The enduring anthem of the Great Depression, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", emerged from the creative partnership of lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney.
Early Education and Influences
Harburg attended Townsend Harris High School, where he initiated a lifelong friendship with Ira Gershwin. Their shared enthusiasm for the light verse of W. S. Gilbert eventually steered Harburg toward his career as a lyricist. After graduating from the City College of New York in 1921, he initially pursued a business career, co-owning the Consolidated Electrical Appliance Company. The 1929 stock market crash bankrupted the enterprise, leaving him with significant debts that spurred his transition into full-time professional songwriting.
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Working in Hollywood, Harburg contributed to several integrated musicals, most notably The Wizard of Oz. His role extended beyond composing lyrics; he served as a final script editor, providing narrative coherence to the film's dialogue and song sequences. Throughout his career, he partnered with prominent composers, including Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, Jule Styne, and Burton Lane.
Social Commentary and Theatrical Success
Harburg utilized his platform to advocate for labor unionism and equality. His Broadway musical Bloomer Girl, staged in 1944, focused on the temperance movement and the history of the Underground Railroad. His 1947 production, Finian's Rainbow, achieved distinction as a Broadway musical featuring a racially integrated chorus line while simultaneously satirizing American financial practices and Jim Crow laws.
Political Conflict and Blacklisting
Harburg faced professional repercussions during the McCarthy era, despite never joining the Communist Party. Following his inclusion in the Red Channels pamphlet, he was blacklisted from radio, television, and film for twelve years, between 1950 and 1962. During this period, his passport was revoked, preventing international travel, and he navigated the failure of his 1951 musical Flahooley, which critiqued contemporary anti-communist sentiment.
Fast facts
- Born: 1896, Lower East Side
- Died: 1981, Hollywood
- Education: Townsend Harris High School, City College of New York
- Academy Award for Best Original Song: 1940
- Johnny Mercer Award: 1981
- Citizenship: United States
- Languages: English
- Religious views: Atheism
Questions readers ask
Did Yip Harburg belong to the Communist Party?
No, he was a member of the Socialist Party and maintained an interest in the Young People's Socialist League.
What caused Harburg's twelve-year professional blacklisting?
His involvement with the Hollywood Democratic Committee and his refusal to identify reputed communists led to his inclusion in the Red Channels report.
Achievements
- Academy Award for Best Original Song — 1940
- Educated at City College of New York
- Worked as composer, songwriter and screenwriter
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