Yip Harburg Puns

My heart is like the willow
That bends, but never breaks.
It sighs when summer jilts her,
It sings when April wakes.

So you, who come a-smiling
With summer in your eyes,
Think not that your beguiling
Will take me by surprise.

My heart's prepared for aching
The moment you take wing.
But not, my friend, for breaking
While there's another spring.

The song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU

The Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother,_Can_You_Spare_a_Dime%3F

Very recent intervew about this: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/12/26/a_tribute_to_yip_harburg_the

I am looking to learn more about the specific details about the Red Scare, specifically the McCarthy period. I am especially interested in the House of Un-American Activities Committee. My grandfather was brought up in front of the HUAC during the Korean War because he was directing a production of Finan's Rainbow for some military officers at the Pentagon--a musical which was written by Yip Harburg, who was to my understanding blacklisted by the same committee for suspected Communist activities. My grandfather wrote in his journal that he was brought in front of Joseph McCarthy himself, but my grandfather was known for exaggeration and tall tales. Beyond that, he never spoke much about it, and passed away this last year so I can't ask him for more details. Would Joseph McCarthy have been present at all the hearings, or only the big profile ones? What would the hearing process have entailed for someone like my grandfather? Would he have been entitled to a lawyer? Would he have been allowed to speak on his own behalf at all? What were the general proceedings like?

I recently watched "East/West," and I've been trying to extract all of the literary and cinematic references. Most of the ones I've caught have already been discussed here, but I think maybe one has been overlooked.

It began with the kernel of an idea that Rabbi Milligan in this episode was symbolically a leprechaun, hiding his gold in Liberal, Kansas, a place that seems to be over the rainbow. And then I started noticing similarities to "Finian's Rainbow," a 1947 Broadway musical with book and lyrics by Yip Harburg, the same guy who wrote all the song lyrics for "The Wizard of Oz," including "Over the Rainbow."

I was reading the Wikipedia article on the movie version of "Finian's Rainbow," and came across this:

"The Coen brothers have expressed that the film is among their favorite films: 'I remember when we worked with Nicolas Cage on Raising Arizona, we talked about his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, and told him that Finian's Rainbow, which hardly anyone has ever seen, was one of our favorite films. He told his uncle, who I think has considered us deranged ever since.'"

Yip Harburg was an American lyricist famous not only for those two rainbow-related projects, but also "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" He was an atheist and a socialist, blacklisted during the McCarthy era. (We hear McCarthy on the car radio in "East/West.") "Finian's Rainbow" was one of the first musicals with an integrated cast, and the story dealt with racism and integration in America. White people and Black people living together was a major plotline, and this is reflected in the plot of "East/ West" as well.

Similarities:

1. In "Finian's Rainbow," a leprechaun's pot of gold has been stolen. If he doesn't get it back, he'll turn mortal. This parallels Rabbi's story. He discovers that the Indiana brothers have taken and spent most of his hidden money, and he dies by the end of the episode.

Leprechauns are considered solitary figures of the fairy world, often depicted as cobblers and known for hiding their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. They try their best to avoid people, but in some stories they are said to kidnap children or replace them with changelings.

Rabbi is an Irishman who has hidden his money in a Kansas town with a weird, Oz-like vibe. (BTW, the leprechaun in the musical is named Og.) In "East/West," Rabbi has taken Satchel away for his protection. He and Satchel are both changelings, in a sense. Rabbi also has a hole in his shoe that needs repair by a cobbl

Do your worst!

For context I'm a Refuse Driver (Garbage man) & today I was on food waste. After I'd tipped I was checking the wagon for any defects when I spotted a lone pea balanced on the lifts.

I said "hey look, an escaPEA"

No one near me but it didn't half make me laugh for a good hour or so!

Edit: I can't believe how much this has blown up. Thank you everyone I've had a blast reading through the replies 😂

They’re on standbi

Pilot on me!!

Dad jokes are supposed to be jokes you can tell a kid and they will understand it and find it funny.

This sub is mostly just NSFW puns now.

If it needs a NSFW tag it's not a dad joke. There should just be a NSFW puns subreddit for that.

Edit* I'm not replying any longer and turning off notifications but to all those that say "no one cares", there sure are a lot of you arguing about it. Maybe I'm wrong but you people don't need to be rude about it. If you really don't care, don't comment.

What did 0 say to 8 ?

" Nice Belt "

So What did 3 say to 8 ?

" Hey, you two stop making out "

I won't be doing that today!

You take away their little brooms

This morning, my 4 year old daughter.

Daughter: I'm hungry

Me: nerves building, smile widening

Me: Hi hungry, I'm dad.

She had no idea what was going on but I finally did it.

Thank you all for listening.

There hasn't been a post all year!

It’s pronounced “Noel.”

After all his first name is No-vac

What, then, is Chinese rap?

Edit:

Notable mentions from the comments:

• Spanish/Swedish/Swiss/Serbian hits

• French/Finnish art

• Country/Canadian rap

• Chinese/Country/Canadian rock

• Turkish/Tunisian/Taiwanese rap