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Hey all

I've listened to Randy Newman on and off for a while now and, suddenly, something has clicked...I love the man, his songs are awesome.

Any fellow fans?

Steve

Yes, I am big fan of Randy Newman as well. I love his sense of humor. I emailed the lyrics of his song, "Political Science" to my daughter when she was studying abroad in the Dominican Republic:

"Columbus sailed for India, found Salvador instead,
He shook hands with some Indians and soon they all were dead.
They got TB and Typhus and Athlete's foot
Diptheria and the flu-excuse me-Great nations coming through."

If I'm not mistaken, Julie Christensen sang at a tribute concert for Randy in Los Angeles a while back. Now there is a lady with great taste in music!

Joe

Great verse! Great, great verse. Humour of the seasoned and blackened variety. When Steve mentioned him, I thought, "I know his name. Dang! I know his name! But, I can't think of the name or content of anything by him." I'm thinking now that I've definitely heard him and liked him, but still can't think of anything specific beyond that. I sure do like his approach on the 'discovery' of the Americas.

To be a pedant, that verse is actually from The Great Nations of Europe, not Political Science!

This is Political Science:

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

This is one of the ones I actually remember hearing ~ the refrain, in particular [following all the varied scenarios]:

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

One of my favourite lyrics: "A man of my experience of life don't expect a beautiful young woman like yourself to come on over here every day, have some old dude banging on her like a gypsy on a tambourine."

Class.

I only know his song Birmingham, and I love it.
it's good poetry and he sings good

Hey, I just noticed this thread !
Randy Newman is a Louisiana boy, and YES I am a fan. He's written scores for numerous films.But I do most of all love his satirical bits about Huey Long and southern politics and rednecks. He also wrote that funny take on one night stands called, "You Can Leave Your Hat On."

We're singin' one of his songs a lot lately, down here where I am.

"Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline.
Louisiana, Louisiana,
they're tryin' to wash us away..."

Knowing that people in other parts of the country and the world are listening to, and enjoying, Randy Newman just touches my heart.

--Squidgy

He's a funny guy. Very underrated, IMO.

Hi Squidge! Let me take this opportunity to greet you here and tell you how nice it is to read your words again.

I love the Randy Newman Songbook cd-it has so many of my old and new favorites. I love the song from Bad Love about Big Hat-No cattle. That line that goes something like-"I gathered my family around, threw back my head and lied, lied lied."

Hope things are looking better for you and Nawlins-though from what I've read-many struggles.

Joe

NPR played that song, " . . . they're tryin' to wash us away" a lot during the first weeks/months after Hurricane Katrina, and tears came to eyes every time I heard it. He has another extremely moving one, regarding death. I can't remember the name of it.

~ Lizzy

I've loved Randy Newman ever since I first bought Good Old Boys...he's satirical without being obvious and poetic without being verbose. He has always seemed to me the musical equivalent of Hemingway...he doesn't say too much and he doesn't have to spell everything out, but you know everything he says is loaded.

I'll still take Cohen or Dylan, though. But he certainly is nice for a change.

Looks like I forgot to log in before there...

Oh, and Lizzy, perhaps the song you're thinking of is "Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father"?

That may very well be, Dylanesque ~ I'll check it out, though it seems like I heard the title, and that wasn't it....but I could easily be wrong on that. I may have just 'decided' per the lyrics what the title might be; hence, my confusion on it now.

I was very impressed. It was sung in a very low, sad voice, intense.

Thanks for the lead .

~ Lizzy