Hal David

Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist renowned for his sophisticated and poignant song lyrics, particularly through his decades-long collaboration with composer Burt Bacharach, which produced over 70 top 40 hits and defined much of the pop music landscape from the late 1950s to the 1970s.

Born in New York City to Austrian-Jewish immigrant parents who operated a delicatessen in Brooklyn, David was inspired to pursue songwriting by his older brother, Mack David, a prominent Tin Pan Alley lyricist. He attended New York University and, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, began his career as a writer for the New York Post before turning to songwriting in the 1940s, joining ASCAP in 1943. David's partnership with Bacharach began in 1957 at the Brill Building, where they crafted hits for artists like Dionne Warwick, including enduring standards such as "Walk on By" (1964), "I Say a Little Prayer" (1967), and "Do You Know the Way to San José" (1968).

Their work extended to film and theater, with notable contributions like the score for the Broadway musical Promises, Promises (1968), and the Academy Award-winning song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Other iconic songs include "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (1965), "The Look of Love" (1967) from Casino Royale, and "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (1970), later popularized by The Carpenters. David's lyrics often explored themes of love, longing, and social commentary with elegant simplicity, influencing generations of songwriters.

Throughout his career, David received numerous accolades, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972, the Grammy Trustees Award in 1997, the Johnny Mercer Award in 1996, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011, and, with Bacharach, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2012. He died in Los Angeles at age 91 from complications of a stroke.