Question

Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg. This is the man who says: I built the railroads. I built that tower. I fought your wars. I was the kid with the drum. Why the hell should I be standing in line now? What happened to all this wealth I created? In this excerpt, Harburg explains that his song is giving a voice to

Answer 1

Answer:

In this passage, Harburg explains that his music is giving voice to the working class and soldiers who fought in the wars.

Explanation:

Harburg, is referring to the working class when he says, "I built the railroads. I built this tower," literally showing how the working class is important and deserve a voice in their favor. Similarly, when Harburg speaks of "I fought your wars" he is referring to the soldiers who fought in wars and took the victory to his country.

In the passage "Why the hell should I be standing in line now? What happened to all this wealth I created?",  Harburg reinforces the idea that workers and soldiers have built the wealth of their nations and should not be treated with less than they deserve.

Answer 2

Answer:

the forgotten : the ones who were treated badly by people in power.

Explanation:

This song was written in 1930 and reflects the consequence of the severe economic depression  that hit American society. The song gives a voice to those citizens who worked hard to build the nation but now were jobless and without money. They were the ones who made the U.S rich but when people in power destroyed that wealth, they did not care about those hard-working citizens.