Laureate (Irving Berlin)

Abstract In the aftermath of September 11, the whole country seemed to be singing “God Bless America,” underscoring Irving Berlin’s unimpeachable place in American song. (Berlin wrote the piece toward the end of World War I, but suppressed it until the outbreak of World War II, fearing that it might be too broad or corny.) No other songwriter has written as many anthems, including “White Christmas,” “Easter Parade,” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” No one else has written as many pop songs, period. Yet although Berlin was lauded as a tunesmith of genius as far back as 1911, when he debuted “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” he is often undervalued as a lyricist and said to lack Porter’s erudition, Hart’s interior rhymes, and Mercer’s homespun wisdom. The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin, edited by Robert Kimball and Linda Emmet, spans 81 of the composer’s 101 years (1888–1989) and implicitly asks us to reconsider his achievement. In addition to highlighting his gift for economy, directness, and slang, it presents Berlin as an obsessive, often despairing commentator on the passing scene.