Variations on a Theme of Hidin': Hidden Artists' Names of a Master Lyricist.

The lyrical music composer's initial name was Irwin Hochberg. His surname was German and possibly Yiddish as well. Hochberg means "high mountain" in German, possible a synonym for Zion, Hebrew for "elevation", symbolizing the Jewish religious hill in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount.

When he got older, he changed his name to Edgar Y. (for yip) Harburg. Yip is short for YIPSEL (?squirrel" in Yiddish, YIPSELE for little squirrel) because his maneuvered around so quickly and adroitly as a child.

At the age of 25, he changed his name to Edgar Y. (still Yip) Harburg. "Edgar" apparently to sound more acculturated. HAR means "mountain" in Hebrew; BURG means "fortified residence" often "castle" in German, sometimes "fortified town" in German. (Massada anyone?

He got "blacklisted". Hochberg wasn't a Negro, though he sympathized with them.

He composed landmark pieces, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime", "Paper Moon". "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", which added a rainbow to L. Frank Baum's little novel about the Wizard of Oz.

He wrote "How are Things in Glocca Morra?", for Finian's Rainbow.

He wasn't inclined to yip, but some of his critics did.

Bonus ritual comment: "If you break bread, do you have to repair it?"

See Who is Dietz Ziechmann