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.
Marie
Randy Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your hair piled up high
I will never forget
I'm drunk right now baby
But I've got to be
Or I never could tell you
What you meant to me
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
You're the song
That the trees sing when the wind blows
You're a flower, you're a river, you're a rainbow
Sometimes I'm crazy
But I guess you know
And I'm weak and I'm lazy
And I've hurt you so
And I don't listen to a word you say
When you're in trouble I just turn away
I love you, I loved you, the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
The song "Marie" by Randy Newman is a love song that describes the depth of feelings felt by the singer towards Marie. It starts with the singer recalling the first time he saw Marie and how she looked like a princess with her hair piled up high. He expresses his love for her in the chorus, and how he loved her even at their first meeting and will always love her.
The second verse compares Marie to a song that the trees sing when the wind blows, a flower, a river, and a rainbow. He admits to being crazy, weak, and lazy and hurting Marie in the past. When she is in trouble, he turns away from her, indicating a certain amount of guilt and regret, but he is still deeply in love with her. The chorus is repeated in the end, underscoring the intensity and permanence of his love.
The song "Marie" was written by Randy Newman and appeared on his 1983 album, "Trouble in Paradise". The song received critical acclaim upon its release and has been covered by various artists, including Bette Midler, who had a hit with her version of the song in 1984.
Line by Line Meaning
You looked like a princess the night we met
When I first saw you, you looked stunning and regal.
With your hair piled up high
Your hair was styled beautifully and elegantly.
I will never forget
You left a lasting impression on me.
I'm drunk right now baby
I am under the influence of alcohol at the moment, which is why I am being honest.
But I've got to be
I need the liquid courage to confess my feelings for you.
Or I never could tell you
I would never have the courage to express my love for you otherwise.
What you meant to me
You are very important to me and I want you to know that.
I loved you the first time I saw you
I fell in love with you immediately upon seeing you.
And I always will love you Marie
My love for you has endured over time and will continue to do so.
You're the song
You are like music to me and bring me joy.
That the trees sing when the wind blows
You are a natural beauty that blends well with the environment.
You're a flower, you're a river, you're a rainbow
You embody the beauty and wonder of nature itself.
Sometimes I'm crazy
I admit that I can act irrationally at times.
But I guess you know
You are well aware of my occasional irrational behavior.
And I'm weak and I'm lazy
I have shortcomings and weaknesses.
And I've hurt you so
I am aware that I have caused you pain.
And I don't listen to a word you say
I admit that I sometimes ignore your advice or opinions.
When you're in trouble I just turn away
I have not always been there for you when you needed me.
I love you, I loved you, the first time I saw you
My love for you started the moment I saw you and has not wavered.
And I always will love you Marie
My love for you will never change and will always endure.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kleermaker1000
Marie
You looked like a princess the night we met
With your hair piled up high
I will never forget
I'm drunk right now baby
But I've got to be
Or I never could tell you
What you mean to me
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
You're the song
That the trees sing when the wind blows
You're a flower, you're a river, you're a rainbow
Sometimes I'm crazy
But I guess you know
And I'm weak and I'm lazy
And I hurt you so
And I don't listen to a word you say
When you're in trouble I turn away
I love you, I loved you, the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
I loved you the first time I saw you
And I always will love you Marie
Malphaedor Frost
full confession. I basically can't listen to this without bursting into tears. Or, really even thinking about it without bursting into tears. The sense of remorse is just so intense.
Celia Milton
I feel the same way. Another insanely appropriate, gorgeous wedding song
T Allen
you're very far, from being alone
Malcolm Jawo Howell
It's a haunting melody and beautiful sad feeling to it
Laurie King
me, too
Maria Medina
Agreed. It's a very powerful song and has great meaning to me.
Charlotte Kerr
A beautiful song by a really underrated artist.
Nathan Reiber
@Ida Baca I think I know what people mean when they say underrated. Like yeah, Randy's been recogniized for his talent, but I don't think that that recognition really articulated just how miraculously brilliant his music is. Like, yeah Randy didn't push music to a new place theoretically or inspire a movement in pop music, etc., but what he accomplishes is something much deeper than that. He's more like Lorraine Hansbury or William Faulkner than he is Michael Jackson or Shostakovich, and I don't think that he's been properly recognized for his deeply moving contributions to our culture,which both chronicles our history (America) and prompts to us to plunge into personal depths we may not have even been aware we had through his stunning portraits of fully human characters with immeasurable depth - such as this one.
No number of golden trophies could appropriately communicate that. He should be a universally recognized cultural touchstone.
dpy331
Not underrated by me, but what the hell would I know?
Mad AsHell
Who underrates him? Only the musically ignorant...