Brother can you spare a dime?

[Bart Swanson]

Does anyone know the melody and chords to Brother, Can You Spare a Dime
written by E.Y. Harburg? Are there any sites that still have the melody and
chords available?

[HOCKEY RG]

Hi Bart,

I don't know the answer to your question, but I can tell you:

DON'T SING IT IN SANTA MONICA!

Rich :)

[Will Borgeson]

Bart Swanson (bswa...@efn.org) wrote:
: Does anyone know the melody and chords to Brother, Can You Spare a Dime

: written by E.Y. Harburg? Are there any sites that still have the melody and
: chords available?

Do you mean "Loan Me a Dime," from Boz Scaggs' first solo album? This
tune was supposedly written by Boz, at least so said the LP's liner notes,
but one Fenton Robinson successfully sued for composer credit...in any
case, I haven't seen that one on OLGA.

Will

[gark...@aol.com]

In article <7lsujd$6qa$1...@mark.ucdavis.edu>,
szbo...@dogbert.ucdavis.edu (Will Borgeson) wrote:

> Do you mean "Loan Me a Dime," from Boz Scaggs' first solo album? This
> tune was supposedly written by Boz, at least so said the LP's liner
notes,
> but one Fenton Robinson successfully sued for composer credit...in any
> case, I haven't seen that one on OLGA.
>
> Will
>

No, Will, he means "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime", an old depression
era standard recorded by countless artists.

George Garklavs

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

[Bob Clayton]

>Does anyone know the melody and chords to Brother, Can You Spare a Dime
>written by E.Y. Harburg? Are there any sites that still have the melody and
>chords available?

Don't know about the on-line availability, though there may be such. You could
try the Mudcat.com's Digital Tradition, which is aimed at lyrics and other info
on traditional songs, but this is loosely defined, so the song may be there. I
know the chords and tune, but don't have my guitar here at work, so I won't be
able to type it up for you. I do it in Am formation, and know that it mainly
runs (from opening phrase):

Am/E7/A7/D7/F/C/E7

Dm/E7/Am/F/E7/Am

this is done twice, then the bridge happens:

A7/D/Edim/D/E7/Am
A7/D/Edim/A/D7/E7/

Then the first set of chords once again.

This is all from memory, so you may encounter a clinker once or twice, but
it'll get you started.

BTW, scholars differ on some of these chords, particularly in the bridge.

Bob (hope this helps) Clayton, S.R.

Quality music since 1963.

[Will Borgeson]

gark...@aol.com wrote:

: No, Will, he means "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime", an old depression

: era standard recorded by countless artists.
:
: George Garklavs

Finally, something here that's before my time! ;=>

Will

[Will Borgeson]

I do however have the lyrics, as performed by Bing Crosby in 1932:

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?
Once I built a railroad
I made it run
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad
Now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower up to the sunn
Brick and rivet and lime.
Once I built a tower,
Now it's done,
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits
Gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dum.
Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say don't you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember?
I'm your pal.
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?

Will

[Paul Homchick]

On 6 Jul 1999 21:52:17 GMT, szbo...@catbert.ucdavis.edu (Will
Borgeson) wrote:

>gark...@aol.com wrote:
>
>:"Brother, Can You Spare A Dime",

>
>Finally, something here that's before my time! ;=>

In addition to "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" Harburg also wrote
"It's Only a Paper Moon", "April in Paris", and was the lyricist for
Wizard of Oz and Finian's Rainbow.

In 1932 "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" got to the top of the charts
for BOTH Bing Crosby and Rudy Valee. In slighty more modern times,
Peter Paul & Mary as well as Judy Collins have recorded excellent
versions.

[Forrest W. Anderson]

The way Peter, Paul and Mary did it was roughly like this:

Am

Once I built a railroad

E7 A7
I made it run
Dm Dm7
I made it run against time
Dm E7

Once I built a railroad

Am F
But now it's done
E E7 Am
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower

Way up to the sun

Of bricks and mortar and lime

Once I built a tower,

But now it's done.

Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Bridge:
Am Am7
Once in khaki suits,
Am Am7
Gee we looked swell
Am F E7

Full of that yankee doodle dum

Am Am7
A half a million boots
Am Am7
went sloggin' through hell
Am F E7
And I was the kid with the drum.
Am
Say don't you remember
E7 A7
You called me Al
Dm Dm7 Am

It was Al all the time.

Dm E7
Say don't you remember,
Am F
I was your pal ...
E7 Am E7
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Repeat first verse.

Best wishes,

Forrest

Bart Swanson wrote in message <7ls372$i9g$1...@news.efn.org>...

[Eric Schoenberg]

There's a great version by Fred Hellerman on one of the Weaver's records, highly recommended. Bing's original version is also very beautiful. The first time I heard it was by Judy Roderick at the Philly Folk Festival, and it blew me away. I would love to hear that again but don't know if she ever recorded it. If anyone knows of a recording, I would love to hear about it.

These are the chords I use, derived as best I could from the original sheet music and from Bing's recording (it should line up with a fixed font setting):

Am

They used to tell me

         Dm

I was building a dream.

Am                    Dm

And so I followed the mob

G7             C

When there was earth to plow

   F#sus4
Or guns to bear
       F7b5
I was always there
             E7sus4 - E7
Right on the job.

Am

They used to tell me

         Dm

I was building a dream

Am                   G

With peace and glory ahead.

G7         C                E7

Why should I be standing in line

Am               E7sus - E7
Just waiting for bread?

Am
Once I built a railroad
  E7      A7
I made it run

D7      G7           C - E7

Made it race against time.

Dm             E7
Once I built a railroad

Am       F7
Now it's done
Dm6              E7      Am
Brother, can you spare a dime?
 

Once I built a tower up to the sun

Brick and rivet and lime.

Once I built a tower,

Now it's done,
Brother, can you spare a dime?

A7
Once in khaki suits
Bbdim         A7
Gee we looked swell
             Bbdim         A7
Full of that yankee doodle dum.
Dm                                         D7

Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell

    C         B7           E7
And I was the kid with the drum!

Am
Say don't you remember?
E7             A7
They called me Al.
D7     G7         C

It was Al all the time.
Dm              E7

Why don't you remember?

Am       F7
I'm your pal.
Dm6                E7      Am
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?
 
 

Bart Swanson wrote:

Does anyone know the melody and chords to Brother, Can You Spare a Dime
written by E.Y. Harburg?  Are there any sites that still have the melody and
chords available?

--
Eric Schoenberg (Guitars)  http://www.wenet.net/~guitar
106 Main St
Tiburon, CA   94920
(415) 789-0846
 

[no...@pacbell.net]

>
> Bart Swanson wrote:
>
> Does anyone know the melody and chords to Brother, Can You
> Spare a Dime
> written by E.Y. Harburg?  Are there any sites that still
> have the melody and
> chords available?
>
> --
> Eric Schoenberg (Guitars)  http://www.wenet.net/~guitar
> 106 Main St
> Tiburon, CA   94920
> (415) 789-0846
>  

try "Al Bowlly's in heaven" by richard thompson