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.
Louisiana 1927
Randy Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clouds roll in from the north and it start to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
The river have busted through, clear down to Plaque mines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a notepad in his hand
President say "little fat man, isn't it a shame?"
What the river has done to this poor cracker's land
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Randy Newman's song "Louisiana 1927" tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which caused unprecedented damage to the states along the river's path. The lyrics describe the changing winds and heavy rain that caused the water levels to rise, resulting in six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline. The river continued to rise all day and all night, causing some people to lose their lives while others were able to escape.
The chorus repeats the line "They're tryin' to wash us away," reflecting the despair and hopelessness felt by many who were affected by the disaster. Even President Coolidge's visit did little to ease the situation, as he only expressed sympathy without offering much assistance. The final line "They're tryin' to wash us away" is repeated four times, emphasizing the desperation of the situation and the feeling of being swept away by the catastrophic flood.
Overall, "Louisiana 1927" is a poignant reflection on a tragic historical event and the human toll it took. Newman's storytelling and musical composition create a powerful message that highlights the need for better disaster response and planning.
Line by Line Meaning
What has happened down here is the winds have changed
The weather has taken a turn for the worse
Clouds roll in from the north and it start to rain
The rain has begun to pour heavily due to the north wind
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
The rain was very heavy and lasted for an extended period
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The floods have reached up to six feet creating a waterlogged street in Evangeline
The river rose all day, the river rose all night
The river levels swelled and continued to rise for an entire day and night
Some people got lost in the flood
People were trapped and lost in the floodwaters
Some people got away alright
Some people managed to escape unharmed
The river have busted through, clear down to Plaque mines
The river overflowed and flooded all the way down to Plaque mines
Louisiana, Louisiana
Addressing the state of Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
They're tryin' to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
The President arrived in a train to assess the situation
With a little fat man with a notepad in his hand
Accompanied by an assistant with a notebook
President say "little fat man, isn't it a shame?"
The President expressed his sympathy for the damage caused
What the river has done to this poor cracker's land
The river has devastated the fertile land owned by the poor residents of Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
They're trying to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
They're trying to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
They're trying to wash us away
The floods are a threat to wash them away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edoardo Fittipaldi
What has happened down here is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it start to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
Some people got away alright
The river have busted through, clear down to Plaque mines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a notepad in his hand
President say…
roger thornton
I'm an old guy from Louisiana and have heard this song many times. I get emotional every time.
Philip Earl McG
Me too. My grandparents survived the flood. They lived in Berwick. This is an emotional song. As is Acadian Driftwood by The Band.
Ronnie Bishop
Me too.
fred houpt
this is typical of Newman's mastery of symphonic accompaniment. Such a simple tune and yet so deeply moving. A master of short, highly compressed stories that sometimes flow like a river or stream. Steeped in real history, Newman creates soundscapes that conjure a big story contained in a small scale. He has so few peers.
Larry Russell
So well explained. He is surely a composing genius.
Ken Cooper
A simple tune but, if you change a note, it just isn't right. Points to him spending hours perfecting it. Many have done this tune well, nobody has done it better.
Jeremiah Horrigan
Well & truly said. I'd say he has no peers.
wpl
Herbert Hoover led the relief efforts for the 27 flood. It helped him become president. Then the depression hit and Hoover had no real answer to the people hurt by it. No action was necessary. It would clear itself up. Those who were suffering got an empty hand. And still he was more qualified and fit for the office than our current president. One who stole a campaign poster slogan from Reagan and pretended he would help the forgotten. Who becomes president matters. There is no perfect person for the job but every 4 years there is a best person for the role. Our job as voters is to know who that is and get it right. Otherwise we suffer and the world suffers with us.
Jeremiah Horrigan
As your comment indicates, a knowledge of history and a sense of justice is all that's needed to describe the plight we're facing today. Hats off!
Ronnie Bishop
What a song, and what makes it even greater for me and for anyone that’s ever actually lived in Louisiana, it really hits home.