UNCW creative writing professor, Phillip Furia dabbles in many different aspects of his field including poetry and nonfiction. He often writes books on lyrics and lyric writers and even wrote the first biography of southern musician, Johnny Mercer. However, he is more recently known for the “Great American Songbook” series he records for WHQR radio.

One night a week, Furia goes to WHQR and records segments for their radio show.  This UNCW professor usually teaches creative writing classes, but in this segment he talks about music.  Furia has always been a fan of music and lyrics. He especially pays specific attention to the poetic quality of the lyrics.

When asked about his radio segment, Furia explained that it is very similar to radio programs that talk about what happened on that day in American history or literary history. In this segment, Furia introduces a classic song and talks about who wrote it and what it was used for, such as a movie or a musical. Then a different version of the song is played, one that was recorded by a more modern musician.

“It is interesting to see that these songs are so good that singers keep on wanting to sing them,” said Furia. Jazz musicians, Hollywood, and revisited musicals play a major role in keeping these classic tunes alive.

Jazz musicians started finding the classic jazz chords boring, so they began to look to the past. Ira Gershwin’s music particularly appealed to jazz musicians due to the variety of chords. Thus more classic songs originally by artists like Frank Sinatra and Gershwin were reborn.

Hollywood also played a part in reviving classic music. More recently, classic songs have been played in movies and television shows. Some soundtracks even include songs dating all the way back to the twenties.

In the past few years many musicals have been revisited on Broadway, bringing their songs back with them. For example, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” was revived this year and starred Daniel Radcliffe.  The revival of shows brings the revival of music which is crucial in keeping classic show tunes and songs around.

Why do these songs stick around? Is it because of their musical integrity, their great rhythm and beat, or is it because people just love the musical composition?

“When we think about classical music, we often think of European music,” explains Furia. “These songs are the closest things we have to classical music in America. Our great American heritage is the body of music we have accumulated and the lyrics that come along with it.”

The most impressive thing when looking at classic songs is the lyrics. Most of the time lyric writers often had to write songs based on the music. Basically, the music came first and then it was up to the lyricists to add words in after. Lyric writers of this time had this challenge but many went above and beyond, making their lyrics not only fit, but clever as well. For example, George Gershwin once wrote “I’ve got rhythm/ I’ve got music/ I’ve got my gal/ Who could ask for anything more?”

To hear more about our classic American heritage in music, check out Phillip Furia’s “Great American Songbook” series. It airs at 1:30 p.m. on weekdays on WHQR.