[David Anthony]

I think this is a lovely, lilting love song.
Do you think it can stand, without the music?
Best regards,
David

Feels Like Home

There's something in your eyes
Makes me want to lose myself
Makes me want to lose myself
In your arms

There's something in your voice
Makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts
The rest of my life

If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how low I've felt for so long
If you knew how I wanted someone
To come along
And change my life the way you've done

Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back where I come from

Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

A window breaks
Down a long dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But that's alright 'cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see
Through the dark there's a light

If you knew how much this moment
Means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
If you knew how much I wanted someone to come along
I never thought I'd love anyone so much

Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back
Where I come from

Feels like home to me
Feels like home to me
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

[nyctom]

It's a very pretty song and I am a big fan of Newman's work--recently I've been listening to Jennifer Warnes's version of "One More Hour," a lovely parlor ballad from the movie "Ragtime" with some uhm regularity--but I prefer the caustic side of Newman, such as:

Sigmund Freud's Impersonation Of Albert Einstein In America

The world of science is my game
And Albert Einstein is my name
I was born in Germany
And I'm happy yo be
Here in the land of the brave and the free

In the year of nineteen five
Merely trying to survive
Took my knapsack in my hand
Caught a train for Switzerland

America America
God shed his grace on Thee
You have whipped the Fliipino
Now you rule the Western Sea

Americans dream of gypsies, I have found
And gypsy knives and gypsy thighs
That pound and pound and pound and pound
And African appendages that almost reach the ground
And little boys playing baseball in the rain

America, America
Step out into the light
You're the best dream man has ever dreamed
And may all your Christmases be white

or this, which I love for its spareness:

Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father

Here I am lost in the wind
'Round in circles sailing
Like a ship that never comes in
Standing by myself

Sing a sad song for a good man
Sing a sad song for me
Sing a sad song for the sailor
A thousand miles from the sea

Here I am along on the plain
Sun's going down
It's starting to rain
Papa we'll go sailing

[David Anthony]

I hadn't come across Texas Girl.
I like it very much.

[Clive Watkins]

Dear David

"I think this is a lovely, lilting love song. Do you think it can stand, without the music?"

Sorry - No!

Kind regards

Clive

[Mark Allinson]

David,

I am sure that with the arrangement and the melody this song really works.

But as a stand alone poem - I agree with Clive - I don't think so.

And I also agree with Tom, that Newman is at his best with his more biting, satirical work, like "Short People" and this one:

Political Science

by Randy Newman

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

[Janet Kenny]

Mark,
I posted that once in another discussion and nobody responded.
Janet

[Mark Allinson]

Janet, that is interesting, but it might also be a coincidence. Do you have a theory? It's not as if it could be attributed to "cultural differences" in humour, which we discussed recently on "General".

I find it very funny. And this one, too.

Short People


by Randy Newman


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

They got little hands
Little eyes
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
That 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

[Janet Kenny]

Mark,
Perhaps it was taken personally, just as I take this last one personally
Janet

[Terese Coe]

David

It needs the music, without doubt!

Even "Short People" is puerile without the amusing music.

Terese

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Terese

Yes "Short People" could be read as being nasty if you just go by the lyrics, but the jaunty music and the singer's voice tells you it is meant more tongue-in-cheek.

Chris