Lyric writing (Popular music)

Industrial musicals were like Broadway shows, only written and performed for corporate sales meetings or conventions. And as ridiculous as the songs were -- "My bathroom, my bathroom is a private kind of place" -- they were often delivered by very talented people.

Cahn spoke with Fresh Air's Terry Gross in 1985, and -- as you'll hear -- he'd sing his songs at the slightest provocation. He died in 1993, at the age of 79.

Industrial musicals were like Broadway shows, only written and performed for corporate sales meetings or conventions. And as ridiculous as the songs were — "My bathroom, my bathroom is a private kind of place" — they were often delivered by very talented people.

Hal David, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning lyricist, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 91. David is best known for his many collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach between the late '50s and the mid-'70s.

The country singer and guitarist, who helped create the Bakersfield sound, spent the early years of his life in and out of prison. After his final release, he recorded several hits about prison life, including "Mama Tried" and "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive." In 1995, he spoke to Terry Gross about his incarceration and his lengthy music career.

The songwriter's hits include George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," Tanya Tucker's "I Believe the South Is Going to Rise Again," Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Toby Keith's "I Want to Talk About Me." In 2007, he joined Terry Gross for a conversation about his inspirations and his muses in the music world.

The songwriter talks about some of his greatest hits, including "MacArthur Park" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." His latest album, Just Across the River, features a series of duets with some of the singers he wrote for, including Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams and Vince Gill.

The legendary composer and lyricist -- who collaborated on tunes like "Raindrops Keep Falin' on My Headd," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "What's New Pussycat?" -- discuss their 50-year relationship and some favorite tunes from the Broadway revival of their musical, Promises, Promises.

Lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer -- born Nov. 18, 1909 -- wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs, including American Songbook standards like "Skylark," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." HIs Academy Awards tally includes a statue for what's possibly his most famous tune, "Moon River." Fresh Air marks the anniversary of his birth with an in-studio concert starring Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg.

One of the most beloved musicals by composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick is back on Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, at the Minskoff Theatre. It stars Harvey Fierstein as Tevye -- and Rosie O'Donnell as Golde. The show includes a new song Bock and Harnick wrote. Bock and Harnick also collaborated on Fiorello (which won a Pulitzer Prize), She Loves Me, and The Rothschilds. This interview originally aired on June 21, 2004.