Wrestling with Elephants: The Authorised Biography of Don Black

Whether lyricizing for Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical or giving words to John Barry's musica as Shirley Bassey belts out the latest James Bond theme, Don Black, a shy kid from a working class London Jewish neighborhood, has lived a magical showbiz life as a lyricist whose songs the whole world sings and enjoys. The book is both a personal story and an examination of exactly what the craft of lyric writing is--when it's good and when it's not--and how Black has added to the artform. From London to Hollywood and back again, his story is one of humility and, it seems, genuine niceness in a realm where sometimes venality and harshness rule the day. A subtitle might be "why GOOD things happen to GOOD people once in a while" and the author, a music writer who knows Black well, really gets inside this talented man's skin. Whether you are an aspiring lyricist or songwriter yourself or just a fan of the music of the past 40 years of popular songs and musicals, you'll find this a satisfying read.