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Yip Harburg: A Lyricist For The Ages

E.Y. "Yip" Harburg.
Courtesy of the Yip Harburg estate
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg.

During his 84 years on the planet, Yip Harburg contributed brilliant lyrics to some of the finest melodies of the American popular song canon.

Most of his songs were originally written for Broadway shows or Hollywood musicals. Finian's Rainbow is probably his most popular stage work, but he's best known for working with composer Harold Arlen on music for The Wizard of Oz, a collaboration which won them an Oscar for "Over the Rainbow."

What follows is the work of five singers, each putting his or her own stamp on the lyrics of Yip Harburg.

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