Born in New York City; educated at the High School of Commerce and Dwight Academy, and a private music student of Simon Bucharoff. At fifteen, he was a staff writer for the Remick Music Company.. After contributing music and lyrics for the 1931 Broadway production of Earl Carroll's Vanities, he went to Hollywood, where he composed scores and songs for many films. His best-known Broadway musicals are Finian's Rainbow and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Joining ASCAP in 1933, his chief musical collaborators included Harold Adamson, Ralph Freed, Ted Koehler, Al Dubin, E.Y. Harburg, Frank Loesser, Alan Jay Lerner, and Ira Gershwin. His other popular-song compositions include "Tony's Wife", "Heigh Ho, the Gang's All Here", "Look Who's Here", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "Have a Heart", "I Want a New Romance", "Swing High, Swing Low", "Stop, You're Breaking My Heart", "Madame, I Love Your Crepes Suzette", "Howdja Like to Love Me?", "Moments Like This", "The Lady's In Love With You", "Says My Heart", "Smarty", "Would You Be So Kindly?", "There's A Great Day Coming Manana", "Don't Let It Get You Down", "The World Is in My Arms", "I Hear Music", "How About You?", "Feudin' and Fightin'", "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?", "The Begat", "If This Isn't Love", "Look to the Rainbow", "Something Sort of Grandish", "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love", "Too Late Now", "You're All the World to Me", "I Left My Hat in Haiti", "Open Your Eyes", "How Could You Believe Me?", "It Happens Every Time", "Applause Applause", "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever", "Come Back to Me", "Melinda", and many more. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of the films that featured Lane's songs.  Nominated for Music Best Song 1942: BABES ON BROADWAY "How About You?" - Music  Nominated for Music Best Song 1951: ROYAL WEDDING "Too Late Now" - Music 2 nominations