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.
Lucinda
Randy Newman Lyrics
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As the sun was going down
She was lyin' on the beach
In her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
I could tell, she knew her way around
And as I lay down beside her
On down the beach
Came the beach cleaning man
Scoopin' up the papers
Flattening down the sand
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda
Got to run away
That big white truck is closin' in
And we'll get wounded if we stay
Now Lucinda lies buried
'Neath the California sand
Put under
By the beach cleaning man
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda
Why'd you have to go?
They sent her to high school
They sent her to low school
She just wouldn't go further
The lyrics of Randy Newman's song "Lucinda" tell a story of a chance encounter between the singer and a young woman on a beach. The song starts with a description of how they met, with the sun setting and the woman in her graduation gown lying on the beach, wrapped up in a blanket. The singer notes that she seems knowledgeable about the beach and its ways, but doesn't speak as they lie down together.
However, their moment of peace is interrupted by the arrival of the beach cleaning man, who is cleaning up litter and flattening down the sand. The singer urges Lucinda to run away with him to avoid being hit by the truck, but it's too late. The final verse reveals that Lucinda is now buried under the sand, put there by the same beach cleaning man. The song ends with the singer questioning why Lucinda had to go, and noting that she was sent to school but refused to go further.
The lyrics of "Lucinda" convey a sense of longing and loss, with the memory of the singer's encounter with Lucinda forever tainted by her tragic end. The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the fleeting nature of life and the fragility of even the strongest connections. It may also be seen as a critique of the conformity and social pressure faced by young people, who are expected to follow certain paths in life and may face dire consequences if they rebel.
Line by Line Meaning
Met one summer evening
I met Lucinda on a summer evening
As the sun was going down
It was the time when the sun was setting
She was lyin' on the beach
Lucinda was lying on the beach
In her graduation gown
Lucinda was wearing her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
Lucinda was covered with a blanket
I could tell, she knew her way around
She had some experience and knowledge of the things around her
And as I lay down beside her
I laid down beside her
Know, she never made a sound
Lucinda didn't make any noise
On down the beach
Further down on the beach
Came the beach cleaning man
The man who cleans the beach came
Scoopin' up the papers
He picked up papers from the beach
Flattening down the sand
He flattened the sand using a tool
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda
The singer is calling out Lucinda's name
Got to run away
They needed to escape
That big white truck is closin' in
The big white truck was coming closer to them
And we'll get wounded if we stay
If they stayed, they would get hurt
Now Lucinda lies buried
Lucinda is now buried
'Neath the California sand
She is buried under the sand in California
Put under
Lucinda was put under the sand
By the beach cleaning man
The man who cleans the beach buried her
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda
The artist is still calling her name
Why'd you have to go?
Why did you have to leave?
They sent her to high school
They sent Lucinda to high school
They sent her to low school
They sent her to a lower level of education
She just wouldn't go further
Lucinda refused to go any further in her education
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAL NEWMAN, PHIL S. THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind