Jerry Bock
Was born in New Haven, Connecticut on November 23rd, 1928. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to THE BODY BEAUTIFUL in Philadelphia. Next, Jule Styne and Tommy Valano helped Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss into writing MR. WONDERFUL starring Sammy Davis Jr. The title song and “Too Close For Comfort” are still going strong. Bock and Harnick’s collaboration yielded five scores in seven years. "THE BODY BEAUTIFUL", "FIORELLO!" (winner of Broadway’s triple crown: The Tony Award, The New York Critics’ Circle Award and The Pulitzer Prize in drama). "TENDERLOIN, SHE LOVES ME" - (winner of Variety’s poll of critics as best musical), "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" - (nine Tonys, notably the citation for best musical of the year), "THE APPLE TREE" and "THE ROTHSCHILDS". Since then, Bock and Harnick were triply honoured by being inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame, receiving the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Spirit of American Creativity Award from the Foundation for a Creative America.
Sheldon Harnick
He was born and raised in Chicago,
His first song in a Broadway show
was, "The Boston Beguine" for New
Faces of 1952. Harnick joined up with
composer Jerry Bock to write their
own musicals. While the first Bock
& Harnick musical, The Body
Beautiful in 1958 showed promise, it
was their second musical,
FIORELLO! in 1959, that put the
team on the map. Their next musical,
TENDERLOIN (1960), set in the
seamy Tenderloin district of late
19th century New York, was followed
by SHE LOVES ME (1963), which
beguiled audiences with its Central
European charm and operetta
elegance. In 1964 Bock & Harnick,
working with Jerome Robbins and
book writer Joseph Stein, created a
musical masterpiece that had a
timeless appeal.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. It
earned the Tony Award, New York
Drama Critics' Circle Award, a gold
record and a platinum record. In
1971, United Artists released the
film version starring Topol. After
FIDDLER, Bock & Harnick went on
to include such fare as THE APPLE
TREE. This was followed by THE
ROTHSCHILDS. Harnick's other
collaborators in musical theatre have
included: Michel Legrand, for whom
Harnick translated The Umbrellas
of Cherbourg before working
together on a musical of A Christmas
Carol in 1981; and Joe Raposo,
where their joint credits included
Sutter's Gold (1980), and
A Wonderful Life (1986), a musical
based on Frank Capra's holiday
classic. His version of Lehar's The
Merry Widow was premiered by the
San Diego Opera Company. His
translation of Georges Bizet's
Carmen was commissioned and
premiered by the Houston Grand
Opera in 1981. He wrote the theme
songs for two films, The Heartbreak
Kid (1972) and Blame it On Rio
(1984). He is a member of The
Dramatists Guild and the Songwriters
Guild of America. In addition to his
Tonys, Pulitzer and Grammys, his
many honours include: The Johnny
Mercer Award presented by the
Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Marc
Blizstein Memorial Award for
achievement in the creation of opera
librettos, presented by the American
Academy and Institute of Arts and
Letters.

If I Were A Rich Man

Words & music by:-
Sheldon Harnick & Jerry Bock

"Dear God, you made many, many poor people.
I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor.
But it's no great honour either!
So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?"

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town.
A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below.
There would be one long staircase just going up,
And one even longer coming down,
And one more leading nowhere, just for show.

I'd fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks
For the town to see and hear.
And each loud "cheep" and "swawk" and "honk" and "quack"
Would land like a trumpet on the ear,
As if to say "Here lives a wealthy man."

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man's wife
With a proper double-chin.
Supervising meals to her heart's delight.
I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock.
Oy, what a happy mood she's in.
Screaming at the servants, day and night.

The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them,
Like a Solomon the Wise.
"If you please, Reb Tevye..."
"Pardon me, Reb Tevye..."
Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes!
And it won't make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong.
When you're rich, they think you really know!

If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men,
Several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

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