Posted on 02/05/2007 3:05:38 PM PST by Stultis
by Paul Cashmere - February 3 2007
Singer/Songwriter Randy Newman has written a song about the end of the American Empire, and aligns the current regime with dictators Stalin and Hitler.
The lyrics for the song 'A Few Words In Defense of Our Country' were published this week in the New York Times and the recording was made exclusive to iTunes.
In the lyrics, Newman says "The end of an empire is messy at best
And this empire is ending
Like all the rest
Like the Spanish Armada adrift on the sea
We're adrift in the land of the brave
And the home of the free".
The full song can be found on iTunes.
Of course, the point is clearly satirical and sardonic, i.e. that Bush is not quite so bad as Caligula, Hitler, etc, and that the narrator of the song must reach for such extreme examples to provide a (weak) defense of his country's present leadership.
Oh, yeah. Newman also implies that Clarence Thomas isn't really (authentically) black, specifically that he he's no longer a "brother" as Pluto is no longer a planet. The New York Times expurgated this bit when they ran Newman's lyric on their OP-ED page, which is odd since AFAIK they've never had a problem previously with white liberals pronouncing on the ethnic inauthenticity of black conservatives.
Maybe Newman can take on the recently troublesome issue of vetting membership for the Black Congressional Caucus?
A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF MY COUNTRY
By Randy Newman
I’d like to say a few words
In defense of our country
Whose people aren’t bad nor are they mean
Now the leaders we have
While they’re the worst that we’ve had
Are hardly the worst this poor world has ever seen.
Let’s turn history’s pages, shall we?
Think of the Caesars for example
Why within the first few of them
They were sleeping with their sister
Stashing little boys in swimming pools
And burning down the city.
And one of 'em, one of 'em
Appointed his own horse Consul of the Empire
That’s like vice president or something
That’s not a very good example, is it?
But, wait, here’s one, the Spanish Inquisition
They put people in terrible position
I don’t even like to think about it
Well, sometimes I like to think about it
Just a few words in defense of our country
Whose time at the top
Could be coming to an end
Now we don’t want their love
And respect at this point is pretty much out of the question
But in times like these
We could sure use a friend
Hitler. Stalin.
Men who need no introduction
King Leopold of Belgium. That’s right.
Everyone thinks he’s so great
Well he owned the Congo
He tore it up too
He took the diamonds, he took the gold
He took the silver
You know what he left them with?
Malaria
A president once said,
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"
Now it seems like we’re supposed to be afraid
It’s patriotic in fact and color coded
And what are we supposed to be afraid of?
Why, of being afraid
That’s what terror means, doesn't it?
That's what it used to mean
[To the first eight bars of "Columbia The Gem Of the Ocean"]
You know it pisses me off a little
That this Supreme Court is gonna outlive me
A couple of young Italian fellas and a brother on the court now too
But I defy you, anywhere in the world
To find me two Italians as tightass as the two Italians we got
And as for the brother
Well, Pluto’s not a planet anymore either
The end of an empire is messy at best
And this empire is ending
Like all the rest
Like the Spanish Armada adrift on the sea
We’re adrift in the land of the brave
And the home of the free
Good-bye, Good-bye, Good-bye.
I'm sure this will come as a surprise to Thomas and his family.
Is this the same guy who sang about short people?
Another article I saw noted that Newman has been performing this song in Europe "all last summer". Recording only recently released, by Nonesuch Records, exclusively through i-tunes.
Great - Words of wisdom from the man that penned "Short People Got No Reason to Live."
This is he! Randy has been breathing the West Coast air for far to long.
Bush Derangement Syndrome does seem to hit the drama queens the hardest.
Sad.
It sounds like he's saying good bye to hippie leftism :-)
Nothing in his lyrics about Bin Laden or Mohammed. I guess they are the good guys to him.
Hint: Short People
I think you can safely speak for yourself, old fella. Glad you're not Prez; you'd be forgettin' where you put the nucular missiles.
Dat ess ahn estupid f'ck!ng song.
Another idiot reveals his total ignorance of history and facts to the world.
ever since "short people" was released, he realized there is a market for being offensive. he continues.
And who is Newman to say that Clarence Thomas isn't a "brother" any more? What, he's too articulate, good-looking and clean?
Why is this dunce given credibility?
This from the man who wrote "Political Science"!
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
Knowing Newman, he just might be parodying the moonbats.
Ahhh, cause he's one of the greatest songwriters alive.
Bush being Hitler is just so yesterday. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? Can't these intellectually challenged types think of something new?
Randy Newman ...... Once a mindless, talentless left over from the 60's always a mindless, talenteless leftover.
All togethhr now..loud and clear....
SCREW YOU , NEWMAN AND THE HORSE YOU CAME IN ON..jk
Well, I guess we know who's pandering for another Oscar.
Is this nappy-haired little gnome still alive? I thought he died years ago - or was that his career?
"Randy's career must be faltering...."
Since the 70s. We had to have a major hurricane to get him back on TV with "Louisiana 1927" so now he thinks he's relevant again.
FWIW Newman has made a name wring songs from the point of view of ignorant morons as a joke.
Hey Randy, I didn't see any lyrics about the Clinton empire, huh where is it? Shut up and sing, or better yet just shut up.
And it's St. Rachel Carson, not Leopold of Belgium, who bears the moral responsibility for the death by malaria of more millions in Africa than Stalin killed in the USSR.
WHAT has the planet Pluto got to do with anything??? Oh, I suppose BUSH declared it wasn't a planet anymore! Geeesh! What a maroon! Newman couldn't sing dumber "songs".
Western styled self loathing at it's finest. He's not after Bush. He's after western culture. They tortured people during the Inquisition? In Spanish Seville? No way! It's not like they were threatened or anything. How could they have felt threatened. Islam was and is a peaceful religion! I can't imagine a circumstance where fealty would be an important question to ask of people. Islam never seeks to impose it's culture and will when it's in the majority? So why would these mean old Christians care? Randy Newman thanks for setting the record straight.
/wretches
Wellll, we've had rap for 30 years!
It's money that matters, in the USA. Newman is vastly underrated as a poet and as a musician.
Buh-bye, Randy.
Enjoy Paris.
maybe it's written for the next Disney animated movie.
Yikes.
Randy is one of the finest songwriters alive...period.
His uncle Alfred wrote the famous 20th Century Fox fanfare still heard at the begining of Fox features.
It's a strange one, all right. It's hard to tell from the text if he's parodying moonbats; performance might give us some clues, and there's of course Newman's reputation for edgy satire (and excellent orchestral soundracks, by the way.) I wouldn't give up on Randy Newman...
UPDATE: RANDY NEWMAN GOT NO REASON TO LIVE. (Is that moron still alive?)
Alfred Newman is a legend. Finding a film without an Alfred Newman score during that period is rare.
Probably the most prolific film composer ever.
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