“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” gave voice to the millions of Americans struggling to get by during the Depression. Composer Jay Gorney, who immigrated from Białystok (modern-day Poland), based the song on a Russian-Jewish lullaby; lyricist E. Y. Harburg added refrains he heard on street corners to authentically reflect the experiences of unemployed people. “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” captured the grief, frustration, and anger of so many people who felt abandoned by their country.