One day in the late 1930s, he was sitting on a park bench in New York, and overheard a nearby couple arguing. The girl said, "You don't care about me", and the boy responded, "If I didn't care...", then gave her a list of reasons to trust him. Lawrence was inspired to write the words and music for "If I Didn't Care", which became the first hit song for the
The Ink Spots.