Question

The prevailing greeting at that time, on every block you passed, by some poor guy coming up, was: “Can you spare a dime?” Or: “Can you spare something for a cup of coffee?” . . . “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” finally hit on every block, on every street. I thought that could be a beautiful title. If I could only work it out by telling people, through the song, it isn’t just a man asking for a dime.

This is the man who says: I built the railroads. I built that tower. I fought your wars. I was the kid with the drum. Why the hell should I be standing in line now? What happened to all this wealth I created?

Why does Harburg feel that “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” is a legitimate question, not just a plea from a beggar?
With their hard work, these individuals had invested in their country and they deserved to be suitably rewarded.
Manual labor jobs were replaced by white-collar jobs, so construction workers had no more options.
A dime was only a small amount of money that could feed an entire family for many days.
All of the wealthy had retained their riches, while the poor had to suffer through the Depression.

Answer 1

Answer: With their hard work, these individuals had invested in their country and they deserved to be suitably rewarded.

Explanation: Harburg frames the speaker as someone who built the railroads, towers and fought in wars — a person who contributed to the nation’s prosperity. The song asks why that contribution hasn’t been matched by a fair share of the wealth (“What happened to all this wealth I created?”), so the question is about justice and entitlement, not just begging. The other choices are either inaccurate or not supported by the passage.