In , a young New York City lyricist named E. It was considered by Republicans to be anti-capitalist propaganda, and almost dropped from the show; attempts were also made to ban the song from radio. The Bing 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. In the song a beggar talks back to the system that stole his job. I wanted to write a song to make people think.
The song asks why the men who built the nation — built the railroads, built the skyscrapers — who fought in the war, 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 and in bread lines. They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob, When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
The Great Depression would not truly end until the U. Americans have always prided themselves on their willingness to work hard in pursuit of the American Dream. The Great Depression, though, shook their faith. Almost overnight, hard work was not always enough to prevent hunger and homelessness. Bread lines where food was handed out to the unemployed and homeless were familiar sights during the Great Depression. By the s, an extensive system of railroads crisscrossed the U. In , some 17, war veterans and their families traveled to Washington, D.
Several veterans were killed when U. The lyrics criticize how veterans who had risked their lives for their country were now being treated with so little respect by the country they had served. He was co-owner of an electrical appliance company that went bankrupt shortly after the Great Depression began. His loss was a big gain for American music. Harburg was a strong supporter of socialism.
These sympathies made Harburg many enemies who accused him and other socialists of being anti-American. He was placed on a Hollywood blacklist that banned him from working in the film industry from In , songwriters E.
Gorney was basing the music on a lullaby he remembered from his childhood in Russia. He set the tune mostly in a minor key, one that suggests a sense of sadness and loss. A young man approached Gorney, his collar turned up and his hat pulled low. Popular crooners Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee both recorded versions of it and the song blew the top off the music charts.
For the first time since the Great Depression began, it seemed, someone had put words and music to what many Americans were feeling—fear, grief, even anger. The song itself, though, angered some rich and powerful Americans. Pro-business leaders believed the tune was a dangerous attack on the American economic system.
They tried to ban it from Broadway and block it from being played on the radio. Music, movies, family, and government aid helped people get through this dark period. The Great Depression, though, dragged on for more than ten years. Every song has a story about why it was written.
Songs from the past are like recordings from long ago. They give us a sense of what our parents, grandparents, and extra-old ancestors feared, hoped for, and celebrated. Discover the multicultural heritage and history of America through explorations of immigrant life, the lives of legendary pioneers like Lewis and Clark, the modern political system, and significant works of American music, including our National Anthem.
Travel the historic silk road, explore European castles, and discover the long-lasting influence of ancient cultures on modern society in this journey through the past and around the globe. Photographer Dorothea Lange, whose picture Migrant Mother is one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. See how Lange used her camera to tell the story of Depression-era Americans. The image evoked national sympathy, rather than scorn, for the hungry and homeless.
Eric Friedman Director, Digital Learning. Tiffany A. Bryant Assistant Manager, Audience Enrichment. Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.
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