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.
Shame
Randy Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How come you never come around
Pretty little baby
How come you never come around
I sent you all them pretty flowers
Now you're nowhere to be found
I call you up at midnight sometimes I must admit
My head heats up like a furnace
My heart grows colder than a stone
So what's the good of all this money I got
If every night I'm left here all alone
It's a gun that I need
Shame shame shame shame shame
I ain't ashamed of nothing
Shame shame shame shame shame
I don't know what you're talking about
All right let's talk a little business
You know what I'm saying
A man of my experience of life
Don't expect a beautiful young woman like yourself
To come on over here every day
And have some old dude banging on
Her like a gypsy on a tambourine
That's not what we're talking about
That's not what we're talking about
That's not what we're talking about
But I will say this
I've been all over the world
I've seen some wonderful things
I haven't been well lately
I have no one to share my plans, my dreams
My hopes and my schemes, my
Shame shame shame shame shame
You could be right
I've sunk pretty low this time
Shame shame shame shame shame
These are truly desperate times
Saw your little sandals baby
Out behind the wishing well
Down here in the cool depths of the quarter
Where the rich folk dwell
And I pictured you in diamonds, satins and pearls
Come on back to daddy
Daddy miss his little baby girl
Now, my father, he was an angry man
You cross him he made you pay
I myself, am no longer an angry man
Don't make me beg you
Don't make me beg
Do you know what if feels like
To wake up in the morning
Have every joint in your body aching, god damn it
Do you know what it feels like
To have to get up in the middle of the night
And sit down to take a piss
You do know
So you say
I have my doubts, missy
Do you know what it feels like
To have to beg a little bum like you for love
God damn it you little b****
I'd kill you if I didn't love you so much
Shame shame shame shame shame
Shut up
Forgive me
My unfocused words
I was flying blind
I lost my mind (shame shame shame)
If you could find it in your heart, if you got one
To forgive me
I'd be ever so grateful (shame shame shame)
Will you stop that please (shame shame shame)
Will you stop that please
I'm trying to talk to someone (shame)
Thank you
You know, I have a lexus now
I don't get out much
You know what I'm saying
Come on home
Randy Newman's song "Shame" is a complex composition that deals with a variety of themes, including love, loneliness, aging, and societal standards. The song paints a picture of a wealthy man, possibly a sugar daddy, who showers his love interest, a pretty little baby, with materialistic gifts but is still left unfulfilled and alone. The singer tries to rationalize his behavior, claiming that he doesn't expect the young woman to be with him all the time because of the significant age difference between them. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that his desperation and loneliness are taking a toll on him, and he feels ashamed of himself for his actions.
The song's structure, with its repeated refrain of "shame shame shame," adds to the sense of desperation and hopelessness surrounding the singer's situation. The lyrics are raw and unfiltered, as the singer begs for forgiveness while also lashing out and blaming the young woman for his troubles. The references to the wishing well and the quarter where the rich folk dwell suggest a class disparity between the two characters, adding another layer of societal critique to the song.
Overall, "Shame" is a poignant commentary on human relationships and the lengths we sometimes go to feel loved and accepted. The song's intricate composition and emotional depth showcase Randy Newman's unparalleled talent as a songwriter and storyteller.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty little baby
Addressing someone he is showing affection for
How come you never come around
Questioning why she is never around
I sent you all them pretty flowers
He has tried to win her affections
Now you're nowhere to be found
She is not around for him
I call you up at midnight sometimes I must admit
Admitting he sometimes calls her at odd hours
But I find you're not at home
She is not answering his calls
My head heats up like a furnace
He feels intense emotions when she doesn't answer
My heart grows colder than a stone
He becomes cold and distant from her
So what's the good of all this money I got
He has wealth but it doesn't make up for her absence
If every night I'm left here all alone
He is lonely without her
It's a gun that I need
He feels desperate and needs something to change
I ain't ashamed of nothing
He doesn't feel shame in his actions
I don't know what you're talking about
He is either denying his shame or pretending ignorance
That's not what we're talking about
He is deflecting from an uncomfortable topic
You could be right
He is acknowledging that she may have a point
I've sunk pretty low this time
He is admitting that he has done something wrong
These are truly desperate times
He is feeling desperate and alone
Saw your little sandals baby
He has been keeping an eye on her
Out behind the wishing well
She was caught at some point
And I pictured you in diamonds, satins and pearls
He imagines her living a luxurious life if she was with him
Come on back to daddy
He wants her to return to him
My father, he was an angry man
Referencing his own upbringing and how angry his father was
Don't make me beg you
He doesn't want to be seen as weak
Do you know what if feels like
Asking if she can relate to his struggles
To wake up in the morning
He's listing some of his struggles
Have every joint in your body aching, god damn it
He's in a lot of physical pain
Do you know what it feels like
Continuing to ask if she can relate to his struggles
To have to beg a little bum like you for love
He is begging for her love
God damn it you little b****
He is frustrated with her for making him feel this way
Shut up
He's telling someone to be quiet
Forgive me
He is asking for forgiveness
My unfocused words
Acknowledging that he has been unfocused in his words
I was flying blind
He was not thinking clearly
If you could find it in your heart, if you got one
Asking for her forgiveness if she has a heart
To forgive me
Requesting her to forgive him
I'd be ever so grateful
He would appreciate it if she forgave him
Will you stop that please
Telling someone to stop doing something
Thank you
Expressing gratitude
You know, I have a lexus now
Trying to impress with his wealth
I don't get out much
He doesn't go out often
Come on home
He wants her to return to him
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RANDY NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sam Lloyd
A masterpiece.
fred houpt
such a superb album. One of his very best.
Jon Lavallee
how can this song have only 10K views. it's a masterpiece
Dreamwell
The most concentrated dose of musical humor that I know of.
Lind🎶John🎶
Oh yeah A masterpiece 💯💗
dominique le bourhis
so much intelligence, never above his subject, just walking beside him shaking his head...
Timmeh Jay
Shame Shame shame
M H
This album and Harps And Angels are amongst his very best