Read the excerpt from the interview with e. y. (yip) harburg. the prevailing greeting at that time, on every block you passed, by some poor guy coming up, was: “can you spare a dime? ” or: “can you spare something for a cup of coffee? ” . . “brother, can you spare a dime? ” finally hit on every block, on every street. i thought that could be a beautiful title. if i could only work it out by telling people, through the song, it isn’t just a man asking for a dime. this is the man who says: i built the railroads. i built that tower. i fought your wars. i was the kid with the drum. why the hell should i be standing in line now? what happened to all this wealth i created? why does harburg feel that “brother, can you spare a dime? ” is a legitimate question, not just a plea from a beggar?