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The Paper, Parenthood; Maverick; Toy
Story and James and the Giant Peach.

His music currently is featured on the
silver screen in Pleasantville and A
Bug's Life; and he will sing "Lonely at
the Top," a song written for Frank
Sinatra but never sung by him, in the
upcoming You've Got Mail.
Much of the above music, as well as
one CD of previously unreleased
"odds and ends," is included on
Guilty. But it's all relatively unknown
when stacked against "Short People."
That's too bad because, "Short Peo-
ple" included, Newman's body of
work is as morally weighty and
provocative as that of any modern
American songwriter.
All said, Randy Newman is a
mentsh — even if his Jewish upbring-
ing was practically nonexistent. A few
trips to temple
during the High
Holidays, a cou-
ple of seders and
that's about it.
"There was no
[spiritual] Jewish
environment in
my home. My
dad was an athe-
ist," says New-
man, who
describes himself
as one, too. His
famous uncles all
married gentiles,
and did not raise
their children as
Jews.
Newman's mother was from the Jew-
ish community in New Orleans, and he
spent a lot of time there during his
childhood in the '40s and '50s. That
side of the family assimilated as well.
Newman tackled the subject in the
autobiographical tune "Dixie Flyer,"
about traveling from L.A. with his
mother to stay with family in New
Orleans while his father fought in
World War II:
"Her brothers and her sisters drove
down from Jackson, Mississippi/In a
great green Hudson driven by a gen-
tile they knew/Drinkin' rye whiskey
from a flask in the back seat/Tryin' to
do like the gentiles do/Christ, they
wanted to be gentiles, too/ Who
wouldn't down there, wouldn't you?"
Not everyone in the family assimi-
lated or simply stopped caring,
though. Newman's brother, who lives
in San Francisco, kept the faith. His
kids had bar mitzvahs. Newman went.
He liked it. End of story. God is fod-
der for song, not worship.

But listen closely. While, Newman's
songs brim with sarcasm and dry wit,
and are cast with thoughtless, selfish,
ignorant, all-too-real oafs, collectively,
they're one big plea for tolerance and
dignity
"Treat a man like dirt/give 'em no
respect/oh yeah/and expect something
dirty in return," he sings in "Can't
Keep A Good Man Down."
Still, many of Newman's songs have
been misinterpreted as nasty and
mean-spirited. That's partly because he
is a painstaking lyricist who refuses to
state the obvious.
"I always think audiences recognize
my people are wrong and wrong-head-
ed and stupid and ignorant and self-
absorbed," explains Newman. What
throws listeners off, Newman says, is
that "the bad people in my songs
make a case for their behavior,
they're not just cardboard
cutouts to be knocked down."
So where does his unyielding
sense of morality, his urge to
skewer social injustice in song,
come from?
"I was brought up in terms of
not being prejudiced," he says.
"My dad was a wrong-headed,
opinionated man, but he had not
an ounce of prejudice in him.
"It's either [a Jewish gene] or
it was acquired being a citizen of
the world and being cast on the
outside," he says, adding that, "I
think I probably had a very Jew-
ish upbringing culturally with all
the jokes and the food."
Newman may call himself an athe-
ist, but religion, as well as bigotry,
money, corruption and war, is a
favorite topic, too.
"Religion is the biggest hit in
human history," he says.
Then he pauses for a moment as if,
with all this talk about religion, he just
received a revelation. He laughs, then
says, "Maybe there is a God and he
wants me to believe in him. 'Short Peo-
ple' was the worst hit I could have. I had
the worst tour when it came out. No
one came — and I got death threats."
No matter the subject, the purpose
of his songs remains the same.
"Am I trying to tell people to be nice
to each other by pointing out what is
not nice?" he asks. "You could accuse
me of that and not be wrong."

,S U R

New owner John Rugani, formerly of Copper Creek
Restaurant invites you to lunch and dinner at his new
venue. Always known for the freshest seafood and
quality meat selection, John has taken this fine estab-
lishment and added his own flair to make
BRANDY'S an unforgettable dining experience to all.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING INTIMATE & PRIVATE?

Brandy's has two private banquet facilities
seating up to 50 Guests
•
NOW OPEN FOR DINNER ON SUNDAYS

(248) 338-4300

HOURS : MON - THUR 11-11
FRI-SAT 11-12 • SUN 4-9

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DAILY LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS

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HOMEMADE' GARLIC BREAD

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< ;F E

featuring

Casual Dining

Open 11:00 a.m. Tuesday - Sunday
33210 W. 14 Mile Rd. (at Farmington Rd.)
(248) 855-6220

Tola Lewis

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
beginning at 7:30 p.m.

\npr o : ,.t

Ettj09

❑

Newman is out with a four-
CD retrospective of his work. His
latest film scores include "Pleas-
antville" and "A Bug's Life."

BLOOMFIELD
HILLS

silte

C at eiLi
OUTSIDE OUR RESTAURANT
FOR PARTIES 20 to 500

Featuring Ristorante di Modesta's
Famous Cuisine of Outstanding Favorites

QistonaKte

29400

Di Nodesta

IN MARKET STREET SHOPPES
NORTHWESTERN HWY. • SOUTHFIELD

(248)358-0344

11/27

1998

Detroit Jewish News

99