BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“brother can you spare a dime” was written in 1932 with music by Jay Gorney and lyrics by Yip Harburg for the Broadway revue Americana. The first popular recordings were issued later that year by vocal artists including Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallée, capturing its role as a symbolic anthem of the Great Depression.

The song asks the listener to reflect on social and economic despair, giving voice to those who built the nation but found themselves asking for a dime. Musically it departs from typical show‑tune brightness by opening in a minor key, and the melody flows through dramatic peaks and quiet introspection; the chord structure supports emotional expression and the song has been adapted for both vocal and instrumental jazz performance.