Lorenz Hart Books

Lorenz Hart is one of the finest lyricists in the history of American musical theater. He is largely responsible for elevating the process of writing lyrics into an art form. Before Hart, lyrics were usually trite and predictable with simplistic rhymes such as "I am blue, and so are you."

Hart wrote lyrics that are cerebral and sophisticated. His compositions are infused with wit and wisdom. He used complex rhymes. An example from "My Funny Valentine": "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable. Yet you're my favorite work of art. Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak? When you open it to speak, are you smart?"

Another example from "Bewitched": "I'm wild again, beguiled again, a whimpering simpering child again...." And yet another example from "Lady is a Tramp": "She gets too hungry for dinner at eight. She likes the theater but never comes late. She never bothers with people she hates. That's why the lady is a tramp."

Hart could be wistful and romantic as in "My Romance": "My romance doesn't need to have a moon in the sky. My romance doesn't need a blue lagoon standing by. No month of May. No twinkling star. No hideaway. No soft guitar."

Hart's lyrics are consistently observant and very often ingenious. They are the perfect match for the variety and intricacy of Richard Rodgers' superb music.

When you read through this collection of Hart's compositions, you will realize why this diminutive, gifted and endearing artist is a true giant of the musical theater.

Very few collections of lyrics are worth reading as literature. First there was W.S. Gilbert, who showed the way that intelligent lyrics need not be anathema to a light-hearted musical; and whose lyrics can stand as independent poems. Afterwards we had P.G. Wodehouse, Cole Porter, Noel Coward, Ira Gershwin--and the best of 'em all, Lorenz Hart.

Not only is what he says witty but how he says it is even wittier. There is no room here to give examples of his incredible rhymes. But turn to the single example of "To Keep My Love Alive" which might be the very last set of lyrics he wrote before a lifetime of alcohol finally took its toll; and then compare it with any Gilbert's "list" songs to see the genius of this artist.

On an other level, any student of psychology will pounce upon the self-lacerating images conjured up in his "love" songs. Because of his own physical problems, we have "My Funny Valentine" in which the love object is "less than Greek" with a chin that's a little weak. And being in love is little more than "broken dates" and "flying plates."

His out and out parodies rival Cole Porter's, as witness "Way Out West on West End Avenue" with its kitchen range and so on. And all this is helped by his "signature" trick of breaking up words in the middle to get rhymes like "Summer journeys to Niagra/ And to other places aggra-/ Vate, all our cares."

On the level of Broadway musical history, the value of this collection speaks for itself, especially with the fine photographs and annotations about every show and then every song within the show. A scholarly masterpiece.

So how come you don't have a copy?

Lorenz Hart is one of the finest lyricists in the history of American musical theater. He is largely responsible for elevating the process of writing lyrics into an art form. Before Hart, lyrics were usually trite and predictable with simplistic rhymes such as "I am blue, and so are you."

Hart wrote lyrics that are cerebral and sophisticated. His compositions are infused with wit and wisdom. He used complex rhymes. An example from "My Funny Valentine": "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable. Yet you're my favorite work of art. Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak? When you open it to speak, are you smart?"

Another example from "Bewitched": "I'm wild again, beguiled again, a whimpering simpering child again...." And yet another example from "Lady is a Tramp": "She gets too hungry for dinner at eight. She likes the theater but never comes late. She never bothers with people she hates. That's why the lady is a tramp."

Hart could be wistful and romantic as in "My Romance": "My romance doesn't need to have a moon in the sky. My romance doesn't need a blue lagoon standing by. No month of May. No twinkling star. No hideaway. No soft guitar."

Hart's lyrics are consistently observant and very often ingenious. They are the perfect match for the variety and intricacy of Richard Rodgers' superb music.

This biography is quite detailed with a number of amusing anecdotes. It is a must read for those who want to know more about this endearing, erratic, and gifted artist Lorenz Hart. His contributions to musical theater are profound and timeless.

I read that book many years ago while at VICTORIA,B.C.where my sister lives.I had pick it up at a local library.It was actually the first real account of RODGERS and HART and their collaboration of twenty-three years(1920-1943),apart from DICK RODGERS's autobiography published the year before.Several passages of this book are about LARRY HART and his bout with booze that finally killed him at age 47.The story of how the show I MARRIED AN ANGEL was created is really something to read.Apparently,LARRY wrote half the lyrics of that show in one single night.If you like RODGERS and HART,you'll enjoy reading that book.There is only one problem:it was never reedited.Local librarys or used book stores are your alternatives.

I'm giving this 5 stars, though Dorothy Hart (editor and wife of Larry's brother) deserves only 4. First the bad stuff. The lyrics (and it doesn't even come close to being a complete collection) are rife with typos, lines left out of stanzas, words changed (e.g. in "Way Out West," the line in the verse Hart wrote goes "Where seldom is heard an intelligent word," his sister-in-law wrote "...discouraging word"). That's the bad part. If you want to read a complete (?) collection of Hart's lyrics with all the verses, choruses and no typos, I think there's still one out there, my copy (bought when it was released) is hardbound, but I think I heard that it's come out in paperback. Now the good stuff. This book is filled with magazine and newspaper articles about Hart contemporary with him, recollections by his contemporaries (including Vivienne Segal), a plethora of photos, and information about Hart from Dorothy. I found it fascinating. I also found it in a dark and dusty corner of a used book store in NYC brand new but already oop. If you like Rodgers and Hart or Hart, I highly recommend flushing out a copy. Maybe an old beat up one just to read and look at if not a nice new one to cherish and save. The dust cover of mine is on the tattered side now.

Good, concise listing and presentation of what these two men contributed to songs that live on.

This is a good book for beginners, but includes only the melody lines and notations for simplified chords for 20 songs (i.e., no full piano arrangement). Do not be misled by the number '156' in the title. It does not contain 156 songs. This is number 156 in the EZPlay Today series by Hal Leonard publishing company.

This is the vocal score to the 1959 version of Babes in Arms- a very popular Rogers and Hart show. It has songs like, where or when, Johnny one note, I wish I were in love again, my funny valentine, and the lady is a tramp. The show differs greatly from the 1939 film(which was based on the 1937 show) starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, but it is still a great find for all you lovers of musical theatre.

This is a wonderful book to have for auditions. Many favorite songs of R&H are in the book along with interesting information.

I bought this book based on the "Look Inside" feature. The look inside feature takes you to a very different book - one with pictures and piano sheet music. The book presented here is a small paperback. It contains the lyrics and the melody line only - not suitable for piano.