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.
Love Story
Randy Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like you and you like me too
We’ll get a preacher, I’ll buy a ring
We’ll hire a band with an accordion, violin
And a tenor who can sing
You and me, you and me, baby
You and me, you and me, you and me, baby
You and me, you and me, you and me, baby
We’ll have a kid or maybe we’ll rent one
He’s got to be straight, we don’t want a bent one
He’ll drink his baby brew from a big brass cup
Someday he may be President if things loosen up
You and me, you and me, baby
You and me, you and me, you and me, baby
You and me, you and me, you and me, baby
You and me, you and me, you and me, baby
I’ll take the train into the city ev’ry mornin’
You may be plain, I think you’re pretty in the mornin’
And some nights we’ll go out dancin’ if I’m not too tired
Some nights we’ll sit romancin’
Watchin' the late show by the fire
When our kids are grown with kids of their own
They’ll send us away to a little home in Florida
We’ll play checkers all day 'til we pass away
In Randy Newman's song Love Story, the singer is expressing his desire to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves. He lists the things he likes about her, including her brother and mother, and suggests they get married. He imagines hiring a band and having children together, hoping for a straight one to avoid discrimination. Their life together is depicted as both romantic and practical, with moments of dancing and relaxation as well as everyday routines such as commuting to work. The song ends with them growing old together and spending their final days playing checkers in Florida.
The song can be interpreted as a celebration of love and commitment, but it also touches on themes of societal expectations and discrimination. The line about wanting a straight child reflects the prejudice that existed (and unfortunately still exists) against the LGBTQ+ community. Similarly, the depiction of retirement homes in Florida as a place where elderly people go to play checkers all day highlights the idea of being warehoused at the end of life rather than valued and respected.
Line by Line Meaning
I like your brother, I like your mother
I am interested in the important people in your life
I like you and you like me too
We have a mutual attraction and interest in each other
We’ll get a preacher, I’ll buy a ring
We will commit to a serious relationship and get married
We’ll hire a band with an accordion, violin, and a tenor who can sing
We will have a joyous celebration with music and entertainment
You and me, you and me, baby
We will be together, just the two of us
We’ll have a kid or maybe we’ll rent one
We may adopt a child or consider other options to start a family
He’s got to be straight, we don’t want a bent one
We have a preference for the gender and sexuality of our child
He’ll drink his baby brew from a big brass cup
We will care for and provide for our child's needs
Someday he may be President if things loosen up
We have high hopes and dreams for our child's future success
I’ll take the train into the city every morning
I will work hard to provide for our family
You may be plain, I think you’re pretty in the morning
I find beauty in you even in the simplest moments
And some nights we’ll go out dancing if I’m not too tired
We will make time for fun and romance in our relationship
Some nights we’ll sit romancing
We will prioritize intimacy and emotional connection
Watchin' the late show by the fire
We will enjoy quiet moments together
When our kids are grown with kids of their own
We will have a family legacy to be proud of
They’ll send us away to a little home in Florida
Our family will take care of us in our old age
We’ll play checkers all day 'til we pass away
We will enjoy each other's company until the end of our lives
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Spicoli
This song is an absolute masterpiece
Noe Berengena
People know Randy Newman for the wrong reasons, mostly his silly songs. But he is a master of the ballad with emotionally wrought lyrics.
Tully Bascombe
A master of pathos.
Ege Shegava
Easily one of the top 5 love ballads of ALL TIME, when musicians loved to charm the hell out of the lyric and the true soul of word-sound. No more bent-musicians in the 21st Century; otherwise bury me back in the 20th Century.
glitchtimefail
i listened to this album over and over again whilst playing legend of zelda breath of the wild, on a hot sunny summer day, going through depression.
ESK Jazz
bruhhh, same
did this in 2019 for months, while my ex gf was watching. life was good, almost perfect
ESK Jazz
if you like this, I recommend the album "go to school" - by the Lemon Twigs to you. it has that classic rock / Beatles / Randy Newman type of sound
glitchtimefail
Oh I've heard of the lemon twigs. I'll check it out!
daria e
what magical combination of human being are you?
glitchtimefail
@daria e :D