"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", also sung as "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?", is one of the best-known American songs of the Great Depression. Written in 1930 by lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" was part of the 1932 musical revue Americana; the melody is based on a Russian-Jewish lullaby Gorney's mother had sung to him as a child. It was considered by Republicans to be anti-capitalist propaganda, and almost dropped from the show; attempts were made to ban it from the radio. The song became best known, however, through recordings by Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee. They were released right before Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election to the presidency. The Brunswick Crosby recording made on October 25, 1932 with Lennie Hayton and his Orchestra became the best-selling record of its period, and came to be viewed as an anthem to the shattered dreams of the era.
Video Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Summary
In the song a beggar talks back to the system that stole his job. Gorney said in an interview in 1974 "I didn't want a song to depress people. I wanted to write a song to make people think. It isn't a hand-me-out song of 'give me a dime, I'm starving, I'm bitter', it wasn't that kind of sentimentality". The song asks why the men who built the nation - built the railroads, built the skyscrapers - who fought in the war (World War I), who tilled the earth, who did what their nation asked of them should, now that the work is done and their labor no longer necessary, find themselves abandoned and in bread lines. Asking for an act of charity, the singer requests a Dime (equivalent to $1.46 in 2017).
It refers to "Yankee Doodle Dum", a reference to patriotism, and the evocation of veterans also recalls protests about military bonuses payable only after 21 years, which were a topical issue.
Maps Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Musical structure
The song has unusual structure for a Broadway song. Firstly, rather than starting in a major key, as most Broadway songs do, it begins in a minor key, which is darker and more appropriate for the Depression. When discussing the prosperous past and building the railroads, the song jumps an octave and moves briefly into a major key, evoking energy and optimism. It then reverts to the augmented dominant of the minor key in the word "time" in the line "Once I built a railroad, made it run / Made it race against time," marking the end of prosperous times, and changing to a wistful mood. The song then ends, not on a note of resignation, but with anger - repeating the beginning (as is usual for Broadway songs), an octave higher, but with a significant change: the friendly "Brother, can you spare a dime?" is replaced with the more assertive "Buddy, can you spare a dime?"
Update
During the malaise of the 1970s stagflation, The New York Times asked Harburg to update "Brother" for a new age, and he responded with:
Other recordings
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet released a jazz instrumental arrangement of the piece on their 1955 album, Brubeck Time; Brubeck plays main phrase on piano in many styles including rag and baroque.
- Peter, Paul & Mary recorded a studio version under the title "Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime?" for their 1965 album See What Tomorrow Brings.
- The Youngbloods released a version of the song on their 1967 debut album, Jesse Colin Young & The Youngbloods.
- Spanky and Our Gang, on the group's 1967 album of the same name, featuring lead singer Elaine MacFarlane.
- Judy Collins recorded a studio version of this song in her 1975 Judith (album).
- Ronnie Lane recorded a version in 1975, which was released as a single.
- Abbey Lincoln sang this jazz standard on her album You Gotta Pay the Band (1991) accompanied by prestigious jazz musicians as Stan Getz, Hank Jones and Charlie Haden.
- Les Deux Love Orchestra recorded a version in 2009 which appeared on The Huffington Post.
- George Michael recorded a version for his 1999 album Songs from the Last Century and his live album Symphonica.
- A recording by Walker Edmiston is featured during the Great Depression scene of The American Adventure attraction at Epcot within Walt Disney World Resort.
Notes
External links
- Songs of the Great Depression - lyrics, prepared by Professor Catherine Lavender for courses in The Department of History, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York.
- Explanation of lyrics
- There are multiple videos of this song on YouTube. Included at the time of this note are the Bing Crosby & Rudy Vallee recordings and at least one Spanish language version.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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