As we mentioned last show, music of the depression era was mostly full of escapist fantasies based on love and/or longing, with few exceptions.

The songs featured in this show were all published in the midst of the depression, and yet only one has a theme that addresses poverty directly. The unchallenged star of today’s program is Frank Sinatra, who provides us with three classic recordings.

Featured tracks are:

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime – Bing Crosby

Don’t Blame Me – Nat King Cole

How Deep Is the Ocean? – Frank Sinatra

(I Don’t Stand) A Ghost of a Chance – Duke Ellington

I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues – Louis Armstrong

Isn’t It Romantic – Coleman Hawkins

I’ve Got the World on a String – Louis Prima

Let’s Put Out the Lights (and Go to Bed) – Dean Martin

Mimi – Maurice Chevalier

Night and Day – Frank Sinatra

Say It Isn’t So – Greta Keller

The Song Is You – Frank Sinatra