Brother, Can You Spare a Dime

5 April 2024

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Music by Jay Gorney, Original lyrics by Yip Harburg

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

to the sun

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 Doodly Dum

Half a trillion boots

went slogging through hell

And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don’t you remember?

They called me Sal

It was Sal all the time

Why don’t you remember

I’m your pal

Say, buddy, can you spare

a dime?

Why don’t you remember

I’m your pal?

I was your pal all the time

Why don’t you remember

my name is Sal

Buddy, can you spare

a dime?