27.03.2008, 23:58
No Reason To Live

Author: Randy Newman
Artist: Randy Newman
Album: Little Criminals

Short People

wikip. classifies "Short People" as a Novelty Song and has these quite interesting facts: ...
Although Newman had never charted a single before and his previous album Good Old Boys had been his first to reach the Billboard Top 150, "Short People" soon gained attention as a novelty song, although some saw it as offensive. The song consequently became a major hit on radio, staying at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being only kept from reaching #1 by Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life. ....

In 1978, legislation was introduced in the state of Maryland to make it illegal to play "Short People" on the radio. Contrary to popular myth, the bill did not pass....

As you might have expected but still disappointingly wikip. tries to milden the offense and so did the artist occasionally, as e.g. in an interview with the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star: "It was too bad that was my one big hit--a novelty record like The Chipmunks did," .... "It was a hit that did me no good, that did me harm. A bad break."
"The song became so popular," ... "that I'd watch a ball game on TV and they'd joke about it at half time. I was losing my sense of humor."

For the last twenty years Mr. Newman has worked mostly as a film composer and gained many prizes for that work including an Academy Award. He has scored many of Pixar's movies including Toy Story 1 & 2.

... The paternal side of his family includes three uncles who were noted Hollywood film-score composers: Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman and Emil Newman. Newman's cousins Thomas and David, and nephew Joey are also composers for motion pictures. ... Of all names: Alfred Newman, my ass.



Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
To live

They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet

Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Round here

Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's A Wonderful World)

Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
To love

They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
'Round here

Randy Newman is the first artist here that gets a second exposure. He maintains (or probably has it maintained) a nice if maybe a little boring blog styled website with all his lyrics and webcasts of quite a lot of parts of live performances. Many of those lyrics are very nice and so are the performances. It's mostly in RealMedia, which is a pity. Old fart stuff but so is he and so are we. Amen.

For a while I'll be done now with English lyrics that I am obsessed with a bit as I do not hesitate to admit. I shall take a bit more of trying on me and republish some German and Yiddish poetry here in this column. If you take a liking to this, read my lips. Still, i shall remain adamant in that I don't want no short people here.