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Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

Harburg & Gorney
Language: English


Harburg & Gorney

List of versions


Related Songs

Brother, Won't You Join In The Line?
(Peggy Seeger)
Remember My Forgotten Man
(Dubin & Warren)
In the Colosseum
(Tom Waits)


Riprendo il testo da:

http://www.ocap.ca/songs/sparedim.html

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"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", also called "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?", was one of the best-known American songs of the Great Depression.

Written in 1931 by lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" was part of the 1932 musical New Americana. It became best known, however, through recordings by Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee. Both versions were released right before Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election to the presidency and both became number one hits on the charts. The Warner Bros. 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. No song better captures the dark spirit of this period in time.

The song was also recorded more recently by the singer George Michael for his album Songs from the Last Century.
(Wikipedia)
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?

Contributed by Riccardo Venturi - 2005/3/28 - 23:24




Language: Italian

Traduzione italiana di Riccardo Venturi
Piacenza 21 marzo 2018 18:42
FRATELLO, PUOI METTERE DA PARTE UN DECINO?

Mi dicevano
che stavo costruendo un sogno.
E così ho seguito tutti quanti
quando c'era terra da arare
o armi da portare
ero sempre là
preciso al lavoro.

Mi dicevano
che stavo costruendo un sogno
avviato verso pace e gloria.
Perché allora devo stare in fila
aspettando solo del pane?

Una volta ho costruito una ferrovia,
l'ho fatta andare in funzione
e correre contro il tempo.
Una volta ho costruito una ferrovia,
e ora è tutto finito.
Fratello, puoi mettere da parte un decino?

Una volta ho costruito una torre che arrivava al sole,
mattoni, rivetti e calce.
Una volta ho costruito una torre,
ora è tutto finito.
Fratello, puoi mettere da parte un decino?

Una volta in uniforme kakì
accidenti se sembravamo eleganti,
pieni di tutte quelle marcette militari.
Mezzo milione di stivali arrancavano a fatica per l'inferno
e io ero il tamburino!
Dimmi, non te ne ricordi?
Mi chiamavano Al.
Ero sempre Al.
Perché non te ne ricordi?
Sono il tuo amico.
Dimmi, amico mio, puoi mettere da parte un decino?

Una volta in uniforme kakì
accidenti se sembravamo eleganti,
pieni di tutte quelle marcette militari.
Mezzo milione di stivali arrancavano a fatica per l'inferno
e io ero il tamburino!
Dimmi, non te ne ricordi?
Mi chiamavano Al.
Ero sempre Al.
Perché non te ne ricordi?
Sono il tuo amico.
Dimmi, amico mio, puoi mettere da parte un decino?

2018/3/21 - 18:42




Language: Finnish

Testo finlandese / Finnish lyrics / Paroles finnoises / Suomenkieliset sanat: Vexi Salmi

VIPPAA MULLE VIITONEN

Tietä ennen sotaa Petsamoon,
vuoden tein, muistan sen.
Nyt jo maantien tekoon vanha oon.
Vippaa mulle viitonen.

Korpeen maata palan raivasin
auraten, kylväen.
Pellot jäivät sodan jalkoihin.
Vippaa mulle viitonen.

Sinne jonnekin tieni kun vei,
ystävät kaikki palanneet ei.
Siellä haaveistain
mä luopua sain,
on arpia vain muistonain.
Silloin kyllä minuun myös luotettiin,
tarvinnut muita en.
Nyt on usko mennyt ihmisiin,
vippaa mulle viitonen.

Sinne jonnekin tieni kun vei,
ystävät kaikki palanneet ei.
Siellä haaveistain
mä luopua sain,
on arpia vain muistonain.
Silloin kyllä minuun myös luotettiin,
tarvinnut muita en.
Nyt on usko mennyt ihmisiin,
vippaa mulle viitonen.

Nyt on usko mennyt ihmisiin,
vippaa mulle viitonen.

Vippaa mulle viitonen.

Contributed by Juha Rämö - 2018/3/21 - 10:59


George Michael, dopo averla incisa per la prima volta nell'album di cover jazzate Songs From The Last Century (1999), le rimase molto affezionato per tutta la vita (anche perchè questo, alla sua veneranda età, resta un brano perfettamente aderente alla poetica "di solidarietà sociale" disvelata dallo stesso cantautore britannico in forse poche ma assai significative canzoni come Praying For Time, Hand To Mouth e Crazyman Dance), cantandola ad esempio al concerto benefico Netaid (1999), al Pavarotti and Friends (2000) e da ultimo nel suo tour orchestrale Symphonica (2011-2012), oltre a scegliere la versione del Pavarotti and Friends come B-side del CD singolo An Easier Affair (2006).

- da Songs From The Last Century:



- da Netaid:




- da Pavarotti and Friends:




- da Symphonica:

Alberta Beccaro - Venezia - 2018/3/20 - 18:09


Here's another one by Tom Waits:

Juha Rämö - 2018/3/21 - 00:12




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