Newman is noted for his practice of writing lyrics from the perspective of a character far removed from Newman's own biography. For example, the 1972 song "Sail Away" is written as a slave trader's sales pitch to attract slaves, while the narrator of "Political Science" is a U.S. nationalist who complains of worldwide ingratitude toward America and proposes a brutally ironic final solution. One of his biggest hits, "Short People" was written from the perspective of "a lunatic" who hates short people. Since the 1980s, Newman has worked mostly as a film composer. His film scores include Ragtime, Awakenings, The Natural, Leatherheads, James and the Giant Peach, Meet the Parents, Seabiscuit and The Princess and the Frog. He has scored many Disney-Pixar films: Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3, Monsters University, Cars 3 and most recently Toy Story 4.
He has been awarded an Academy Award, three Emmys, four Grammy Awards, and the Governor's Award from the Recording Academy. Newman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2007, Newman was inducted as a Disney Legend.
Newman grew up in a musical family with Hollywood connections; his uncles Alfred and Lionel both scored numerous films. By age 17, Randy was staff writer for a California music publisher. One semester short of a B.A. in music from UCLA, he dropped out of school. Lenny Waronker, son of Liberty Records’ president, was a close friend and, later, as a staff producer for Warner Bros., helped get Newman signed to the label.
Newman’s early songs were recorded by a number of performers. His friend Harry Nilsson recorded an entire album with Newman on piano, Nilsson Sings Newman, in 1970. Judy Collins (“I Think It’s Going to Rain Today”), Peggy Lee (“Love Story”), and Three Dog Night - for whom “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” hit #1 - all enjoyed success with Newman’s music.
Newman became a popular campus attraction when touring with Nilsson. His status as a cult star was affirmed by his critically praised debut, Randy Newman, in 1968, which featured his own complex arrangements for full orchestra, and later by 1970’s 12 Songs. He also sang “Gone Dead Train” on the soundtrack of Performance (1970). Live and Sail Away were Newman’s first commercial successes, but his audience has been limited to some degree because his songs are often colored by his ironic, pointed sense of humor, which is rarely simple and frequently misunderstood.
Good Old Boys, for example, was a concept album about the South, with the lyrics expressing the viewpoint of white Southerners. Lyrics such as “We’re rednecks, and we don’t know our ass from a hole in the ground” made people wonder whether Newman was being satirical or sympathetic. He toured (to Atlanta and elsewhere) behind the album with a full orchestra that played his arrangements and was conducted by his uncle Emil Newman.
Little Criminals, in 1977, contained Newman’s first hit single, “Short People,” which mocked bigotry and was taken seriously by a vocal offended minority. “Baltimore” from that album was covered by Nina Simone. Following that album’s release, Newman toured for the first time since 1974. He claimed that in the interim he’d done nothing but watch television and play with his three sons. In 1979 his Born Again featured guest vocals by members of the Eagles. In 1981 Newman composed the soundtrack for the film Ragtime (the first of many soundtrack assignments) and was nominated for two Oscars (Best Song, Best Score). His 1983 album, Trouble in Paradise, included guest appearances by Linda Ronstadt, members of Fleetwood Mac, and Paul Simon, who sang a verse of “The Blues.” That album’s “I Love L.A.” became something of an anthem, thanks in part to a flashy music video directed by Newman’s cousin, Tim Newman (who went on to shoot popular videos for ZZ Top, among others). Land of Dreams (#80, 1988) spawned a minor hit in “It’s Money That Matters” (#60, 1988). It would take Newman 10 more years to make another studio album, 1999’s critically acclaimed Bad Love. With that record peaking at #194, he continues to meet his biggest success in Hollywood, where he spent most of the ’90s becoming one of the town’s most sought-after film composers. Although the material on his own records is literate and biting, the songs he writes for movies are decidedly simpler and with a sunnier outlook - and they usually meet with more success. Both “I Love to See You Smile” from Parenthood and “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2, for instance, were nominated for Oscars; in 1998 alone, Newman garnered three Oscar nominations for three different movies.
In 1995 Newman wrote a musical adaptation of Goethe’s Faust. Both the play and the accompanying CD (which featured guests such as Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Don Henley, and James Taylor in the role of God) were commercially unsuccessful. In 2000 he received the Billboard Century Award.
Good News
Randy Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Livin' in a house upon a hill
Had this little boy who lived with them
And they worked him like a dog
With any luck, they'd have him up there still
'Long came a magic man with a magic bag
Full of nasty little green things in a funky old rag
He said, "Boy you may not know it but this here's salvation you see."
Good news is blowin' in your window
Good news is knockin' on your door
Good news is comin' round the corner
Good news is rollin' 'round your floor
Where can all my troubles be?
Must be good news chasin' me
Good enough to set everybody free
Good news, good news, good news
(Good news)
There were bugs in the garden
Didn't have a clue
That everyday their life was on the line
They wanted to get outta there
But they didn't know what to do
Their little brains is workin' overtime
That all changed one sunny day
That little boy dropped by to say
If we all work together, we make out okay
Good news, good news, good news
Gotta roll down a mountain
Flew over the sea
Facin' death and danger on their way
But together they had made it
And they're where they wanna be
They love each other more and more each day
They care about each other
Good news is sweepin' cross the country
Good news is spreadin' all around
Good news is hittin' in the city
Good news has sprung up in the town
The things that used to hurt before
They don't hurt 'em anymore
'Cause they know there's somethin' good in store
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news
Good news
Good news
Comin' down the chimney
Good news
Knockin' on my door
Good news
Leavin' through the window
Good news
Can't take no more
Good news
Spreadin' o'er the country
Good news
For the young and old
Good news
Goin' round the world,now
Good news
Too hot to hold back
[Repeats]
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news (Good news)
Good news
Good news
Good news!
The song "Good News" by Randy Newman tells the story of a vulture and hog who abuse a little boy and force him to work for them. But one day, a magic man with a bag of tricks comes and helps the boy escape his oppressors. The bugs in the garden also face danger, but they band together and persevere. The song emphasizes the power of good news and how it can spread across the world, bringing people together and giving them hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there was a vulture and a hog
There were two greedy and selfish animals living together.
Livin' in a house upon a hill
The animals lived in a mansion and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle.
Had this little boy who lived with them
The animals kept a child as their servant, making him do all the work.
And they worked him like a dog
The animals made the child work very hard and treated him poorly.
With any luck, they'd have him up there still
The animals would have kept the child as their servant forever if they could.
'Long came a magic man with a magic bag
A mysterious man arrived with a bag of strange, magical things.
Full of nasty little green things in a funky old rag
The man's bag contained mysterious and unpleasant-looking items.
He said, 'Boy you may not know it but this here's salvation you see.'
The man claimed that his bag held the key to the child's salvation, even though he couldn't see it.
Son, you're going down in history
The man promised that the child would become famous and well-known.
Good news is blowin' in your window
Something good is happening right now.
Good news is knockin' on your door
Something good is about to happen or has just happened.
Good news is comin' round the corner
Something good is on its way.
Good news is rollin' 'round your floor
Something good is happening all around you.
Where can all my troubles be?
The singer wonders why they no longer have any problems.
Must be good news chasin' me
The singer believes that something good is the reason why their troubles have disappeared.
Good enough to set everybody free
The good thing that has happened is significant enough to benefit everyone.
There were bugs in the garden
There were small and insignificant creatures living in the garden.
Didn't have a clue
The bugs didn't understand the danger they were in.
That everyday their life was on the line
Every day, the bugs were in danger of being killed or harmed.
They wanted to get outta there
The bugs wanted to leave the garden to find safety.
But they didn't know what to do
The bugs were lost and didn't know how to take action to save themselves.
Their little brains is workin' overtime
The bugs were trying hard to think of a way to escape danger.
That all changed one sunny day
One day, something significant happened that changed the bugs' lives.
That little boy dropped by to say
The child who lived with the animals came to see the bugs.
If we all work together, we make out okay
The child encouraged the bugs to cooperate and work together to find safety.
Gotta roll down a mountain
The bugs must go down a steep hill to reach safety.
Flew over the sea
The bugs had to cross an ocean to reach safety.
Facin' death and danger on their way
The bugs experienced many dangerous obstacles during their journey to safety.
But together they had made it
By working together, the bugs had found safety and survived their journey.
And they're where they wanna be
The bugs are now in a place where they feel safe and happy.
They love each other more and more each day
The bugs have developed strong bonds and care for each other deeply.
Good news is sweepin' cross the country
Positive events are happening all across the country.
Good news is spreadin' all around
Positive events are happening everywhere the artist goes.
Good news is hittin' in the city
Positive events are happening in urban areas.
Good news has sprung up in the town
Positive events are happening in smaller, rural areas.
The things that used to hurt before
Things that used to cause the artist pain or stress.
They don't hurt 'em anymore
Those things no longer cause the singer pain or stress.
'Cause they know there's somethin' good in store
The singer believes that something positive is coming and that things will continue to get better.
Good news (Good news)
A joyful and celebratory message.
Good news
A optimistic and positive message.
Comin' down the chimney
The positive message is entering the artist's life in a surprising and unexpected way.
Knockin' on my door
The positive message is being actively pursued by the singer.
Leavin' through the window
The positive message is leaving the singer's life in a surprising and unexpected way.
Can't take no more
The artist is overwhelmed with happiness and excitement about the positive message.
Spreadin' o'er the country
The positive message is becoming more widespread and affecting more people.
For the young and old
People of all ages are being impacted by the positive message.
Goin' round the world, now
The positive message is spreading globally and affecting people everywhere.
Too hot to hold back
The positive message is so powerful and exciting that it can't be contained or held back.
Good news (Good news)
A joyful and celebratory message.
Good news
A optimistic and positive message.
Good news
A joyful and celebratory message.
Good news
A optimistic and positive message.
Good news (Good news)
A joyful and celebratory message.
Good news
A optimistic and positive message.
Good news
A joyful and celebratory message.
Good news!
A optimistic and positive message.
Contributed by Sophia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.