BIRTHDAY SONG for the Monthly Review

BY E. Y. (Yip) HARBURG (1896-1981)

Sung to the tune of "The Streets of Laredo"

This song was originally written for MR's fifteenth anniversary in 1964. Yip revised and augmented it for the thirtieth anniversary in 1979. MR reprinted it in 1981,1994 and 1996.

When I was a lad

I wrote amorous ditties,

To Judy, Aleine, Edelina, and Sue,

But now that I'm gray

I've abandoned those pretties,

I'm singing my songs to the MONTHLY REVIEW.

For as you grow older

You sometimes grow wiser

If brain cells are plenty

And hormones are few

Why torture yourself with Elaine or Eliza

You're safer by far with the MONTHLY REVIEW.

That most intellectual

Slightly subsexual

Marx will protect you all MONTHLY REVIEW.

For fifteen long years

I've perused and pursued her,

I've waited whole months

For a sight of her, too

Whatever her mood

I still wooed and renewed her

That beautiful, sensible MONTHLY REVIEW.

II

I followed her madly

From Vietnam to China

To Cuba, to Ghana, New Guinea, Peru,

I may have been faithless

To my Edelina,

But not to that siren, the MONTHLY REVIEW.

That wise and effectively

Spoken objectively

Let's love collectively MONTHLY REVIEW.

Her light is the light

In the eyes of all lovers,

Her voice is the sound

Of a morning that's new

I take her to bed

And I find between covers

The comforting lines of my MONTHLY REVIEW.

Her format is lovely,

Her layout historic

Her foresight and hindsight

Are beautiful too,

Forgive me for being

So meta-euphoric

I swoon for my beautiful MONTHLY REVIEW.

That wholly reliable

Vibrant and viable

Tho F.B.I.-able MONTHLY REVIEW.

III

So here's to the goal

Of her bold aspirations,

And may the great day

Of her dream soon come true,

A lot more subscriptions

A few more donations

Will speed the good health of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

Oh bright be her journey,

Her long road made easy,

And strong be the hearts

Of her staff and her crew,

And blessed be her pilots

Brave Magdoff and Sweezy

And all the fine friends of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

And let us remember the Sybils, the Hubys,

The Harrys and others who brighten this night,

We honor their courage, rejoice in their humor

We sing in their spirit

We walk in their light.

With their anti-insanity

Free from all vanity

Friend of humanity MONTHLY REVIEW.