Randy Newman — Baltimore
Album: Little CriminalsAvg rating:
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Length: 3:56
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Beat-up little seagull
On a marble stair
Tryin' to find the ocean
Lookin' everywhere
Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't nowhere to run to
There ain't nothin' here for free
Hooker on the corner
Waitin' for a train
Drunk lyin' on the sidewalk
Sleepin' in the rain
And they hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
'Cause the city's dyin'
And they don't know why
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live
Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Buy a big old wagon
Gonna haul us all away
Livin' in the country
Where the mountain's high
Never comin' back here
'Til the day I die
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live
On a marble stair
Tryin' to find the ocean
Lookin' everywhere
Hard times in the city
In a hard town by the sea
Ain't nowhere to run to
There ain't nothin' here for free
Hooker on the corner
Waitin' for a train
Drunk lyin' on the sidewalk
Sleepin' in the rain
And they hide their faces
And they hide their eyes
'Cause the city's dyin'
And they don't know why
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live
Get my sister Sandy
And my little brother Ray
Buy a big old wagon
Gonna haul us all away
Livin' in the country
Where the mountain's high
Never comin' back here
'Til the day I die
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live
Oh, Baltimore
Man, it's hard just to live, just to live
Comments (267)add comment
Play more Randy Newman!
un très grand ARTISTE !!!! MERCI RP !!!!!
Saw Randy Newman with Ry Cooder in Berkeley in the mid 70's. Great show.
The man is yet another proof of the hereditary nature of music. This was a terrific era for him, extending back to "Sail Away". He has semi-retired to composing movie soundtracks, just like his dad.
flatop wrote:
Great song! Now we just need some Ryan Adams on this station!
Not sure what the connection is, but at last check there were about two dozen Ryan Adams songs in rotation.
Great song! Now we just need some Ryan Adams on this station!
Not sure what the connection is, but at last check there were about two dozen Ryan Adams songs in rotation.
zesty , back in 77 who knewNina Simone's version is epic
The Newman family, once removed, cousins and uncles, have been awarded more Oscars than any other family. Talent runs close
77.
One for every year of his life.
One for every year of his life.
Great song! Now we just need some Ryan Adams on this station!
pozar wrote:
Me too! Waaay too short!
I always thought Randy Newman was African-American? Must have been his "down South" sounding voice.
Love this song with Glenn Frey doing the (way too short) solo at the end.
Me too! Waaay too short!
I always thought Randy Newman was African-American? Must have been his "down South" sounding voice.
badfunk wrote:
Tiny Tim
RANDY NEWMAN??? WTF!
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Tiny Tim
badfunk wrote:
Liza Minnelli
RANDY NEWMAN??? WTF!
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Liza Minnelli
Favorite Randy Newman song.
A somber and soulful masterpiece.
A somber and soulful masterpiece.
On_The_Beach wrote:
Many.
Kanye West, for starters.
I thought we were talking music...
Many.
Kanye West, for starters.
badfunk wrote:
Many.
Kanye West, for starters.
RANDY NEWMAN??? WTF!
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Many.
Kanye West, for starters.
helloitsme wrote:
Love this song until the chorus when it homogenizes into mid 70s soft rockitude.
Those strings are just so wrong. These first few notes: just wow!
One of the originals!
That swings !!!
Nils Lofgren's is more heartfelt.
Brilliant song. Baltimore, though, has come way back from the brink.
ewesaidit wrote:
His father was a doctor. You must be referring to an uncle.
Yes, I believe he was referring to Randy's uncle Alfred Newman, the composer and conductor who scored those films (not the cover model for Mad Magazine).
His father was a doctor. You must be referring to an uncle.
Yes, I believe he was referring to Randy's uncle Alfred Newman, the composer and conductor who scored those films (not the cover model for Mad Magazine).
My favorite Randy Newman tune!
thewiseking wrote:
His father was a doctor. You must be referring to an uncle.
There's something about his fake voice and overly "clever" lyrics which always perturbed me.
His father however was Hollywood Royalty and a great talent. Scored Wuthering Heights, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chaplin's City Lights and on and on and on
His father however was Hollywood Royalty and a great talent. Scored Wuthering Heights, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chaplin's City Lights and on and on and on
His father was a doctor. You must be referring to an uncle.
Wow!
badfunk wrote:
yes
RANDY NEWMAN??? WTF!
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
yes
RANDY NEWMAN??? WTF!
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
Is there anyone more annoying in music than Randy Newman?
I never understood the worship of Randy Newman. Recently I've begun to see him as a good, maybe occasionally great songwriter; but the fact that he was in the R&R HOF while the Moody Blues were not, just made me physically ill. Thank goodness that will be remedied finally, but I still think he's way overrated as a performer.
thewiseking wrote:
I accept as your truth that you never could stand him. As if it matters. The only time I saw him perform I guess he was heavily into cocaine. Sniffed a lot. Maybe that would be a reason to dislike him, for some. However, reality is more nuanced. He is a really good song writer. This song says more about an old American city that has suffered from the sort of hollowing out of industry, post-slavery sociological problems (Maryland was indeed a slave state), urban flight, racial discord, poor educational and other opportunities, etc. (and that's a lot of etcs.) than any single song I know. As a society we pretty much pay a modest amount of attention to the degradation of the urban centers, express some periodic concern, then move on to something/anything else. But the problem persists and festers. That is what this song is about, from my perspective.
Never could stand this guy and what's up with that contrived pseudo soulful voice he sings in? Did they teach little Randy minstrelsy when he was growing up in Beverly Hills?
I accept as your truth that you never could stand him. As if it matters. The only time I saw him perform I guess he was heavily into cocaine. Sniffed a lot. Maybe that would be a reason to dislike him, for some. However, reality is more nuanced. He is a really good song writer. This song says more about an old American city that has suffered from the sort of hollowing out of industry, post-slavery sociological problems (Maryland was indeed a slave state), urban flight, racial discord, poor educational and other opportunities, etc. (and that's a lot of etcs.) than any single song I know. As a society we pretty much pay a modest amount of attention to the degradation of the urban centers, express some periodic concern, then move on to something/anything else. But the problem persists and festers. That is what this song is about, from my perspective.
Never could stand this guy and what's up with that contrived pseudo soulful voice he sings in? Did they teach little Randy minstrelsy when he was growing up in Beverly Hills?
Love this song until the chorus when it homogenizes into mid 70s soft rockitude.
Love this song with Glenn Frey doing the (way too short) solo at the end.
I love the way you guys over the pond express your love or otherwise for your places in song titles. We don't really get involved with that here, for some reason. "Oh, Mangotsfield" just wouldn't have the same ring to it.
mardisoninnc wrote:
Same here.
I don't know what it is about him, but I just can't stand old Randy.
Same here.
There's something about his fake voice and overly "clever" lyrics which always perturbed me.
His father however was Hollywood Royalty and a great talent. Scored Wuthering Heights, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chaplin's City Lights and on and on and on
His father however was Hollywood Royalty and a great talent. Scored Wuthering Heights, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chaplin's City Lights and on and on and on
melzabutch wrote:
Meanwhile,outside of Pleasant Valley
Meanwhile,outside of Pleasant Valley
Sodak1 wrote:
Did Nils Lofgren also do this song?
On his 5th album "Nils".Very smooth 7 -> 8
phlattop wrote:
would have loved to have seen this used on "The Wire"
I'm just about to finish season 4. Imagine my delight when this song came up on Radio Paradise as a timely volunteer. I love Randy and I love him more when he writes, "And they hide their faces, And they hide their eyes, 'Cause the city's dyin', And they don't know why..." I think Randy knows 'why'.
Reminds of when I was a teenager and the talk show said, "Intelligence isn't something you're born with and if you don't have now you can get it" and "Follow the money". I was in the short line for the draft and the second round gasoline rationing/price hikes landed on us. I didn't read much in those days and I didn't have many informed friends or relatives, but I knew three things for sure; "we are being fucked"; "I am going to find out how" and "by whom". It didn't take long, surety takes a while longer, but it grows like a virus when I commit to knowing and seeing.
Get my sister Sandy, And my little brother Ray, Buy a big old wagon, Gonna haul us all away, Livin' in the country, Where the mountain's high, Never comin' back here, 'Til the day I die.
I don't know what it is about him, but I just can't stand old Randy.
Did Nils Lofgren also do this song?
kingart wrote:
Noticed that, too. Very similar.
James Taylor's oh, Mexico in that oh, Baltimore.
Noticed that, too. Very similar.
Always liked his voice - amazing just how many hits and theme songs he's been responsible for!
Love this song. That's Glenn Frey on guitar.
Stop sign died in it's own tracks,City is calling.
Just living wasn't enough.
Just living wasn't enough.
Randy Newman! The amazing human!
Thank you for playing ... brightens my day!
(Odd, given the lyrics.)
Thank you for playing ... brightens my day!
(Odd, given the lyrics.)
The Atlanta-based crooner Nedric Nedo remakes Randy Newman's "Baltimore" with new original music composed by Wes Green.
Nedo reworks the lyrics for an introspective reflection on his childhood. His heartfelt vocals and Green's current production create an intriguing remake and vibe.
THE LINK IS BELOW
https://soundcloud.com/nedricnedo/baltimore-produced-by-wes-green
He is an American treasure...And the song is unfortunately still poignant today...
phlattop wrote:
Ooh, yeah. Me too!
would have loved to have seen this used on "The Wire"
Ooh, yeah. Me too!
Gooch58 wrote:
kcar wrote:
I know parts of Baltimore are still squalid and ridden with poverty and crime, but I'm not ready to say as you do that Baltimore's revival "will never happen." Economic re-development, especially in a built-up urban setting, is very hard to do. But Baltimore, along with great hospitals and a number of colleges, has the advantage of being close to DC. It should be able to draw on that proximity to pull more federal funding and professionals working in DC towards Baltimore.
One problem with urban re-development, though, is that the people involved don't always have a plan to seriously combat poverty and joblessness within the city. DC is going through major changes as white-collar workers are moving into the city, prompting an orgy of construction and renovation. That influx of money and new federal programs such as the Department of Homeland Security do pull in new businesses like restaurants and supermarkets which in turn provide employment for some poorer DC residents. But there's not enough programs to pull the DC residents long entrenched in poverty into regular employment in good jobs. Many of those residents simply can't afford the new DC and get pushed out into the outlying suburbs or have to leave the area altogether.
My guess is that a similar trend will occur in Baltimore: young professionals re-develop pockets of Charm City and slowly push out the poorer people. Eventually places like DC and Baltimore will look like Paris: rich people living within the city limits, poorer people stuck in remote exurbs.
I used to spend a lot of time in Baltimore. IMHO, despite the development in and around the Inner Harbor (e.g., Camden Yards), it hasn't changed all that much in the last 30 years. It's a city of ethnic/economic pockets and, therefore, challenges. I believe Baltimore's future resides in the integrity of its neighborhoods, diverse both ethnically and economically. If there is such a thing as a middle class economy and a middle class sensibility, Baltimore has a great chance of succeeding because of—as opposed to in spite of—its diversity. It is a great American city. I think Newman captured it perfectly. Then again so did "Diner" and "Hairspray."
I grew up in DC and when I took a train to New York one time it went through parts of Baltimore that shocked me with their squalor. Believe me, at the time this song was written, Baltimore really was on the skids. Now things are better, but the thing that kills you about Baltimore is how much potential it has to be one of the great American Cities: A unique "Inner Harbor", great hospitals and medical care, great history, but so much entrenched poverty, crime, filth, that you know it never will happen. Our racial history brought this and other American cities to where they are now, and it seems just too hard to undo. As for the song - it's just great. Haunting piano intro building to soaring chorus. I give it a strong 8.
kcar wrote:
I know parts of Baltimore are still squalid and ridden with poverty and crime, but I'm not ready to say as you do that Baltimore's revival "will never happen." Economic re-development, especially in a built-up urban setting, is very hard to do. But Baltimore, along with great hospitals and a number of colleges, has the advantage of being close to DC. It should be able to draw on that proximity to pull more federal funding and professionals working in DC towards Baltimore.
One problem with urban re-development, though, is that the people involved don't always have a plan to seriously combat poverty and joblessness within the city. DC is going through major changes as white-collar workers are moving into the city, prompting an orgy of construction and renovation. That influx of money and new federal programs such as the Department of Homeland Security do pull in new businesses like restaurants and supermarkets which in turn provide employment for some poorer DC residents. But there's not enough programs to pull the DC residents long entrenched in poverty into regular employment in good jobs. Many of those residents simply can't afford the new DC and get pushed out into the outlying suburbs or have to leave the area altogether.
My guess is that a similar trend will occur in Baltimore: young professionals re-develop pockets of Charm City and slowly push out the poorer people. Eventually places like DC and Baltimore will look like Paris: rich people living within the city limits, poorer people stuck in remote exurbs.
I used to spend a lot of time in Baltimore. IMHO, despite the development in and around the Inner Harbor (e.g., Camden Yards), it hasn't changed all that much in the last 30 years. It's a city of ethnic/economic pockets and, therefore, challenges. I believe Baltimore's future resides in the integrity of its neighborhoods, diverse both ethnically and economically. If there is such a thing as a middle class economy and a middle class sensibility, Baltimore has a great chance of succeeding because of—as opposed to in spite of—its diversity. It is a great American city. I think Newman captured it perfectly. Then again so did "Diner" and "Hairspray."
:+:_DL wrote:
You're listening to it.
Absolutely the worst.
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
You're listening to it.
would have loved to have seen this used on "The Wire"
Ahh, how mondegreens do delight...
jademon wrote:
jademon wrote:
This song is more interesting if you change the word "Baltimore" to "Voldemort" while singing along.
This song is more interesting if you change the word "Baltimore" to "Voldemort" while singing along.
Randy Newman much like Lyle Lovett is one of the great American storytellers, although not so much now that he's doing all that Disney music.
oldsaxon wrote:
What? How does that work? The Jewish people have a long and wonderful history which is being sadly tainted by the Isreali government's sad performance. I will not, however accept that anyone should be forced to "like jewish people for historic reasons", ever. People stand on their actions. Requiring someone to "like" someone solely because of their race is nearly as offensive as disliking them because of their race because it lumps everyone of that race into one type and we're not...any of us....of one type.
I'm sorry I forgot the 
smiley. It was a joke and a cynic reference to politically correct politics in his/her homecountry Germany. When Israël is involved in a discussion things get a little tensioned. Even in The Netherlands. And that all because of "don't mention the war" second world war. So I'm completely agreeing with what you wrote.
And yeah, English is my second (or thirth or fourth) language too.
What? How does that work? The Jewish people have a long and wonderful history which is being sadly tainted by the Isreali government's sad performance. I will not, however accept that anyone should be forced to "like jewish people for historic reasons", ever. People stand on their actions. Requiring someone to "like" someone solely because of their race is nearly as offensive as disliking them because of their race because it lumps everyone of that race into one type and we're not...any of us....of one type.
smiley. It was a joke and a cynic reference to politically correct politics in his/her homecountry Germany. When Israël is involved in a discussion things get a little tensioned. Even in The Netherlands. And that all because of "don't mention the war" second world war. So I'm completely agreeing with what you wrote.And yeah, English is my second (or thirth or fourth) language too.
Kaw wrote:
You are from Germany. You should like jewish people for historic reasons.
(Google Translate is your friend. In this case it would have done a better job in translating what you tried to tell us.)
What? How does that work? The Jewish people have a long and wonderful history which is being sadly tainted by the Isreali government's sad performance. I will not, however accept that anyone should be forced to "like jewish people for historic reasons", ever. People stand on their actions. Requiring someone to "like" someone solely because of their race is nearly as offensive as disliking them because of their race because it lumps everyone of that race into one type and we're not...any of us....of one type.
And get over the ESL thing.
You are from Germany. You should like jewish people for historic reasons.
(Google Translate is your friend. In this case it would have done a better job in translating what you tried to tell us.)
What? How does that work? The Jewish people have a long and wonderful history which is being sadly tainted by the Isreali government's sad performance. I will not, however accept that anyone should be forced to "like jewish people for historic reasons", ever. People stand on their actions. Requiring someone to "like" someone solely because of their race is nearly as offensive as disliking them because of their race because it lumps everyone of that race into one type and we're not...any of us....of one type.
And get over the ESL thing.
:+:_DL wrote:
Well, he was. But ever since he started doing movie scores, everything, he cranks out sounds like a bad Scott Joplin knock-off.
Absolutely the worst.
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
Well, he was. But ever since he started doing movie scores, everything, he cranks out sounds like a bad Scott Joplin knock-off.
frank-peter wrote:
You are from Germany. You should like jewish people for historic reasons.
(Google Translate is your friend. In this case it would have done a better job in translating what you tried to tell us.)
NO ONE make his / her a BUILT, what me belongs!
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
You are from Germany. You should like jewish people for historic reasons.
(Google Translate is your friend. In this case it would have done a better job in translating what you tried to tell us.)
Anybody remember the Nils Lofgren cover of this?
It's on this album from '79:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_(album)
It's on this album from '79:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_(album)
frank-peter wrote:
What does being Jewish or Christian have to do with a person's talent?
NO ONE make his / her a BUILT, what me belongs!
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
What does being Jewish or Christian have to do with a person's talent?
Gooch58 wrote:
I know parts of Baltimore are still squalid and ridden with poverty and crime, but I'm not ready to say as you do that Baltimore's revival "will never happen." Economic re-development, especially in a built-up urban setting, is very hard to do. But Baltimore, along with great hospitals and a number of colleges, has the advantage of being close to DC. It should be able to draw on that proximity to pull more federal funding and professionals working in DC towards Baltimore.
One problem with urban re-development, though, is that the people involved don't always have a plan to seriously combat poverty and joblessness within the city. DC is going through major changes as white-collar workers are moving into the city, prompting an orgy of construction and renovation. That influx of money and new federal programs such as the Department of Homeland Security do pull in new businesses like restaurants and supermarkets which in turn provide employment for some poorer DC residents. But there's not enough programs to pull the DC residents long entrenched in poverty into regular employment in good jobs. Many of those residents simply can't afford the new DC and get pushed out into the outlying suburbs or have to leave the area altogether.
My guess is that a similar trend will occur in Baltimore: young professionals re-develop pockets of Charm City and slowly push out the poorer people. Eventually places like DC and Baltimore will look like Paris: rich people living within the city limits, poorer people stuck in remote exurbs.
I grew up in DC and when I took a train to New York one time it went through parts of Baltimore that shocked me with their squalor. Believe me, at the time this song was written, Baltimore really was on the skids. Now things are better, but the thing that kills you about Baltimore is how much potential it has to be one of the great American Cities: A unique "Inner Harbor", great hospitals and medical care, great history, but so much entrenched poverty, crime, filth, that you know it never will happen. Our racial history brought this and other American cities to where they are now, and it seems just too hard to undo. As for the song - it's just great. Haunting piano intro building to soaring chorus. I give it a strong 8.
I know parts of Baltimore are still squalid and ridden with poverty and crime, but I'm not ready to say as you do that Baltimore's revival "will never happen." Economic re-development, especially in a built-up urban setting, is very hard to do. But Baltimore, along with great hospitals and a number of colleges, has the advantage of being close to DC. It should be able to draw on that proximity to pull more federal funding and professionals working in DC towards Baltimore.
One problem with urban re-development, though, is that the people involved don't always have a plan to seriously combat poverty and joblessness within the city. DC is going through major changes as white-collar workers are moving into the city, prompting an orgy of construction and renovation. That influx of money and new federal programs such as the Department of Homeland Security do pull in new businesses like restaurants and supermarkets which in turn provide employment for some poorer DC residents. But there's not enough programs to pull the DC residents long entrenched in poverty into regular employment in good jobs. Many of those residents simply can't afford the new DC and get pushed out into the outlying suburbs or have to leave the area altogether.
My guess is that a similar trend will occur in Baltimore: young professionals re-develop pockets of Charm City and slowly push out the poorer people. Eventually places like DC and Baltimore will look like Paris: rich people living within the city limits, poorer people stuck in remote exurbs.
James Taylor's oh, Mexico in that oh, Baltimore.
:+:_DL wrote:
If you don't get it try just moving on and not being a dick about it.
Absolutely the worst.
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
If you don't get it try just moving on and not being a dick about it.
:+:_DL wrote:
In his body of work.
Absolutely the worst.
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
In his body of work.
I think Randy Newman ranks as one of the great American story tellers, although maybe not so much after Short People became a hit.
Absolutely the worst.
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
I hear people talk about Randy Newman like he's a great songwriter !?!?!
Where's the proof?
Great artist who's early work I never heard much of. So thus I'm glad to hear some on RP. Thanks!
frank-peter wrote:
Sorry, FP, but Newman isn't a self-made man. he comes from a wealthy, connected and very talented Hollywood family. His father made it big composing sound tracks for movies, and act RN has gotten into lately, since he no longer writes witty and satirical lyrics as he did in his prime (e.g., "Sail Away"). He WAS a genuine talent, but now he's another rich Hollywood hack. Sorry to burst your bubble. BTW, your English grammar is far better than my German.
NO ONE make his / her a BUILT, what me belongs!
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
Sorry, FP, but Newman isn't a self-made man. he comes from a wealthy, connected and very talented Hollywood family. His father made it big composing sound tracks for movies, and act RN has gotten into lately, since he no longer writes witty and satirical lyrics as he did in his prime (e.g., "Sail Away"). He WAS a genuine talent, but now he's another rich Hollywood hack. Sorry to burst your bubble. BTW, your English grammar is far better than my German.
NO ONE make his / her a BUILT, what me belongs!
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
I like not every jewish people!!! BUT I like Randy Newman!
He make all, what he have! And This is that, what a christian do!
He is my friend! He gave me so much! He is a real friend!
Excuse me please! (About my very bad english)
brookap wrote:
Randy Newman's sense of humour is of such a higher quality than Family Guy's that it's not even funny anymore. ;-)
FG can parody all they want.
Tim_in_N_FL wrote:
I must say this is pretty good stuff. Nothing like the more recent Randy Newman blather as parodied here:
https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
Spot-on parody! Thanks for sharing, Tim. https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
Randy Newman's sense of humour is of such a higher quality than Family Guy's that it's not even funny anymore. ;-)
FG can parody all they want.
Listen all you fools out there
Go on and love me, I don't care
Oh, it's lonely at the top
Saw RN in concert in a smallish venue recently. Just him and his piano. He puts on a great show.
I'm not a huge RN fan, like my friend Isom, but this song of his does do it for me...
Long Live Travis T. Hipp .....
Long Live Travis T. Hipp .....
What Gooch/you said
meinthecorner wrote:
What you said!
meinthecorner wrote:
What you said!
Gooch58 wrote:
What you said!
I grew up in DC and when I took a train to New York one time it went through parts of Baltimore that shocked me with their squalor. Believe me, at the time this song was written, Baltimore really was on the skids. Now things are better, but the thing that kills you about Baltimore is how much potential it has to be one of the great American Cities: A unique "Inner Harbor", great hospitals and medical care, great history, but so much entrenched poverty, crime, filth, that you know it never will happen. Our racial history brought this and other American cities to where they are now, and it seems just too hard to undo. As for the song - it's just great. Haunting piano intro building to soaring chorus. I give it a strong 8.
What you said!
that seque did Ben Folds no favours.
steady_steve wrote:
I've heard Bill do some great sets, but never one that made me feel obligated to log in and post - Ben Folds, Fred Jones into Baltimore by Randy Newman is genius. And then to top if all off, a few songs later, Life's What You Make It by Talk Talk and right into the Killers. I stand in awe (well, I'm actually sitting on the couch, but you know what I mean). Oh and then as I am writing this - Tom Waits, Jockey Full of Bourbon - get out of my mind Bill !!
Some great, insightful comments on this song... I just wanted to say I'm not a Randy Newman fan so much. Not really at all... but I really love this song. It's so... sad. In a beautiful way.
I grew up in DC and when I took a train to New York one time it went through parts of Baltimore that shocked me with their squalor. Believe me, at the time this song was written, Baltimore really was on the skids. Now things are better, but the thing that kills you about Baltimore is how much potential it has to be one of the great American Cities: A unique "Inner Harbor", great hospitals and medical care, great history, but so much entrenched poverty, crime, filth, that you know it never will happen. Our racial history brought this and other American cities to where they are now, and it seems just too hard to undo. As for the song - it's just great. Haunting piano intro building to soaring chorus. I give it a strong 8.
I've heard Bill do some great sets, but never one that made me feel obligated to log in and post - Ben Folds, Fred Jones into Baltimore by Randy Newman is genius. And then to top if all off, a few songs later, Life's What You Make It by Talk Talk and right into the Killers. I stand in awe (well, I'm actually sitting on the couch, but you know what I mean). Oh and then as I am writing this - Tom Waits, Jockey Full of Bourbon - get out of my mind Bill !!
You're kidding, right Bill? Randy Newman? 
Tim_in_N_FL wrote:
Spot-on parody! Thanks for sharing, Tim.
I must say this is pretty good stuff. Nothing like the more recent Randy Newman blather as parodied here:
https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
Spot-on parody! Thanks for sharing, Tim.
jim1964 wrote:
Omar never did see it comin'
Yep, but they say that the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. . .
Omar never did see it comin'
Yep, but they say that the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. . .
if you've ever spent any time in Balmer...
Every song from him sounds like "Short People." At least that's all I hear.
I can't think of another Randy Newman song I'd rate above an 3, this is a solid 8.
drjimmy wrote:
It is a toss up for me, this one or the David Gray cover.
I like this, but I like the Nils Lofgren version better.
It is a toss up for me, this one or the David Gray cover.
vandal wrote:
"Omar comin'!"
Omar never did see it comin'
"Omar comin'!"
Omar never did see it comin'
Zep wrote:
"Omar comin'!"
"Omar comin'!"
drjimmy wrote:
Sorry, nothing touches "Bullet Fever".
I like this, but I like the Nils Lofgren version better.
Sorry, nothing touches "Bullet Fever".
I like this, but I like the Nils Lofgren version better.
orpheus wrote:
I also loved The Wire. I think it's one of the best TV shows ever made. The Sopranos, on the other hand, was a bit too cartoonish for me.
i loved the Wire as well. Born in BMore. Lived there a good part of my life. For those who want to bash the Wire and say it was trying too hard to be real, try living in BMore for any length of time, believe me, it was dead-on. As for creativity, it had the dramatic flair of any Dickens novel, with a similar take on the color and variety of characters that make up the world and come into one's life, good and evil.
I also loved The Wire. I think it's one of the best TV shows ever made. The Sopranos, on the other hand, was a bit too cartoonish for me.
Great song but good as Randy's version is, Nina Simone's is utterly amazing. And you haven't played it since Christmas. Please bring back RP
BasmntMadman wrote:
You'd be much more convincing if you weren't whinging on about a song that painted an accurate if uncomplimentary picture of the time and place.
It'd be a much more convincing song if Randy Newman had actually spent any time at all in Baltimore before writing it.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
You'd be much more convincing if you weren't whinging on about a song that painted an accurate if uncomplimentary picture of the time and place.
BasmntMadman wrote:
It'd be a much more convincing song if Randy Newman had actually spent any time at all in Baltimore before writing it.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
I just had to bump this. A great piece of writing — and I get what you're saying, having left all that behind some years ago in search of something "better." Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
I must say this is pretty good stuff. Nothing like the more recent Randy Newman blather as parodied here:
https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
https://www.220.ro/desene-animate/Family-Guy-Randy-Newman/O4pfCdxLrx/
I am not a huge fan of his, but I LOVE this song. He really is an awesome lyricist. 
could be Tucson or Tunisia today...Baltimore just probably came to mind in a momentary lapse of reason years ago...great tune, but much like his other chord progressions...
BasmntMadman wrote:
BasmntMadman wrote:
It'd be a much more convincing song if Randy Newman had actually spent any time at all in Baltimore before writing it.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
It'd be a much more convincing song if Randy Newman had actually spent any time at all in Baltimore before writing it.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
Baltimore as hellhole? Well, it's a US city in the great DC to Boston conurbation. Loads of hell there. But for sheer extent and magnitude of hellishness, Baltimore just can't reach - or better, stoop to - the levels of its Northeastern betters.
When I first saw Philadelphia, I was shocked. When I lived in the New York City area, I came to regard all of it - even Manhattan - as the final flowering of the New Jersey Turnpike. Manhattan itself, when I first saw it, looked like Baltimore on steroids. Fortunately, I later wandered into the precincts of the upper crust, and could see the wonderfulness there. Trump Tower. Yeah.
Baltimore's problem is that it isn't a media center. It can't push the image of the kind of life the upper classes enjoy there. So, we get all the I Love New York stuff shoved at us, while New York spawns the Lehman Brothers, the AIGs, etc., who did our economy so well. Too Big to Fail. Yeah.
It simply results in apoplexy at the center and paralysis at the limbs.
All the while cheered on by the likes of Randy Newman. The left chimes in with the Village Voice once doing an article featuring a Bawlmer Redneck, a pathetic sod, really, destined to fail, just like his city (this in 1979). And then we wonder why the likes of Sarah Palin have stormed the national scene.
No, there were the days when you could drive down Loch Raven Boulevard clear into Memorial Stadium, on a tree lined lane past all the tidy neighborhoods. Maybe catch a movie in one of the shopping centers. Long gone.
All the while mocked by Randy Newman.
Thank you, Randy, and all the wonderful, talented folk at the top levels of our culture, just making it more of what it is today. You monstrously silly fucks.
Art_Carnage wrote:
So true. I temporarily lost my mind and decided to move to Baltimore from a beautiful part of the country. Biggest mistake of my life. This place is truly a hell-hole, and now I am stuck here.
Not a Randy Newman fan. For the last 15 years, most of his stuff sounds like a bad Scott Joplin ripoff. But this song perfectly captures what a crap-hole Baltimore is.
So true. I temporarily lost my mind and decided to move to Baltimore from a beautiful part of the country. Biggest mistake of my life. This place is truly a hell-hole, and now I am stuck here.
Wonderful song.
Relased in 1977, but still fresh—musically and lyrically—after all these years! Solid 7+ for me!
Post Scriptum: I just learned how prolific Mr. Newman has been ... kudos to him!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman
Cruzan wrote:
Went and took a listen. Nice cover. Thanks.
not a fan of Randy Newman but I do kinda like this song
A jamaican band did a reggae version of it that is amazing but I can't seem to find it on itunes
I think it was the Tamlins
the resemblence starts about helfway through the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4svHZfnG4
A jamaican band did a reggae version of it that is amazing but I can't seem to find it on itunes
I think it was the Tamlins
the resemblence starts about helfway through the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4svHZfnG4
Went and took a listen. Nice cover. Thanks.
Cynaera wrote:
The last bit was terrific. I'll have to remember that one! "The one that got hit"...lol.
And I really enjoyed "Short People" and I am one. If you can't laugh at yourself, then what a sad kind of person you must be, eh?
Randy Newman is to music what T.S. Eliot is to poetry. I'm only half-kidding here. Sometimes it takes a very deep mind to comprehend something as simple as repetition, four-word sentences, and kindergarten-English.
I love Randy Newman's work. He pokes fun at everything, including himself, but he still manages to deliver a scathing message about the human condition. (Remember the flak he caught for "Short People"? Anyone with a sense of humor "got" the message. Those who didn't get it threw fits, filed petitions and lawsuits, and got all righteously-indignant.)
Some wise feller I know once said, "If you throw a rock into a pack of wild dogs, the one who yelps the loudest is the one that got hit." So - I'ma sit back and see who yelps the loudest.
I love Randy Newman's work. He pokes fun at everything, including himself, but he still manages to deliver a scathing message about the human condition. (Remember the flak he caught for "Short People"? Anyone with a sense of humor "got" the message. Those who didn't get it threw fits, filed petitions and lawsuits, and got all righteously-indignant.)
Some wise feller I know once said, "If you throw a rock into a pack of wild dogs, the one who yelps the loudest is the one that got hit." So - I'ma sit back and see who yelps the loudest.
The last bit was terrific. I'll have to remember that one! "The one that got hit"...lol.
And I really enjoyed "Short People" and I am one. If you can't laugh at yourself, then what a sad kind of person you must be, eh?
Exactly. I agree gatorade wrote:
Randy Newman is so under rated and under appreciated. I haven't heard this song in a long time. Thanks RP!
Randy Newman is so under rated and under appreciated. I haven't heard this song in a long time. Thanks RP!
vandal wrote:
That's funny - I loved The Wire and I did find it to be real. As much as I loved The Sopranos, I found The Wire to be more realistic and loved it even more. To each his/her own.
Newman's "Baltimore" is pretty good too. . .
i loved the Wire as well. Born in BMore. Lived there a good part of my life. For those who want to bash the Wire and say it was trying too hard to be real, try living in BMore for any length of time, believe me, it was dead-on. As for creativity, it had the dramatic flair of any Dickens novel, with a similar take on the color and variety of characters that make up the world and come into one's life, good and evil.
That's funny - I loved The Wire and I did find it to be real. As much as I loved The Sopranos, I found The Wire to be more realistic and loved it even more. To each his/her own.
Newman's "Baltimore" is pretty good too. . .
i loved the Wire as well. Born in BMore. Lived there a good part of my life. For those who want to bash the Wire and say it was trying too hard to be real, try living in BMore for any length of time, believe me, it was dead-on. As for creativity, it had the dramatic flair of any Dickens novel, with a similar take on the color and variety of characters that make up the world and come into one's life, good and evil.
not a fan of Randy Newman but I do kinda like this song
A jamaican band did a reggae version of it that is amazing but I can't seem to find it on itunes
I think it was the Tamlins
the resemblence starts about helfway through the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4svHZfnG4
A jamaican band did a reggae version of it that is amazing but I can't seem to find it on itunes
I think it was the Tamlins
the resemblence starts about helfway through the song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4svHZfnG4
Not a Randy Newman fan. For the last 15 years, most of his stuff sounds like a bad Scott Joplin ripoff. But this song perfectly captures what a crap-hole Baltimore is.
Randy Newman is to music what T.S. Eliot is to poetry. I'm only half-kidding here. Sometimes it takes a very deep mind to comprehend something as simple as repetition, four-word sentences, and kindergarten-English.
I love Randy Newman's work. He pokes fun at everything, including himself, but he still manages to deliver a scathing message about the human condition. (Remember the flak he caught for "Short People"? Anyone with a sense of humor "got" the message. Those who didn't get it threw fits, filed petitions and lawsuits, and got all righteously-indignant.)
Some wise feller I know once said, "If you throw a rock into a pack of wild dogs, the one who yelps the loudest is the one that got hit." So - I'ma sit back and see who yelps the loudest.
I love Randy Newman's work. He pokes fun at everything, including himself, but he still manages to deliver a scathing message about the human condition. (Remember the flak he caught for "Short People"? Anyone with a sense of humor "got" the message. Those who didn't get it threw fits, filed petitions and lawsuits, and got all righteously-indignant.)
Some wise feller I know once said, "If you throw a rock into a pack of wild dogs, the one who yelps the loudest is the one that got hit." So - I'ma sit back and see who yelps the loudest.
Great song from one of his better albums. His career has really lasted a long time.
That's funny - I loved The Wire and I did find it to be real. As much as I loved The Sopranos, I found The Wire to be more realistic and loved it even more. To each his/her own.
Newman's "Baltimore" is pretty good too. . .
As a Baltimor-on, I resemble this song.
ice-9 wrote:
I really hated the Wire. It was trying too hard to be gritty and real and did so directly according to the modern cable drama textbook. It rang hollow for me. This song, however, is pure Newman genius. Doesn't try to be anything it's not - Baltimore is hurting.
I couldn't have said it better. So many people recommended it to me for it's realism, but I thought it was really...well, stupid. Yes, tried too hard and did not have the creative spark of a cable drama like Sopranos.
The song is excellent. Between this, and "Rednecks" and the comments at the beginning of "I Love LA", etc., I don't know how Randy can even go on tour.
I really hated the Wire. It was trying too hard to be gritty and real and did so directly according to the modern cable drama textbook. It rang hollow for me. This song, however, is pure Newman genius. Doesn't try to be anything it's not - Baltimore is hurting.
I couldn't have said it better. So many people recommended it to me for it's realism, but I thought it was really...well, stupid. Yes, tried too hard and did not have the creative spark of a cable drama like Sopranos.
The song is excellent. Between this, and "Rednecks" and the comments at the beginning of "I Love LA", etc., I don't know how Randy can even go on tour.
musickat wrote:
I really hated the Wire. It was trying too hard to be gritty and real and did so directly according to the modern cable drama textbook. It rang hollow for me. This song, however, is pure Newman genius. Doesn't try to be anything it's not - Baltimore is hurting.
I have always loved this song, I'm glad I never watched the wire. It still sounds incredible to me.
I really hated the Wire. It was trying too hard to be gritty and real and did so directly according to the modern cable drama textbook. It rang hollow for me. This song, however, is pure Newman genius. Doesn't try to be anything it's not - Baltimore is hurting.
donnyballgame wrote:
you sound a little jealous?
This guy''s been writing the same song for 35 years. Sometimes I like it...but the Disney movie songs...oh boy.
you sound a little jealous?
In his body of work.
It is apparent this fellow didn't bother to read the accompanying Wikipedia bio. What amazing accomplishments for anyone. I had no idea myself and I've been listening to Newman for as long as I can remember. Didn't like all of his work, but this song is my favorite.