Yip Harburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yip Harburg
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Yip Harburg 1947
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Isidore Hochberg |
| Also known as | E. Y. Harburg, Yipsel Harburg |
| Born | April 8, 1896 Manhattan, New York |
| Origin | New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1981 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Associated acts | Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, Jule Styne, Burton Lane |
Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American lyricist and librettist. He wrote words for many famous songs. He worked with well-known composers.
Harburg wrote the lyrics for songs like "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", "April in Paris", and "It's Only a Paper Moon". He also wrote all the songs for the movie The Wizard of Oz. This included the very famous song "Over the Rainbow".
He was known for writing lyrics that commented on society. He believed in fairness for everyone. He supported equal rights for all races and genders. He also supported unions for workers.
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Who Was Yip Harburg?
Yip Harburg was born Isidore Hochberg on April 8, 1896. He was the youngest of four children. His family lived on the Lower East Side of New York City. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. They spoke Yiddish.
He later changed his name to Edgar Harburg. Most people knew him as Edgar "Yip" Harburg. He went to Townsend Harris High School. There, he became friends with Ira Gershwin. They both loved the musical comedies of Gilbert and Sullivan. They worked together on the school newspaper. They stayed friends for their whole lives.
His son, Ernie Harburg, said that Yip learned from Gilbert and the writer George Bernard Shaw. They taught him that humor can be a brave way to speak out against unfairness. Yip believed in a fair society for all people.
How Did Yip Harburg Start His Career?
After World War I, Harburg returned to New York. He graduated from City College in 1921. He got married and had two children. He started writing short, funny poems for local newspapers.
He also owned a company that sold electrical appliances. But the company went out of business after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This left Harburg with a lot of debt. He worked for many years to pay it all back.
After this, his friend Ira Gershwin suggested that Harburg should start writing song lyrics. Gershwin introduced Harburg to Jay Gorney. They worked together on songs for a Broadway show called Earl Carroll's Sketchbook. The show was a hit!
Harburg then became a lyricist for other successful shows. One of these was Americana in 1932. For this show, he wrote the lyrics for "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" Jay Gorney wrote the music. This song became very popular across the country. It was like an anthem for people during the Great Depression.
Yip Harburg's Work in Hollywood and Broadway
Harburg and Jay Gorney were offered a job in Hollywood with Paramount Pictures. In Hollywood, Harburg worked with many famous composers. These included Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, Jule Styne, and Burton Lane.
He later wrote the lyrics for The Wizard of Oz. This movie was one of the first "integrated musicals." This means the songs were a big part of telling the story. For The Wizard of Oz, Harburg won an Oscar for Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow."
What Was Yip Harburg's Role in The Wizard of Oz?
Yip Harburg's son, Ernie Harburg, who also wrote about his father, explained more about his work on The Wizard of Oz. He said that Yip also wrote much of the movie's dialogue. He helped set up the songs. He even wrote the famous scene where the characters get their heart, brains, and courage.
There were many writers on the movie. But Yip Harburg was the final script editor. He brought all the parts together. He wrote his own lines. This helped make the movie a complete work of art. Even though he only got credit for the lyrics, his influence was very important.
Broadway Successes with Social Messages
Working in Hollywood did not stop Harburg from creating shows on Broadway. In the 1940s, he wrote musicals that had important social messages.
One successful show was Bloomer Girl (1944). It was set during the American Civil War. The story was about women's rights and the fight to end slavery. It celebrated equality for women and the Underground Railroad.
Harburg's most famous Broadway show was Finian's Rainbow (1947). This show might have been the first Broadway musical with a chorus line that included people of different races. It featured his song "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich." The story made fun of American money practices. It also criticized politicians who were against progress. It spoke out against unfair treatment of workers and racism, like the Jim Crow laws. Finian's Rainbow was later made into a movie in 1968.
Yip Harburg and the Blacklist
Yip Harburg was a member of the Socialist Party. He even joked that "Yip" stood for the "Yipsels," which was the nickname for the Young People's Socialist League. He was involved in groups that were considered radical at the time.
Because of this, he was put on a "blacklist." This meant he was blocked from working in Hollywood films, television, and radio. This lasted for twelve years, from 1950 to 1962. He was named in a pamphlet called Red Channels. He was also involved with the Hollywood Democratic Committee. He refused to name people who were thought to be communists.
Harburg wrote to the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950. He said he was shocked by the idea that he was connected to communist ideas. During this time, he could not travel outside the country because his passport was taken away.
He wrote the lyrics for the musical Flahooley (1951). This show made fun of the anti-communist feelings in the country. However, it only ran for a short time on Broadway.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1966, Harburg helped songwriter Earl Robinson with a song called "Hurry Sundown". They worked together on the song. It was recorded by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary for their album in 1966. The song became a single and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Yip Harburg died on March 5, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. He was driving on Sunset Boulevard when he passed away.
Awards and Recognition for Yip Harburg
In 1940, Yip Harburg won an Oscar. He shared it with Harold Arlen. It was for Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz. He was also nominated for Oscars for songs in Cabin in the Sky (1943) and Can't Help Singing (1944).
Harburg was honored in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
In 2001, a poll ranked Judy Garland's version of "Over the Rainbow" as the Number One recording of the 20th century. This poll was done by the Recording Industry Association of America.
In 2004, the American Film Institute announced the 100 greatest film songs. "Over the Rainbow" was Number One. "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" was Number 82.
In April 2005, the United States Postal Service released a special stamp. It honored Harburg's achievements. The stamp showed a picture of Harburg with a rainbow and a line from "Over the Rainbow."
Famous Songs by Yip Harburg
- "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" (1932) with Jay Gorney
- "April in Paris" (1932) with Vernon Duke
- "It's Only a Paper Moon" (1933) with Harold Arlen
- "Last Night When We Were Young" (1935) with Harold Arlen
- "Down with Love" (1937) with Harold Arlen
- "Over the Rainbow" (1939) with Harold Arlen
- "We're Off to See the Wizard" (1939) with Harold Arlen
- "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" (1939) with Harold Arlen
- "Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe" (1943) with Harold Arlen
- "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" (1946) with Burton Lane
- "Old Devil Moon" (1947) with Burton Lane
Broadway Shows Yip Harburg Wrote For
- Earl Carroll's Sketchbook of 1929 (1929)
- Americana (1932) - included "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?"
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1934 (1934)
- Hooray for What! (1937)
- Bloomer Girl (1944)
- Finian's Rainbow (1947)
- Flahooley (1951)
- Jamaica (1957)
Movies with Yip Harburg's Songs
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- At the Circus (1939)
- Babes on Broadway (1941)
- Cabin in the Sky (1943)
- Can't Help Singing (1944)
- Gay Purr-ee (1962)
- Finian's Rainbow (1968)
See also
In Spanish: Yip Harburg para niños
