Primary Source: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932), music by Jay Gorney, words by Yip Harburg, recorded by Rudy Vallée
Guided Discussion Questions
- Yip Harburg wrote the lyrics to “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” but he’s more famous for writing the lyrics to all the songs from the film The Wizard of Oz. What might we extrapolate about his politics from the lyrics he wrote? Do you think it’s possible that a song with these politics could become a mainstream hit today? Why or why not?
- In the bridge, the singer tells of “half a million boots slogging through hell,” a reference to World War I (1914-1918). What do you think the relevance of the war was to listeners of this song in 1932?
- Rob Kapilow describes the apparent dissonance between the Broadway-style of the song, the lyrics, and–especially as the song reaches its climax–the music itself. What do you think Gorney and Harburg accomplished through this combination and the subversion of the Broadway form? How did it serve their message?
- Is this a protest song? Why or why not? How does it differ from other types of protest songs with which you might be familiar?
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