Film Clips

E.Y. “Yip” Harburg: “Brother Can You Spare a Dime”

Film clip. Voices of a People’s History.
E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” (1932) is performed by Allison Moorer.

Time Periods: 20th Century, 1920
Themes: Art & Music, Economics
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Lyricist and poet E.Y. “Yip” Harburg. Photo: Song Writers Hall of Fame.

E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” (1932)

E.Y. “Yip” Harburg (Apr. 8, 1896 – Mar. 5, 1981) was the son of Jewish immigrants from Russia who lived in the Lower East Side of New York City. “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” became one of the best known songs of the Depression and was adopted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the theme song for his presidential campaign.

Film Clip Description

Yip Harburg’s, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932), is performed by Allison Moorer, May 2, 2007, at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, New York, NY. The excerpt is from Voices of a People’s History of the United States edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove.

More video clips can be found at the Voices of a People’s History website and in the film The People Speak.

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