is depicted as taking a backseat to realpolitik deterrence: trusting the Lord as shepherd, but acquiring a bomb 'just in case.' - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) Proliferation degrades into total absurdity as European microstates like Luxembourg and Monaco pursue nuclear capability. - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) The song culminates in the ultimate domestic nightmare, warning of the collapse of stability when regional actors like Alabama acquire the bomb.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) Spoken Introduction: China and Nuclear Proliferation

Tom Lehrer opens at the piano by addressing recent international developments and media reactions regarding the nuclear arms race. He notes that just a few weeks prior, the American press reported that China had successfully detonated a nuclear weapon. Punning on Chairman Mao’s economic campaign, Lehrer dryly observes the reaction in the Western media: “Now this was a great leap forward for China of course, but it was an even greater leap forward for the American press.”

He explains the subtle shift in journalistic terminology, pointing out that for eighteen years the press had simply been hoping the communist regime would vanish, and during all that time they insisted on referring to the nation as "Red China." Following the detonation, however, they finally referred to it simply as "China." Furthermore, the press abandoned their usual euphemisms, upgrading their description of the technology: “And for the first time they called it a bomb instead of a device.” With China officially entering the nuclear club, Lehrer notes that the geopolitical situation naturally raises an urgent question: who is going to get the bomb next?

[00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) "Who's Next": A Musical Escalation of the Nuclear Arms Race

Lehrer launches into an upbeat, satirical tune tracking the relentless proliferation of nuclear weapons from country to country, rationalized at each step by escalating layers of absurd geopolitical logic. He begins with the United States acquiring the weapon first, framed self-righteously around American values: “First we got the bomb and that was good, 'cause we love peace and motherhood.” The Soviet Union followed, which was tolerated because it established the doctrine of mutually assured destruction and balance of power. Next came France, treated with mild skepticism regarding their actual loyalty, followed by China. Lehrer brushes off immediate panic about the Chinese arsenal by noting they cannot annihilate the West for at least five years.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Nuclear Proliferation Sequence accDescr: Flowchart illustrating the satirical progression of nuclear acquisition from superpowers to regional conflicts and rogue entities.

subgraph Superpowers ["Superpowers & Major Allies"] US["United States\n('Peace and motherhood')"] --> USSR["Soviet Union\n('Balance of power')"] USSR --> FR["France\n('On our side, I believe')"] FR --> CN["China\n('Can't wipe us out for 5 years')"] end

subgraph Regional ["Regional Rivals & Aspiring States"] ID["Indonesia\n(Any day now)"] SA["South Africa\n('One for black, one for white')"] EG["Egypt\n('To use on you-know-who')"] IL["Israel\n('Self-defense')"] end

subgraph Satirical ["Microstates & Domestic Threats"] LUX["Luxembourg"] MC["Monaco"] AL["Alabama"] end

CN --> ID ID --> SA SA --> EG EG --> IL IL --> LUX LUX --> MC MC --> AL ```

The song shifts to smaller regional powers and bitter local conflicts. Indonesia claims imminent acquisition, while apartheid South Africa demands two separate weapons—one for the Black population and one for the White population. In the Middle East, Egypt seeks a warhead specifically targeted at "you know who," provoking intense anxiety in Israel. Lehrer highlights the blend of religious tradition and pragmatic militarism: “The Lord is our shepherd, says the Psalm, but just in case, we better get a bomb.” The song accelerates into total absurdity as microstates join the fray—Luxembourg and Monaco—culminating in the prospect of domestic chaos inside the United States: “We'll try to stay serene and calm when Alabama gets the bomb.” The performance ends on a driving, repetitive vamp asking who will be next in line.

- **United States:** Justified through patriotic platitudes ("peace and motherhood"). - **Soviet Union:** Rationalized through the maintenance of the balance of power. - **France:** Accepted under the uncertain assumption of allied loyalty ("on our side, I believe"). - **China:** Dismissed as a delayed threat ("can't wipe us out for at least five years"). - **Indonesia:** Claimed imminent nuclear readiness. - **South Africa:** Satirized along apartheid lines ("one for the black and one for the white"). - **Egypt & Israel:** Framed around Middle Eastern tensions and existential self-defense. - **Luxembourg, Monaco, & Alabama:** Final absurd progression reducing nuclear terror to petty principalities and regional American politics.

## Mentioned Tom Lehrer, Who's Next, Chairman Mao, The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Shout! Factory, Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, United States, China, Soviet Union, France, Indonesia, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Luxembourg, Monaco, Alabama

## Video description Tom Lehrer on public domain (2020):

https://tomlehrersongs.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Lehrer-Collection-CD-DVD/dp/B0039TD73G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1284930177&sr=8-3

Use the above link and get the uninterrupted Lehrer TV-performance and The Tom Lehrer Collection from Amazon.com.

http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257149

If you live in the United States you can also buy the collection from Shout! Factory, using the above link.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/tom-lehrer/id293867859

Use the above link to buy Tom Lehrer's songs on iTunes.

- - -

This song was published three times: A "Wikipedia"-version, THIS version (without Wiki quotes) AND a new 4:3 HQ-version in August of 2009. Select the one you prefer. "Who's Next" (here in the full second version with intro) is unfortunately still a hot topic today. Iran will maybe have the bomb ready before South Africa? This is the republished version of August 2008 without the Wikipedia quote and with Tom Lehrer's original spoken intro.

Lehrer said "OK" to "The Tom Lehrer wisdom channel" on YouTube, as long as the performance is not altered and as long as it's free in the YouTube flash video format.

Click on the user name and visit the channel's front page. And here is a link to a NEW channel support page:

http://home.broadpark.no/~emeyn/tl/

Recording date: September 11th 1967 Format: Ampex Quadruplex PAL 4:3 Status: A very rare recording Storage: Sony Digital Betacam Production and preservation: The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation - the NRK, Norway. More here:

http://www.nrk.no/informasjon/about_the_nrk/1.3698504

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw)

中文简报

汤姆·莱勒讽刺从超级大国到阿拉巴马州的核军备竞赛超级大国与地区势力对原子武器自卫的辩解引发了不可避免的多米诺效应，最终导致微型国家和国内派系也获得核武器。汤姆·莱勒首先发表了一段冷面诙谐的口头独白，讽刺中国首次核试验成功后美国媒体用词的转变，并质疑下一个加入“核俱乐部”的会是谁。随后，他坐到钢琴前演奏了《下一个是谁》，这是一首欢快且具讽刺意味的歌曲，追溯了核武器在全球范围内不可遏止的多米诺式扩散。歌词记录了核扩散从美国和苏联蔓延至种族隔离时期的南非、埃及和以色列等地区热点，接着滑向彻底荒谬的境地——卢森堡和摩纳哥等微型国家也卷入其中。这首歌在构想阿拉巴马州获得原子弹带来的内部恐慌时达到喜剧高潮，并在不断追问“下一个会是谁”的紧迫重复副歌中收尾。汤姆·莱勒讽刺了媒体对中国核试验的反应，指出美国媒体只是在该国成功引爆原子弹后，才放弃了诸如“红色中国”和“装置”之类的委婉用语。 (0:16) 讽刺歌曲《下一个是谁》描绘了核扩散的连锁反应，展现了各个国家如何利用自卫、威慑或道德优越感来为自身的核武库寻找合理解释。 (0:56) 莱勒将核军备竞赛的范围从全球超级大国逐步扩大到地区对手、欧洲微型国家，最终延伸至阿拉巴马等美国本土各州，以此揭露不受限制的武器化所带来的荒谬性。 (0:56)

Reading summary

In his satirical song 'Who's Next,' Tom Lehrer examines the relentless spread of nuclear arms, illustrating how political rationalizations and media framing normalize an uncontrollable chain of global proliferation. Media Framing and China's Nuclear Entry (0:16) Opening with China's successful nuclear detonation, Lehrer highlights how the event compelled the American press to abandon long-standing linguistic evasions. For eighteen years, Western journalists had referred to the nation as 'Red China' while hoping the communist government would disappear. Following the test, the press not only adopted the formal name 'China' but also dropped technical euphemisms, upgrading their description of the technology from a 'device' to a 'bomb.' Lehrer uses this sudden journalistic adjustment to raise the broader question of who will join the nuclear club next. Superpower Justifications and Cold War Logic (0:56) Lehrer traces the initial stages of nuclear proliferation through the self-serving rationales adopted by major world powers. The United States justified its original possession through patriotic platitudes, framing the weapon around an ostensible love of 'peace and motherhood.' The Soviet Union's subsequent acquisition was rationalized through the strategic balance of power and mutually assured destruction, followed by France under the uncertain assumption of allied loyalty. Proliferation then reached China, a development Lehrer satirically dismisses as a distant concern because the country could not annihilate the West for at least five years. Regional Rivalries and Absurd Domestic Escalation (0:56) The song tracks the spread of atomic weapons into regional conflicts, where localized paranoia accelerates acquisition. Indonesia is described as claiming imminent capability, while South Africa's apartheid policy is satirized through a demand for two separate bombs—one for the Black population and one for the White population. In the Middle East, Egypt seeks a warhead targeted at 'you know who,' prompting an existential response from Israel, where religious faith is subordinated to military pragmatism: 'The Lord is our shepherd, says the Psalm, but just in case, we better get a bomb.' The escalation culminates in deliberate absurdity by extending nuclear possession to European microstates like Luxembourg and Monaco, before turning inward toward domestic American politics. Pointing to internal civil tensions, Lehrer notes the challenge of remaining serene 'when Alabama gets the bomb,' reducing the global balance of power to local factional conflict. Lehrer concludes the performance with an unresolved, repetitive musical vamp asking who will be next in line, depicting nuclear proliferation as an accelerating cycle driven by competitive fear rather than a manageable equilibrium.

精炼阅读摘要

讽刺艺术家汤姆·勒勒（Tom Lehrer）在其表演与歌曲中指出，随着中国成功进行核试验，西方社会被迫面对核扩散的既成事实；他通过剖析各国合理化拥有核武的矛盾说辞，揭示了核威慑逻辑从大国均势不可避免地滑向全民武装与地缘荒诞的链式反应。媒体修辞转变与核现实的承认 (0:16) 在开场白中，勒勒针对美国媒体对中国成功进行核武器试验的反应进行了尖锐调侃。他引用毛泽东提出的经济口号，讽刺地将西方新闻界的报道反应形容为一次“大跃进”。勒勒指出，在此前长达十八年的时间里，西方媒体始终寄希望于中国共产党政权自行消亡，并一律使用带有冷战意识形态色彩的“红色中国”（Red China）进行指代；直到核爆发生后，媒体才终于在称谓上改口为“中国”。除了国家称谓的变化，勒勒观察到新闻界对核技术的措辞也迅速放弃了原先的委婉掩饰。媒体不再将试验品轻描淡写地称为某种抽象的“装置”（device），而是首次承认其为货真价实的“炸弹”（bomb）。勒勒借此说明，随着中国正式迈入核国家阵营，地缘政治的幻想被打破，国际社会被迫面对一个迫在眉睫的现实追问：究竟谁会是下一个拥有核武器的国家。大国阵营的道德标榜与自我合理化 (0:56) 在讽刺歌曲《谁是下一个》（Who's Next）的前半部分，勒勒梳理了早期核俱乐部的扩张路径，并解构了各大国为自身拥核所编造的冠冕堂皇之词。首先，美国将率先制造核弹的行径包装在道德高地之上，宣扬其拥核是出于对“和平与母亲地位”（peace and motherhood）的热爱；随后苏联跟进，这一发展则被战略家们以确立“相互保证毁灭”和维持大国力量平衡的教条予以合理化。随着核技术向次级盟友与潜在对手扩散，大国的安全说辞变得愈发脆弱。勒勒戏谑地提及法国加入核俱乐部时，西方阵营只能在对其效忠程度抱持微弱怀疑（“我想他们是在我们这一边”）的尴尬中勉强接受。对于中国新近取得的核能力，勒勒在歌中以黑色幽默排解即时恐慌，宣称其在至少五年内尚不具备彻底消灭西方世界的能力，反映出大国试图以技术滞后论来掩盖核扩散焦虑的心态。区域宿怨扩散与全面失控的荒诞结局 (0:56) 歌曲随后将焦点转向区域冲突中的中小型国家，展示了核扩散如何与本土恩怨结合演变为极端荒谬的情境。勒勒列举印度尼西亚声称即将制造出核弹，并讽刺处于种族隔离制度下的南非必须造出两枚核弹——一枚供黑人使用，另一枚供白人使用。在中东地区，埃及迫切寻求专门针对“那个谁”的核弹头，从而引发了以色列的深切生存恐慌；歌曲通过改编《诗篇》名句“耶和华是我的牧者”，辛辣地刻画出宗教传统向军事实用主义的妥协：“即使上帝是指引，为防万一，我们最好也弄颗核弹”。随着扩散阶梯下沉至卢森堡和摩纳哥等欧洲微型公国，核武器被进一步贬低为琐碎实体的攀比工具。全曲的高潮将这一恐怖威胁直接拉回美国本土：歌词设想当国内矛盾尖锐的阿拉巴马州（Alabama）也掌握了核弹时，人们将不得不努力保持平静与镇定。通过将战略武器扩散推演至地方政治与微型实体的极端场景，勒勒彻底瓦解了核威慑可以维持理性边界的假设。勒勒的表演在反复追问“下一个是谁”的循环伴奏中结束，给观众留下了关于核扩散无法逆转的核心悖论：一旦任何政治实体都能援引防卫与生存逻辑将拥核合理化，这一机制便无法阻止毁灭性武器最终落入任何微小势力乃至内部混乱手中。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 YouTube 频道「The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel」于 2008 年 8 月 27 日发布。根据页面简介，该片段为挪威广播公司（NRK）于 1967 年 9 月 11 日录制的罕见历史影像，收录了著名讽刺歌曲创作者汤姆·莱勒（Tom Lehrer）表演经典讽刺曲目《接下来是谁》（Who's Next）的完整版本及带口头开场白的现场表演。 ## TL;DR 在表演开场白中，莱勒幽默调侃了当时美国媒体面对中国成功试爆原子弹时的心态与措辞转变，讽刺西方媒体从长期的鸵鸟心态被迫转向面对现实。随后，他坐在钢琴前弹唱了经典讽刺歌曲《接下来是谁》（Who's Next），以欢快的旋律历数了从美苏两霸、法国、中国，再到印尼、南非、埃及、以色列乃至卢森堡与美国阿拉巴马州的核扩散荒诞链条。整首歌通过对大国自欺欺人的“均势”说辞与地区冲突的滑稽推演，深刻讽刺了冷战时期全面失控的核军备竞赛。 ## Atmosphere & style 整场表演洋溢着冷战时期特有的黑色幽默与极具知识分子气质的讽刺锋芒。莱勒端坐于钢琴前，神态轻松自若，以近乎百老汇风格的明快节奏与轻巧唱腔，包裹着关乎人类存亡的沉重核危机议题。这种欢快旋律与核毁灭荒谬推演之间的剧烈反差，给观众带来一种忍俊不禁却又细思极恐的独特视听体验。 ## Bulletin - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) 汤姆·莱勒在开场白中剖析了中国成功试爆原子弹后美国媒体的微妙措辞转变，指出媒体十八年来首次将‘红色中国’改称为‘中国’、将‘装置’承认为‘炸弹’。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 莱勒通过经典讽刺歌曲《接下来是谁》（Who's Next），以轻快的旋律串联起美、苏、法、中及中东等地区的核军备竞赛链条，无情解构了‘均势论’与各国的道德粉饰。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 歌曲尾声将核扩散的荒诞链条推向极致，从卢森堡、摩纳哥等欧洲微型国家一路戏谑推演至美国深南部的阿拉巴马州，揭示了全球陷入相互威慑恐慌的荒谬本质。 ## Key takeaways - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) 莱勒调侃中国原子弹试验对美国媒体而言是一次前所未有的思想飞跃，迫使其打破长达十八年假装对方不存在的鸵鸟心态。 - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) 冷战话语体系的破防：面对既成事实，美国媒体不得不放弃带有轻蔑意味的‘装置’，改口承认那是真正的‘炸弹’。 - [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) 核心命题‘接下来是谁’：大国核垄断被打破后，全球不可避免地滑向更加难以预测的多边核扩散链条。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 讽刺超级大国的道德优越感：莱勒以‘我们热爱和平与母爱’调侃美国将自身拥核正义化的双重标准。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 对冷战‘均势理论’的犀利解构：苏联拥核被当时主流舆论用维持均势来粉饰，沦为自我安慰的说辞。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 西方盟友间微妙的不信任感：歌词以充满怀疑的‘我相信他们站在我们这一边’，讽刺法国拥核给西方阵营带来的心理裂痕。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 针对中国拥核的黑色幽默：以‘至少五年内还没法把我们彻底消灭’的说法，戏谑民众在冷战核阴云下的侥幸与恐惧。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 对南非种族隔离制度的辛辣讽刺：将核武诉求荒诞化为黑人与白人各需要一枚，刺破种族隔离政策的病态逻辑。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 宗教信仰与军事威慑的撕裂：借用《诗篇》典故指出，尽管经文宣称耶和华是牧者，但中东对抗双方仍笃信核弹才是终极护身符。 - [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 核扩散链条的超现实推演：从微型国家卢森堡、摩纳哥再到民权运动冲突前沿阿拉巴马州，揭露了军备竞赛无休止蔓延的毁灭性虚无。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=16s) 开场白：核扩散与美国媒体的措辞转变汤姆·莱勒（Tom Lehrer）在钢琴前轻松开场，谈及当时国际地缘政治的一大震荡：美国媒体几周前报道了中国成功引爆原子弹的消息。莱勒带着招牌式的讽刺幽默指出，这不仅是中国自身的“一大步”（借用了“大跃进”的说法），对美国媒体来说更是一次前所未有的思想飞跃。他调侃称，美国媒体十八年来一直鸵鸟式地指望对方凭空消失，如今终于被迫面对现实。莱勒进一步分析了媒体话语体系里微妙的用词转变：以往媒体总是带着意识形态偏见称其为“红色中国”（Red China），但这次他们生平第一次直呼其为“中国”（China）；同样地，过去为了淡化威胁总将其称作某种“装置”（device），如今也终于改口承认那是一枚货真价实的“炸弹”（bomb）。正是在这种核武门槛被接连打破的紧张国际现实下，莱勒引出了这首歌的核心追问：“既然中国已经拥有了炸弹，那么接下来会是谁呢？” - 莱勒讽刺美国媒体长达18年的鸵鸟心态：“For 18 years they've been hoping it would just go away.” - 媒体措辞发生根本性软化：由“Red China”变为“China”，由“device”直白地改称“bomb”。 - 莱勒以反问句引出表演主旨：“So with China possessing the bomb, it makes us wonder: who's next?” ### [00:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw&t=56s) 歌曲表演《接下来是谁》（Who's Next）莱勒随后弹唱起经典讽刺歌曲《接下来是谁》（Who's Next），以欢快明朗的旋律历数了核扩散的荒诞链条。他唱道，最开始是美国先造出了原子弹，这自然被粉饰为天大的好事，因为“我们热爱和平与母爱”；紧接着苏联也搞出了核弹，但大家自我安慰说这无伤大雅，因为“均势”（balance of power）借此得以维持。随后法国也步入核武俱乐部，莱勒以怀疑的语调调侃道：“法国造出了原子弹，但不必悲伤，因为我相信他们站在我们这一边。”面对刚刚拥核的中国，他则戏谑地安慰听众不必恐慌，毕竟“他们在至少五年之内还没法把我们彻底消灭”。随着歌词推进，这场核军备竞赛滑向了完全失控且滑稽的边缘。印尼宣称随时都要搞到一枚；实行种族隔离的南非更是狮子大开口想要两枚——莱勒随口补了一句：“没错，黑人一枚，白人一枚。”来到中东战场，局势更加紧绷：埃及打算弄一枚，用途不言而喻（“用在‘你懂的’那个人身上”）；这让以色列如坐针毡，也必须搞一枚用于自卫，莱勒借用《诗篇》典故讽刺道：“诗篇虽然说耶和华是我们的牧者，但为了以防万一，我们最好还是搞颗炸弹。”最后，莱勒将讽刺推向荒诞高潮：卢森堡和摩纳哥可能紧随其后，而当美国本土的阿拉巴马州也造出核弹时，大家只能努力保持平静与安宁。全曲在莱勒对“接下来是谁”一声高过一声的追问与华丽的钢琴收尾中戛然而止。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: 核军备扩散顺序示意图 accDescr: 歌曲中按照历史发展和讽刺推演展示的国家/地区核扩散路径。 subgraph 初期超级大国 A["美国 (USA)"] --> B["苏联 (Russia)"] end subgraph 欧洲与亚洲大国 B --> C["法国 (France)"] C --> D["中国 (China)"] end subgraph 区域冲突与失控推演 D --> E["印尼 / 南非"] E --> F["埃及 / 以色列"] F --> G["卢森堡 / 摩纳哥 / 阿拉巴马州"] end ``` - 大国拥核的虚伪说辞：莱勒唱道，“First we got the bomb and that was good, 'cause we love peace and motherhood.” - 均势理论的自欺欺人：苏联拥核被解释为“'cause the balance of power is maintained that way.” - 意识形态与同盟阵营的微妙怀疑：对法国拥核的评价是“'cause they're on our side, I believe.” - 讽刺宗教信仰与军事威慑的矛盾：“The Lord is our shepherd, says the Psalm, but just in case, we better get a bomb.” - 荒诞化蔓延的终极场景：从欧洲微型国家（卢森堡、摩纳哥）一直戏谑推演至美国深南部正在经历激烈民权冲突的阿拉巴马州。 ## Mentioned 汤姆·莱勒（Tom Lehrer）, 《接下来是谁》（Who's Next）, 中国, 美国, 苏联, 法国, 印度尼西亚, 南非, 埃及, 以色列, 卢森堡, 摩纳哥, 阿拉巴马州, 挪威广播公司（NRK） ## Video description Tom Lehrer on public domain (2020): https://tomlehrersongs.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Lehrer-Collection-CD-DVD/dp/B0039TD73G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1284930177&sr=8-3 Use the above link and get the uninterrupted Lehrer TV-performance and The Tom Lehrer Collection from Amazon.com. http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257149 If you live in the United States you can also buy the collection from Shout! Factory, using the above link. http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/tom-lehrer/id293867859 Use the above link to buy Tom Lehrer's songs on iTunes. - - - This song was published three times: A "Wikipedia"-version, THIS version (without Wiki quotes) AND a new 4:3 HQ-version in August of 2009. Select the one you prefer. "Who's Next" (here in the full second version with intro) is unfortunately still a hot topic today. Iran will maybe have the bomb ready before South Africa? This is the republished version of August 2008 without the Wikipedia quote and with Tom Lehrer's original spoken intro. Lehrer said "OK" to "The Tom Lehrer wisdom channel" on YouTube, as long as the performance is not altered and as long as it's free in the YouTube flash video format. Click on the user name and visit the channel's front page. And here is a link to a NEW channel support page: http://home.broadpark.no/~emeyn/tl/ © Tom Lehrer Recording date: September 11th 1967 Format: Ampex Quadruplex PAL 4:3 Status: A very rare recording Storage: Sony Digital Betacam Production and preservation: The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation - the NRK, Norway. More here: http://www.nrk.no/informasjon/about_the_nrk/1.3698504 [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw)

Original transcript

[0:16] all right uh [0:18] a few weeks ago the american press [0:21] reported that china had exploded a [0:24] nuclear bomb [0:25] now this was a great leap forward for [0:27] china of course but it was an even [0:29] greater leap forward for the american [0:30] press [0:31] because for the first time they called [0:33] it china instead of red china [0:36] for 18 years they've been hoping it [0:37] would just go away [0:39] and for the first time they called it a [0:41] bomb instead of a device [0:45] so with china possessing the bomb it [0:48] makes us wonder who's next [0:56] first we got the bomb and that was good [0:58] cause we love peace and motherhood then [1:01] russia got the bomb but that's okay [1:03] cause the balance of power is maintained [1:05] that way who's next [1:11] france got the bomb but don't you grieve [1:13] cause they're on our side i believe [1:16] china got the bomb but have no fears [1:18] they can't wipe us out for at least five [1:20] years who's [1:25] uh next indonesia claimed that they were [1:28] going to get one any day south africa [1:31] wants two that's right one for the black [1:33] and one for the white who's next [1:40] egypt's gonna get one too [1:45] just to use on you know who [1:50] so [1:51] israel's getting tense wants one in self [1:54] defense the lord is our shepherd says [1:57] the psalm but just in case [1:59] we better get a bomb [2:08] is next to go and who knows maybe monaco [2:11] we'll try to stay serene and calm when [2:14] alabama gets the bomb who's next who's [2:18] next who's [2:19] next who's next