In this essay, Errico reflects on Harburg’s legacy as she celebrates the release of the new single “Happiness is Just A Thing Called Joe,” a collaboration with pianist Lara Downes

I consider myself an acolyte in the church of Yip. By Yip, of course I mean E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, one of the lyricists in The American Songbook I feel closest to. Porter may be more brilliantly witty, Hart harder edged and modern, and Sondheim remains the nonpareil. But for soulful American themes, the author of “Over The Rainbow” is still my best friend. Yip writes beautiful questions in his songwriting, and in “How are Things in Glocca Morra?”, which has become something like my personal anthem, he essentially asks a bird (and the breeze) if they can bring back news from Sharon, the singers’ home, which we come to understand is a symbolic place, a peaceful place, an Arcadian place, without racism or hate.

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