Brother,CanYouSpareADime?

この曲は作詞家のハーバーグと作曲家のゴーニーによって、1932年、ブロードウェイミュージカル"New Americana"のために書かれました。同年10月、ビング・クロスビーとディル・バレーによってルーズベルト大統領の当選の直前に別々にリリースされ、そのどちらもがヒットチャートの一位を獲得しました。

当時、アメリカ人の４人に1人が職に就けず、銀行はほとんど破綻しかかっていました。この曲には大恐慌時代の人々の暗い気持ちが如実に表れています。"dime"は10セント銀貨のことで、曲名は、”兄弟、10セント貸してくれないか？”と言う意味になります。

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

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 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 doodle dee 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?

Once in khaki suits,
Ah, gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum!
Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Oh, say don't you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember?
I'm your pal.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?