This book uses the song “Brother, can you spare a dime?” as a focal point to examine the development in American popular cultural history from its original context, a mix between vaudeville and Broadway musical through its first recordings and its long-term legacy.
The book includes chapters on the writers and the way that their immigrant background and personal histories impacted their art as well as discussions of the Great Depression, Broadway and musical history, and the socialist politics that are reflected in the lyrics.