How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that little brook still leaping there?
Does it still run down to Donny-cove?
Through Killy-begs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Does that laddie with the twinklin’ eye
Come whistlin’ by and does he walk away,
Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
So I ask each weepin’ willow
And each brook along the way,
And each lad that comes a whistlin’
Too-ra-lay
How are things in Glocca Morra
This fine day?
Burton Lane couldn't get a
handle on "the irish song" for Sharon (in Finian's Rainbow). Yip Harburg had given him the
dummy title "There's a Glen in Glocca Morra." Burton wrote fifty
opening phrases but couldn't get a handle on the song. Burton
described the moment to Michael Feinstein: "One day, Harburg came over
and asked how the song was going. Yip said, "Well, let's hear
something.' And very sarcastically I picked up my manuscript book and I
said, 'Okay, I'm going to start with the first one.' And I started to
play, 'da da dee da da da dee dum...' Yip was sitting across the room
from me, and when I looked at his face I knew he was hearing something
he liked! He said, 'Play it again.' I started to play and he stopped me
and said, 'No, start it. How are things in Glocca morra?' And the
minute he said, 'How are things...' it became personal. I knew we
were home. Who cares if there's a glen in Glocca Morra? But the minute
he said, 'How are things in Glocca Morra?' I said, 'Well, Yip,
don't you want to hear the other 49?' He said, 'We've got it! Forget
it!'