Everything old is new again—

—unfortunately, in this case.










Brother, can you spare a dime?




Came across this tune while listening to a Thea Gilmore Cd and thought about how relevant these lyrics have remained since they were written. Circa, 1931
They're certainly befitting these uncertain economic times.

Cut from wikipedia:
"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.^[1]

Once I built a railroad, made it run
Made it race against time
Once I built a railroad, now it's done
Brother, can you spare me a dime?

Once I built a tower to the sun
Brick and rivet and lime
Once I built a tower, now it's done
Buddy, can you spare me a dime?

Once in khaki suits, boy, we looked swell
Full of that Yankee-Doodle-dum
Then half a million boots went sloggin off to Hell
I was the kid with the drum

Say, don't you remember, you called me "Al"
It was "Al" all the time
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal
Buddy, can you spare me a dime?

Once in khaki suits, boy, we looked swell
Full of that Yankee-Doodle-dum
Then half a million boots went sloggin off to Hell
I was the kid with the drum

Say, don't you remember, you called me "Al"
Then, it was "Al" all the time
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal
Buddy, can you spare me a dime?
Oh, buddy, can you spare me a dime?
Yeah, buddy, can you spare me a dime?

  

In the troubling times of the 1970's, the New York Times asked Harburg to add an updated verse. 

This was his addition:

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?

------------------------------------------------------
Wonder how he would write it today?
 Maybe...

Once we had a Bush
Started 2 wars
Thought we had the bird in hand
Now we have Obama
Still 2 wars
Somebody said... Yes, we can...

But Brother, I need more...  than a dime.