If I Only Had a Brain

Born and raised in New York, Harold Arlen (1905-1986) worked in Vaudeville and Broadway, and throughout the 1930s he honed his craft by writing shows for Harlem’s Cotton Club. Gradually his career shifted toward the West Coast, where he spent increasing time writing for Hollywood films. Already quietly successful, his real breakthrough came in 1938 when MGM contracted him to write songs for a new project, The Wizard of Oz. Arlen’s most notable songs from that film include “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Only Had a Brain”.

(c) Jason Stell