Go on and love me, I don't care

Author: Randall Stuart Newman Artist: Randy Newman Album: Sail away Song: Lonely At The Top

Newman allegedly wrote Lonely At The Top for Frank Sinatra. Mojo music magazine asked Newman in 2008 if he was not concerned that Sinatra might take offense at the song's mockery. He replied: "Yeah, it's amazing that I thought he'd do it, and I actually played it for him. But I think he was intelligent enough to laugh at the whole premise of the rich guy at the top who's lonely and unhappy. I played it for Streisand and she said, 'Well ha ha…' She liked it but thought people would believe she meant it. And it suddenly dawns on me that's why I'll never exactly win the love of the American public! They want artists to mean what they say! I don't give them that; I'm interested in something else. I like the way I write and wouldn't change it."

Here in Jamaica we think, Newman is dead right on the song. Even beloved heroes at the top get so detached from other people that most of them can share only with other topsiders and there's just to much competition up there to really be not lonely. And the bigger your world the larger the problem. Think of the son of heaven. Sadest person in the world.

I've been around the world, had my pick of any girl You'd think I'm happy but I'm not Ev'rybody knows my name, But it's just a crazy game, ooh, it's lonely at the top

Listen to the band, they're playing just for me Listen to the people paying just for me All the applause, all the parades And all the money I have made but ooh, it's lonely at the top

Listen all you fools out there, go on and love me, I don't care Ooh, it's lonely at the top

Photograph: Victoria Arocho/AP

What Mr. Newman does these days, is continue his family's grand tradition of writing film music. Carry on, yeah, and sweeter too.