Yip Harburg

Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg, born Isidore Hochberg on April 8, 1896, was an American song lyricist and librettist. He worked with many famous composers to create memorable songs. Some of his most famous works include the lyrics for "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" with Jay Gorney, "April in Paris", and "It's Only a Paper Moon".

Harburg also wrote all the songs for the classic film The Wizard of Oz, including the beloved "Over the Rainbow". His lyrics often included messages about social issues. He supported fairness for all people, including those of different races, genders, and those who worked together in unions. Harburg passed away on March 5, 1981, but his songs continue to be cherished around the world.

Biography

Yip Harburg was born Isidore Hochberg on April 8, 1896, in the Lower East Side of New York City. His parents were Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants from Russia. He later changed his name to Edgar Yipsel Harburg, which he went by as "Yip".

Harburg loved theater and poetry from a young age. He attended Townsend Harris High School, where he became friends with Ira Gershwin. After graduating from City College in 1921, Harburg began writing light verse and later became a lyricist. He and Jay Gorney wrote the famous song "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" during the Great Depression.

Harburg moved to Hollywood and wrote songs for many famous composers. He wrote all the songs for the film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow". He also wrote for Broadway, creating shows with important social messages about equality and fairness.

During the 1950s, Harburg was blacklisted for twelve years because of his involvement in radical groups. He continued to write songs and musicals, including Flahooley in 1951. He passed away on March 5, 1981, at the age of 84.

Awards and recognition

Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1940 for "Over the Rainbow." They were also nominated for this award in 1944 for "Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe" from Cabin in the Sky, and in 1946 for "More and More" from Can't Help Singing.

The musical Jamaica, featuring Lena Horne, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1958.

Harburg was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and received its Johnny Mercer Award in 1981.

In 2001, a poll called "Songs of the Century" ranked Judy Garland's version of "Over the Rainbow" as the greatest recording of the 20th century. In 2004, a TV special announced that "Over the Rainbow" was the number one film song, with "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" at number 82.

In April 2005, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp to honor Harburg’s achievements. The stamp featured a rainbow and a lyric from "Over the Rainbow."

Stage shows

Yip Harburg worked on many stage shows as a lyricist and writer. Some of his notable works include Earl Carroll's Sketchbook of 1929, Garrick Gaieties, Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1930, and Simple Simon. He also contributed to famous productions like The Wizard of Oz and Finian's Rainbow. Harburg's talent shone in many revues and musicals over the years, showing his skill in creating memorable songs and stories.

See also Musicals by Yip Harburg.

Films

Yip Harburg wrote the lyrics for many popular songs in films. Some of the films include The Sap from Syracuse, Moonlight and Pretzels, The Singing Kid, Stage Struck, Gold Diggers of 1937, The Wizard of Oz, and Finian's Rainbow. He also worked on many other films where his songs were used again and again.

Notable songs

Yip Harburg wrote the words for over 500 songs. Some of his most famous ones include:

• "April in Paris", with Vernon Duke (1932)
• "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", with Jay Gorney (1932)
• "It's Only a Paper Moon", with Harold Arlen (1933)
• "Last Night When We Were Young", with Harold Arlen (1935)
• "I Love to Sing-a", with Harold Arlen, for the film The Singing Kid (1936)
• "Down with Love", with Harold Arlen, for the musical Hooray for What! (1937)
• "Over the Rainbow", "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" and others, with Harold Arlen, for the film The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• "Lydia the Tattooed Lady", with Harold Arlen, for the film At the Circus (1939)
• "And Russia Was Her Name", with Jerome Kern, for the film Song of Russia (1943)
• "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe", with Harold Arlen, for the film Cabin in the Sky (1943)
• "The Eagle and Me", and "Right as the Rain" with Harold Arlen, for the musical Bloomer Girl (1944)
• "Free and Equal Blues", with Earl Robinson, performed by Josh White (1944)
• "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?", "Old Devil Moon" and others, with Burton Lane, for the musical Finian's Rainbow (1946)
• "Cocoanut Sweet", with Harold Arlen, for the musical Jamaica (1957)

See also Songs with lyrics by Yip Harburg.

Books

Yip Harburg wrote several books of poems. His first book, Rhymes for the Irreverent, was published in 1965. He later released At This Point in Rhyme: E.Y. Harburg's Poems in 1976. In 2006, a new edition of Rhymes for the Irreverent was published, including poems from his earlier books and some that had never been published before.