BRUCE HART 1938 - 2006

The Free To Be family mourns the loss of our dear friend Bruce hart. Lyricist of "Free To Be...You And Me" and "Sisters And Brothers," Bruce was a driving force behind Free To Be from the beginning.  Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his wife and fellow FTB contributor Carole, who composed "Grandma" and produced the Free To Be album.

Published: New York Times February 23, 2006
By BEN SISARIO

Bruce Hart, who wrote lyrics for "Sesame Street" and "Free to Be ... You and Me," died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 68.

The cause was lung cancer, said his wife, Carole.

Mr. Hart and his wife were among the first writers on "Sesame Street" when it began in 1969 as a children's show that tried to be equally entertaining and educational. To shake up the creative process, its producers hired people new to children's television.

Mr. Hart, who had written for "Candid Camera" and composed the lyrics to "One Way Ticket," a hit for Cass Elliott, was hired to write sketches and help with the theme song. With a clear whistle of a melody and lyrics that seemed to come straight from the mind of a happy child, the song — written with Joe Raposo and Jon Stone — became a touchstone of children's music:

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away

On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

"That opening bar summoned children all over the world to the television set," said Phil Donahue, a longtime friend. "Its purity is its strength."

Mr. Hart and his wife left "Sesame Street" after the first season and went on to a variety of other projects for children and young people, including "Free to Be ... You and Me," the groundbreaking album and television special created by Marlo Thomas, which featured Mel Brooks, Harry Belafonte, Michael Jackson and other celebrities. Ms. Hart was a writer and producer of the special, with Ms. Thomas, and Mr. Hart wrote many of the songs with a longtime collaborator, Stephen Lawrence.

They also wrote, and Mr. Hart directed, a 1979 television musical for teenagers, "Sooner or Later." A song from that show with lyrics by Mr. Hart, "You Take My Breath Away," became a hit for the star, Rex Smith.

The Harts also produced a short-lived but acclaimed television show, "Hot Hero Sandwich," and a series of educational films about psychology, among many other projects. Mr. Hart also wrote a 1988 television movie for adults, "Leap of Faith," starring Anne Archer and Sam Neill.

Besides his wife, Mr. Hart is survived by a brother, Alan, of Akron, Ohio.
 

"Free To Be...You And Me"

There's a land that I see where the children are free
And I say it ain't far to this land from where we are
Take my hand, come with me, where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand, and we'll live

In a land where the river runs free
In a land through the green country
In a land to a shining sea
And you and me are free to be you and me

I see a land bright and clear, and the time's comin' near
When we'll live in this land, you and me, hand in hand
Take my hand, come along, lend your voice to my song
Come along, take my hand, sing a song

For a land where the river runs free
For a land through the green country
For a land to a shining sea
For a land where the horses run free
And you and me are free to be you and me

Every boy in this land grows to be his own man
In this land, every girl grows to be her own woman
Take my hand, come with me where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand, and we'll run

To a land where the river runs free
To a land through the green country
To a land to a shining sea
To a land where the horses run free
To a land where the children are free
And you and me are free to be
And you and me are free to be
And you and me are free to be you and me
-lyrics by Bruce Hart