SOUNDTRACK: RANDY NEWMAN-Tiny Desk Concert #658 (October 10, 2017).
Randy Newman is a pretty amazing composer. It’s really hard to believe that the guy who wrote “Short People” then went on to write at least three songs for Pixar that make me cry instantly upon hearing.
And yet I would never listen to him on purpose.
But Bob Boilen has some pretty wonderful things to say about the man:
I think Randy Newman is a national treasure. If he was just a funny guy making music, I’d be OK with that, but his wit is sardonic, satirical and politically on point. Mixing politics and humor with music is usually about the punchline, and his punchlines even make the singer smile.
Randy Newman paints lasting portraits of places and people, all the while poking fun and highlighting injustice, stupidity, power and humanity and he’s been doing it for half a century. Here are the opening lines to his recently released song “Putin”:
“Putin puttin’ his pants on / One leg at a time / You mean he’s just like a regular fella, huh? / He ain’t nothing like a regular fella.”
I happen to not like this song all that much, although there are some very funny lines. And he is pretty funny in general.
Like when he says “Let me announce this [next song] a little bit: Here’s another one.” “She Chose Me” is a wonderful tear-jerker (it will certainly be used in a film):
“I’m not much to talk to, and I know how I look / What I know ’bout life comes out of a book / But of all of the people there are in the world / She chose me.”
“It’s A Jungle Out There” is a more romping number although I once again can’t help but hear it as a soundtrack song. It’s easy to picture a cartoon tiger singing: “I could be wrong now…don’t think I am though.”
He talks about the final song “Wandering Boy” and says: Every Labor Day people would get together at a family party that everybody went to. He started going when he was 8 and was still going as an adult. And you could see families change: So the lyric is: “First came here with my father then I brought my wife.”
It’s a sad song, possibly about his son dying? I’m not willing to investigate further.
I love that Newman is so recognizable–his voice and style are all his own. And I love that he is still making songs that will make me cry.
[READ: January 25, 2017] “Flooding the Zone”
George Saunders can be politically humorous from time to time (actually quite often). But he also has solutions to political problems. Like this one, which should very easily take care of all of the world’s problems.
There are approximately twenty-five million Iraqis in Iraq. There are approximately three hundred million Americans in America. This means that there are approximately twelve Americans for every Iraqi. This means that, if we all go, each American will be responsible for one-twelfth of an Iraqi. An Iraqi family of five will thus be attended by sixty Americans.
See how easy that is? If we all go to Iraq, we can pamper all of the Iraqis. We can cook for them while they relax. We can clean up after them, bring them coffee or tea. Even insurgents will be followed by friendly Americans asking questions and telling endless stories. We can all bring a 30 day supply of provisions and that should take care of it. Well, and of course medicine and doctors and what not.
Iraqis swill become so happy and sated that there will be no more violence.
But that’s not all. Wait till you hear Phase II.
While America is empty, we can fly the Palestinians to the West Coast and the Israelis to the East Coast. They will enjoy the great cities so much they won’t fight with each other.
Meanwhile Canadians will move into Palestine and Israel and do a National Makeover with a new flag of a country called Plisarealistine.
But that’s not all. Wait till you hear Phase III.
In this part, the newly vacated Canada will be filled with Kosovars. Their tensions will dissipate in their vast new land, rarely seeing each other and being frightened by a wolf or a bear.
After a few months of work, we will all go back home, the Plisraelistinians will fly home (wait til they see what the Canadians have done!). The Kosovars will feel refreshed and relieved because there is no longer a fear of wolves and bears.
It’s so simple it just might work.
Well it would have worked before America was taken over by neo-Nazis.
I Just Read About That... 
Leave a comment