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Jay Gorney, one of the most active
writers of popular songs during the 1920s and 1930s, was
a graduate of the University of Michigan in 1917 (A.B.)
and in 1919 (LL.B.). After only one year in the practice
of law, Gorney moved to New York City and established a
very successful musical career. He wrote songs and
directed and produced musical plays, revues, and movies.
Some of his best-known songs were composed for Broadway
shows, such as this famous depression-era song,
ìBrother, can you spare a dimeî, written for
the musical revue, Americana, which opened on Broadway in
1932. The Jay Gorney Papers were donated to the
University of Michigan in 1969.
"Yip" (Edgar Yipsel) Harburg was born Irwin Hochberg in
1896 or 1898 on Manhattanís Lower East Side. When
his small business failed during the Great Depression, he
rapidly became successful as a lyricist. Over the years,
he collaborated with many composers, including, Vernon
Duke, Jerome Kern, and Jay Gorney, who wrote the music
for ìBrother, Can You Spare a Dime?î Harburg
also wrote the lyrics for shows such as Finian's Rainbow
and films such as The Wizard of Oz. His long list of hit
songs includes "April in Paris," "It's Only a Paper
Moon," "Over the Rainbow," and "How are Things in Glocca
Morra?" Harburg's Hollywood career came to a halt in the
early 1950s when he was blacklisted. A Marxist and a
democratic socialist, but never a Communist, he was
staunch advocate of a variety of radical causes. He died
on March 5, 1981 in Brentwood, California.
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Introduction
