I remember when that song became a hit, many short people really got upset with the lyrics. I was surprised, as it was ‘just a song’, to me, but that was their point of view.
This was before internet, and people conspired to boycott somebody they didn’t agree with instead of just ignoring that person.
Randy Newman usually sang “tongue in cheek.”
Like the song “Rednecks”, lot’s of people thought it was slamming Southerners, but it really was a slam more on Northerners.
I don’t know why people got upset. It was just a funny little song about funny little people with funny little feet and funny little voices that go “Tweet, tweet, tweet.”
Randy Newman was an original. He had an odd tempo on the piano, twisted lyrics, and was funny as hell when he wanted to be.