Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Introduction -- Sigmund Romberg and the Europeans -- Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein and "Show Boat" -- George and Ira Gershwin -- Early Rodgers & Hart -- Anatomy of the popular song : The verse ; The chorus ; The lyric -- Vincent Youmans -- DeSylva, Brown and Henderson -- Harold Arlen (and Ted Kãihler) -- Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz -- Andy Razaf and the African connection -- Sheet music -- Cole Porter -- "Porgy and Bess" -- Writing for Fred Astair : Irving Berlin ; Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern ; George and Ira Gershwin -- Duke Ellington (and Billy Strayhorn) -- Hoagy Carmichael (and Mitchell Parish) -- Late Rodgers & Hart -- Harry Warren (and Al Dubin and Mack Gordon) -- E.Y. Harburg and "The wizard of Oz" -- The songs of World War II -- Johnny Mercer -- Made in Hollywood : "As time gãis by" and "Laura" -- Kurt Weill (and Ira Gershwin and Vernon Duke) -- Rodgers & Hammerstein -- Singers of the song -- Irving Berlin : the theater songs -- Jule Styne (and Sammy Cahn) -- Frank Lãisser -- Betty Comden and Adolph Green -- Stephen Sondheim (and Leonard Bernstein) -- Jimmy Van Heusen (and Johnny Burke and Sammy Cahn) -- Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lãiwe -- John Kander and Fred Ebb (and Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) -- Songs by category.