Oscar Hammerstein Jr. on hatred, racism and anti-semitism;
In South Pacific, Hammerstein believed that " You have to carefully taught" to perpetuate hatred and fear of other groups. It begins in the home since " Children will Listen" as Stephen Sondheim also wrote  for " Into The Woods." Barbra Streisand weaves both songs into a powerful reminder that passing along hateful stereotypes to the young only prolongs destructive cultural beliefs. 

https://youtu.be/fZSt1pgjQdk
 

Sinatra-" Here's That Rainy Day"  Written by Jimmy Van Heusen, Sinatra's favorite contemporary composer, lyrics by Johnny Burke. This is a team that produced a number of Bing Crosby hits while Sinatra recorded over 50 Van Heusen songs.  Respected song scholar, Alec Wilder wrote that "It's q very powerful and affecting song, It has great weight and authority and must have been a song written under extremely tense circumstances. In my opinion, it is a great illustration of absolute honesty, quite irrespective of its extremely inventive character as a melody."

https://youtu.be/KCDomDjembo

I Could Have Told You  A woman warns another woman not to trust the man with whom she is now involved. Telling her " He'll love you awhile and desert you" etc." " For all of my tears, I could have told you so." The song is by Jimmy Van Heusen, Sinatra's favourite modern -day composer.
Sharon Clark sings with the appropriate rueful expression believing that forewarned is forearmed.

 https://youtu.be/j_Mw8l_UOxM

DANNY BOY:  Although Dany Boy, originally created as Londonderry Air is not an American creation but one long part of Irish heritage. It demonstrated the power of melody and a singing line, characteristics of the best of the Classical American Popular song tradition. One cannot help but sing along to such a transforming melody. Here it is played by pianist Keith Jarret who respects the basic melody while adding subtle harmonic touches and voicings that enhance the song itself.

 https://youtu.be/C6tIzxmPCQE

"The Unicorn in the Garden"  A delightful fable by James Thurber. Was there really a Unicorn in that garden ? The animation is by UPA and is quite unique. NOTE: The music is by David Raksin, most famous for " LAURA"   the iconic film song.lyrics by Johnny Mercer. You should find this a delightful little ironic story.

 https://youtu.be/diyAh-iHsRA

MEDLEY OF Harold Arlen songs:  George & Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin .Richard Rodgers and Cole Porter believed that Harold Arlen was the most original of the major American songwriters, His Over The Rainbow was voted Best song of the 20th century with Blues In The Night and One for my Baby both favourites of Frank Sinatra. For Judy Garland, in addition to Over the Rainbow, he wrote that classic torch song The Man That Got Away.
Broadway diva Bernadette Peters sings a number of his famous songs in a live, concert presentation.

 https://youtu.be/pMBoXZ3yVh4

" Take Me to the World" is also from Steven Sondheim's "Evening Primrose" This is the musical fantasy about people who live in the basement of a department store afraid to venture into the real world. The song consists of a duet between Barbra Streisand (who also sung " I Remember" from the same musical ) and Antonio Banderas. They play characters who dream of returning to the world outside, hence the title " Take Me To The World." This is a lush, highly emotional song has a most thrilling conclusion.


https://youtu.be/bGEWwGdyRSU

Streisand sings " I Remember" by Stephan Sondheim. This hauntingly reflective song is from a Sondheim musical called " Evening Primrose."  It was based on a short story about a poet who discovers a girl living in a department store after hours like a mannequin but brought to life by the poet. She begins to remember things about her earlier life before her department store existence   Evening Primrose was a black and white television show from the 1950' which I vaguely recall seeing.
 Sondheim. like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser wrote both words and music. He is acknowledged  as a supreme lyricist but his melodic talents are under-appreciated. This is a lovely. classic ballad.

https://youtu.be/U7AVGleYNyE

Tony Bennett sings " While We're Young"   This is a song by Alec Wilder, a composer and scholar whose encyclopedic dissection of what constitutes the greatness of Classic American Popular Song has become the bible for understanding the popular music that swept the world from 1900-1950 ( And which continues even today) Wilder wrote this song which was sung by Tony Bennett in a live performance with Alec Wilder in attendence.
I do disagree with the view that only the young can enjoy the power of song. At age 81, I spend a great deal of each day studying and listening to the songs of the past and great songs written today by Johnny Mandel, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and todays singer/songwriters.

https://youtu.be/UpCwQjwSeg8 

SNOWFALL-A Wintry Treat From Tony Bennett.  Bandleader Claude Thornhill wrote this piece in 1941 and it became an instrumental hit song. His wife, Ruth, later wrote the lyrics sung by Tony Bennett for his Christmas Album.'     Toronto and much of Southern Ontario was just hit by an unpleasant, icy blast. The song paints a rather idylic portrait of winter, quite at odds with our current December 2 situation.

 https://youtu.be/UmHk_-Be8TU