Presenting music with Pierre Bensusan.

Terkel comments and presents musical performance of Gershwin program.

Son House discusses his life and career as a preacher and blues musician. He talks about his family, his religious background as a preacher, and his recent comeback after disappearing from music scene in 1943. He performs several songs during the interview, which have been removed due to copyright.

Martin Gottfried discusses his book "Broadway Musicals" and the history of the musicals by evaluating the different big name composers, lyricists, and directors of Broadway.

They briefly discuss coal mining in Appalachia, specifically Blackey Kentucky. Includes an interview with Joe Begley a coal miner from Blackey, Kentucky.

The opening song is a rebroadcast from a previous recording with Studs Terkel. John Prine talks about his family history in Paradise, Kentucky and when he was born and raised in Maywood, Illinois (Chicago Greater Area). Prine is known for humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs with social commentary, or which recollect melancholy tales from his life. All the songs are played in the studio from his albums "John Prine" and "Diamonds in the Rough"

Studs interviews Harry Chapin about his music and career. They discuss Chapin’s style of writing songs. Chapin describes some of his songs such as “Cats In the Cradle,” “Sniper,” “WOLD,” and “Mr. Tanner.” He stresses that his songs tell stories and often are influenced by real-life events. For example, “30,000 Bananas Pounds of Bananas” came from a trip he took on a Greyhound bus through Pennsylvania where there was a truck accident.

E.Y. (Yip) Harburg explains how songwriting needs to use and elevate street language to be successful, why he likes rainbows, and what creators of art and music owe the world. He also reads from his book "Rhymes for the Irreverent". Music is played from Finian's Rainbow: "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?", original Broadway cast recording. Part 2. Music has been removed from this recording for copyright reasons.

E.Y. (Yip) Harburg talks about the challenges in writing songs for characters, specifically Og in "Finian's Rainbow". He also discusses the craftsmanship of lyric writing and reads from his book "Rhymes for the Irreverent". Music is heard throughout: "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" performed by David Wayne and "The Eagle and Me", performed by Dooley Wilson. Part 1 Music has been removed from this recording for copyright reasons.