1930's The Arts | "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady"

Song

By: E.Y. Harburg

Date: 1939

Source: Harburg, E.Y. "Lydia the Tatooed Lady," in At the Circus. Original release, 1939, MGM. Directed by Edward Buzzell. VHS.

About the Artist: Edgar Y. ("Yip") Harburg (1896–1981) wrote the lyrics to "Lydia" and all of the other songs in the Marx Brothers film At the Circus. After he lost his electrical appliance company in New York in the stock market crash of 1929, he began writing song lyrics. He wrote the lyrics for "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," an anthem for the Great Depression, The Wizard of Oz's "Over the Rainbow," and "April in Paris."

Introduction

Born and raised in New York, the Marx brothers were noted for their zany slapstick comedy. Although Zeppo and Gummo, the two youngest brothers, left the act in 1935 to pursue other behind-the-scenes show business careers, Chico, Groucho, and Harpo...