Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, can you spare a dime?

"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 1931 by lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" was part of the 1932 musical New Americana; the melody is based on a Russian lullaby Gorney heard as a child. It became best known, however, through recordings by Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee. Both versions were released right before Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election to the presidency and both became number one hits on the charts. The Brunswick Crosby recording became the best-selling record of its period, and came to be viewed as an anthem of the shattered dreams of the era.

Summary

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, in bread lines.

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 a 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 aggressive "Buddy, can you spare a dime?"

Update

During the bad times in the 1970s, the New York Times asked Harburg to update "Brother" for a new age, and he responded with:

Once we had a Roosevelt
Praise the Lord!
Life had meaning and hope.
Now we're stuck with Nixon, Agnew, Ford,
Brother, can you spare a rope?

Other recordings

• Al Jolson live performance recorded in the early 30's.
• Peter, Paul and Mary recorded a version in 1965, for their album See What Tomorrow Brings.
• Barbra Streisand recorded a version in 1966, for her album My Name is Barbra, Two....
• Spanky And Our Gang recorded a version in 1967, on their "Spanky and Our Gang" album.
• Tom Jones recorded a version in 1970, for his album I Who Have Nothing.
• Judy Collins recorded a version in 1975, for her album Judith.
• Peter Yarrow (from Peter Paul and Mary) recorded alone in 1975 for his album Hard times.
• Tom Waits recorded a version in 1976, for his album Spare Parts.
• Tiny Tim recorded a version in 1979, for his album Chameleon
• The Dave Brubeck Quartet recorded a version in 1980, for the album Tritonis
• George Michael recorded a version in 1999, for his 1999 album Songs from the Last Century.

Gallery

• 

  Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

• 

  Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.

• 

  Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;

• 

  Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
  Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
  Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime? Media

• 

  Unemployed men outside a soup kitchen in Chicago, 1931.

Other websites

• Songs of the Great Depression Archived 2010-01-19 at the Wayback Machine – 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