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Randy Newman on his career as songwriter: "I didn't make any calculated decision - 'Well, I'm good at this, so that's what I'll do.' Wasn't out of any great love for it, though. I was good at it. I never wanted to be a doctor, like my father, or a lawyer. Baseball player, I wanted to be..." As fate would have it, the majors passed him by - too much music in the blood. Newman's uncles Lionel and Emil were composer/arrangers and a number of relatives worked in the music and movie business; even his physician father, Irving, wrote songs for a hobby (and had a Bing Crosby B-side credit for "Who Gave You The Roses" in 1959). But during Newman's childhood, all other influences were overshadowed by his "Uncle Al" - the reknowned (prior to the MAD mascot) Alfred Newma More... (Submit New Randy Newman Lyrics) (Submit New Randy Newman Lyrics) Review about Randy Newman Short People! | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman I like the song. Haven't heard it since the 70's and am looking for it. I have heard just about every short joke around and I laugh at them all. I hope someone comes out with some new material! LOL Short people need to get over it and laugh. By the way, I am 5' 4" and have been living the short life for 48 years. It's the tall people I feel sorry for. The air up there is thin and they can't think straight! LOL YOU ALL ARE INSANE | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Another place of the internet where people argue about the meaning of this song. Is it about hort people or is it a metaphor. The latter quite for sure, but it's subtler than that. Newman will never come and tell you: ok little burgeois, it's a metaphor, you can sing it or hear it and feel good at the same time. That's why it is so great, you can get over with the song untouched. Newman is famous for personificating horrible character is his songs, and nonetheless make them appear human (wrong human maybe, but human nonetheless). Take Sail Away, or Yellow Man for example. But it's not your average political folk-singer that breaks the worls in good and evil for your peace of mind. By the way, the first comment of this row is pure BS... ah the internet! ;) This is bad for short people | Reviewer: Ghostplanet ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman The problem I have is that about 90 percent of this song simply says short people are bad. And the chorus (no reason to live) could be compared to a death metal band's lyrics that end up in a court where the band's trying to defend itself. Double standard anybody? Is it because this song is a bouncy, piano-driven song? Anyway, I'm sure Mr. Newman's attorney urged him to throw in the worst lyrics of the song: "All men are brothers until the day that I die." Haha, these lyrics have No Reason To Exist! I loooooove L.A. True meaning | Reviewer: b.m ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Heard interview with Randy Newman a few years back.Not deep or mysterious.At the time the song was written Randy's wife wanted to have a baby.Randy did not & wrote the song describing his feelings.Check out the words. b.m Irony... | Reviewer: gabrielle ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman To take the song literally, as the reviewer below (Lo) intimates, is to miss the point. I agree that "short" is a metaphor. If not, then the award-winning songwriter must have heavy esteem issues, not to mention a death wish: Newman is 5' 4". A Must Read | Reviewer: AJ ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman I looked up these lyrics tonight because I am a woman who works in a business of mainly men. I met a short opponent. He likes me but he doesn't. It is a power struggle. He can be so nasty. He reminded me of a short neighbor boy that treated me the same way. The neighbor boy used to sing this song from his second story window. Both the man now and the boy from the past have issues with their height and they take it out on others. I believe that the lyrics came about because of other short people who were nasty to others due to their own issues inside. I am a songwriter myself. These type of people do have dirty minds and are good for telling lies. aaaaahhhhh... | Reviewer: ~shortperson~ ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Okay, I'm short. I'm 5"3" and I'm 18. I loooooooooove this song. It's catchy. I understand where people are coming from in saying they don't like it. I didnt at first. But now that i'm more MATURE, i like it a lot. That's all i have to say. Pauli | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman One of my friends is, so to say, vertically challenged (due to an illness). We address him "midget" or "dwarf", which is a token of closeness and trust. We will certainly play this song for him and he will laugh. Wouldn't he be a pansy to take it as an offence? If he did, we would definitely start nagging him about his size, but in fact it would be his sissyness that we would poke fun at. Dear Anonymous, don't be a sissy and laugh at yourself louder than others do - this will make them stop :D Can we see, hear, or feel? | Reviewer: Lo ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman I'm a black female and when I first heard this song I immediately figured it to be showing how stupid racism is. I assume when he wrote the song he probably wanted to make people think. Cuz maybe if you're appalled by those words then maybe, just maybe you'd stand up when real injustice occurs. It's sad that a lot of people were taunted because Randy used the word short. And it's even sadder that most people are so closed-minded that they can only feel hurt for themselves and not others. Anyone ever heard of empathy? Artistic writing. | Reviewer: Chris ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Who really knows what Randy Newman was thinking when he wrote this song. I think you take your own meaning from a song, even if it's not the same as the one the writer intended. I personally think this song is a dig at the small minded. And I believe anyone who takes it seriously is kind of the butt of the joke. But that's just my view. There's no need to argue over what it means. Just read the lyrics, and think about it for yourself. What is WRONG with people? | Reviewer: Laura Sapp ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman I can't believe that people are still arguing about this song. I'm 5'2" and I have always LOVED the song. I really doubt very much that Randy Newman thinks that short people should die. The wording is perfect. If some people are offended by the song, then they should probably consider having senses of humor grafted onto their personalities. Only Randy Newman knows for sure, but I've always assumed the he intended to point out the absurdity of senseless prejudices, and I feel comfortable with that assumption. The saddest thing is that the people who don't "get it" are very likely the people who most need the message. And if Randy Newman himself ever tells me that I'm wrong, I'll just bite him on the kneecaps. (For the humor-impaired among you, THAT WAS A JOKE!) My late husband was 6'6" and loved the song, and I have good reason to know that HE didn't think short people should die. Lighten up, people! Thanks for the insults. | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman I happened to be about 7 or 8 yrs old when this song came out. I was very short (still am) and this song made for several years of teasing. I still grit my teeth if this song comes on at a party and I have to smile while getting another round of "good-natured" teasing. I don't care what the original intent was or if there is some deeper lesson within the lyrics. It's mean-spirited. And by the way, I was told that the lyrics were about his Manager who was short and with whom Newman had a falling out. Don't know if it's a true story but it seems a lot more plausible than all the crap spouted about it being some deep social commentary. So F*ck you Randy Newman for giving the bullies more fodder. A$$hole. Let | Reviewer: Serac ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Let me tell you the meaning of this song. Randy Newman is not making an attack on short people, this song is an anti racist song. And the lyrics are saying that it is a stupid to hate short people as it is to hate black people. Anyone who missed this is not the brightest bulb in the shop. out in Africa | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Political Science performed by Randy Newman traveling with a Dutch group in Africa we came to the subject of traveling through the USA and the music of Randy Newman. Three of us could sing 'political science' spontaniously and we had a great time as we found ourselves in that wunderfull cynical mood that you're just a nothing from a country far far away. how powerfull can you be and yet.... no one likes you. Americans need, as we all do a mirror, and the way amaricans look to the rest of the world is perfect set in this song. Response to Webmaster | Reviewer: First Timer ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman RE: Reply to short people | Reviewer: webmaster at supportfortheshort.org | 5/24/09 Dear small-minded individual (no pun intended), I have never actually taken the time to respond to anything like this. Upon reading your post I just could not in good conscience let this go! The audacity that you have in some of the things you have said makes me feel somewhat ill. First of all, to compare this song on any level or compare in general the prejudice directed toward short people to what the black community has gone through is mind boggling. You are truly a very naive individual to think this way. Secondly, as NuclearSunrise pointed out the fact that you call people "Brain-Dead" because of their opinions further shows your naive, small minded nature. Everyone is entitled to their opinions (even you). If you don't like the song, simply state that, and then never listen to it again. I mean that is the great thing about finding music that you don't like or that offends you in some way....you have the choice to never listen to it again. There is no need to attack the writer or the good people who are trying to enjoy it / celebrate here. To all that like this song, - I agree, it made me laugh and it is quite catchy! Another delightful little gem from Randy Newman | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman This light hearted song is so catchy, I can't stop singing it everywhere I go. I believe Randy definitely had a clear message in this song. It's not meant to make anyone upset. He is just singing about what he believes, in his heart, to be true. That's what makes this song so great. Just an honest man, singing about his unbridled feelings toward the vertically challenged. To the webmaster | Reviewer: NuclearSunrise ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Blimey, you must be a laugh at parties... I'll be BIG enough to respond. You have quite clearly taken this song with no sense of humour whatsoever. It's an amusing little song poking fun at prejudice and discrimination. Your later statement that you wish to be pardoned for using the terminology "brain-dead" shows how hypocritical, needless and detatched from reality your post is. Please, get your prorities right next time. As for the song itself, I love it! Very good, very funny, made even better by the occasional person commenting with a serious issue about their height. Satire in Randy Newman's "Short People" | Reviewer: Sanford ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Everybody: This song is a satire, you can stop freaking out. The accusations are obviously absurd, and that's the precise point. Very few people seriously believe there to be a fundamental difference between short people and others. The excessive nature of the accusations and statements leads the listener to see their absurdity, which by extension shows the listener the equal absurdity of laying claims against other large groups of people who they may be as inclined to view as normal. Most ive ever wrote in my life! | Reviewer: Josh. ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman Reading everyone's little arguments is quite funny. When i first heard the song i thought it was just about how cute little people are (probably cause i heard it on the movie little rascals which has the cutest funniest little kids ever on it). So anyway when i read the lyrics i was a little confused whether Randy was just singing a funny little song that didnt really have a message and didnt think it would cause such arguments or whether he was intending to say that being prejudice is silly or whether he was being mean cause he doesnt like little people. So anyway i came to a conclusion that he was sticking up for short people and saying being prejudice is silly. Until i listened to the song and read the lyrics at the same time. This particular verse raised an interesting question: Short people are just the same As you and I (A fool such as I) All men are brothers Until the day they die (It's a wonderful world) Randy sings the bits in brackets and the other bits are sung by someone else. I think this other person is saying: no randy these people are just like us, dont be mean to them. And randy is arguing back saying no when they die it will be a wonderful world or whatever. I used to think that that verse was him actually working out short people were alright, but it goes back to him being prejudice towards them so it got me thinking. Soooo am i on too something or am i looking into it too much? Please comment on my thoughts and either tell me im mentally challenged or that i might actually be making sense. Thank you :) Someone get randys number and ask him personally!!! Reply to short people | Reviewer: webmaster at supportfortheshort.org ------ About the song Short People performed by Randy Newman What is so sad and pathetic is that some of these people writing so-called reviews are also short - or so some of them say. Let's say we had a song called "Black People" and the lyrics went something like: Black people got no reason to live Black people got no reason to live (and one could make up disparaging lyrics here) Don't want no Black people round here. Would some of the nincompoops here be writing things like: "A little better wording would be good" "If you are offended you didn't get the message of the song" "For those offended by the song I just want to say "grow up". "I like this song, and I made up some rockin' dance moves to it" "Engage your brains a bit. Critical thinking isn't that hard, your life will be richer for it, I promise." I hate to be so harsh but I believe these people posting here should engage THEIR brains a little bit - if they have one that is. If this song was made about mostly any racial, ethnic, religious group or women or gays, etc. the song would most likely never have even been allowed on the airwaves let along "celebrated" like some of the (and again you'll pardon my terminology) brain-dead here seem to be celebrating it. If it had, Newman's career would have been over. Period. End of sentence. This is the socially acceptable prejudice called heightism that I discuss on my website, a prejudice that mostly all of the posters here seem to engage in rather freely - There are even some self-deprecating shorters here too that don't seem to mind being used as fodder for a tramp like Randy Newman and his very heightist song. By the way, I do get Newman's message, unfortunately he chose the short-statured to use as an example and the reason he did that was because he would not have had any career after making a similar song about any of the above groups and I think even some of the people posting here are smart enough to agree. Is anyone "BIG" enough to respond to this post?? No? I didn't think so. You could review the artist/band Randy Newman in Biography page You could review Randy Newman album by visiting Albums page and selecting an album You could review Randy Newman song by clicking the song which you like  Download "Randy Newman" Music | |
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