Randy Newman - Sail Away

[seancrapola]

Songs about how terrible Amerikkka (land of the goyim) is are sure crowd pleasers in Europe. Well done, Randy!

[rahzel101]

Why is it that no one confuses Shakespeare with Iago,Dickens with Scrooge,Dante with Satan,but when it comes to songwriters,they become so dense?The song is written in the voice of a slave trader,an evil person.I can't think of another songwriter who's gotten more grief for using characters to tell a truth,because he does it a lot.Musicians get it.They love him.

The song is so haunting because it puts beautiful chords behind something tragic,a slaver comforting a child aboard his ship.

[DominiqueGobeil]

First song I ever heard from Randy Newman. What a genuinely gifted orchestrator and great songwriter !

[Greengulchleaves]

I found this song because, when I was younger (3rd/4th grade) i found a Rolling Stone Magazine CD of Greatest hits from the 70s in my dad's cd collection. This was on it, and I've been hooked on Randy Newman ever since! I'm so glad for life :D

[spatinco]

Randy Newman makes me cry. Don't know why. It just happens.

[kcrehkopf]

I think this is one of the most beautiful pop songs...the music and the sweeping sentiment makes me cry and the fact that it is an indictment of colonialism and slavery is just brilliant!!

[mauiel1]

the man is intelligent and aware. he only tries to wake us all up to the beauty that surrounds us and our need to be attentive.And he's been doing this for nigh on 40 years.

[randallschecter]

@mauiel1 also to wake us up to how bad short people are, and how dumb people from the south are lol. wandy (as he would say) is a joke. good musician though.

[rockermanmatt]

@randallschecter Wow, what an ignorant comment.

'Short People' is about how pathetic discrimination is, not about how much he hates short people.

Randy IS from the south. Born in L.A, brought up in New Orleans. The song 'Rednecks' is about the North's hypocrisy and Southern stereotypes. He even lists northern Ghettos at the end of the song.

His songs are ironic and satirical, obviously some people don't get that.

[randallschecter]

@rockermanmatt "wow what an ignorant comment" "snivel snivel"

as i said before, the explenation dosent come with every song, me and my friends found this and thought it was hilarious, because of the speach inpedement, and the lyrical content. my dad played this song in a bar in the 80's and got spanked by the short barteneder. obviously "some people dont get it"

[rockermanmatt]

@randallschecter Surely "short people are just the same as you and I, a fool such as I" Gives it away, No?

It annoys me when people leave comments calling a great songwriter a "joke". Why not quickly look him up before leaving such an ignorant comment? Or don't comment at all?

Maybe then you would come accross a bit less of a jerk.

[rasputinslovechild1]

Randy Newman took a lot of crap for this song because so many people can't understand sarcasm. This is not a pro slavery song but just the opposite, exposing the great lie.

[cat2cube]

Is that Randy's regular voice or his singing voice?

[JayEmCee2011]

@cat2cube Singing Voice, His Normal Voice Sounds Perfectly Normal :L

[rich1051414]

@cat2cube his regular voice sounds very intelligent and educated. completely the opposite of his singing voice, which matches the satire in so many of his songs :)

[ianmalachi]

hey, i love cracked, but i love randy even more.

[TheBolillo310]

cracked magazine dumbasses

[colmo1992]

What the fuck is Cracked?

[WilliamDillOnPatrol]

@colmo1992 A comedy site that i do enjoy, Hoever, I hate the "like this if X sent you lolololol" comments. People should be on Randy Newman videos because Randy Newman is just swell.

[theodossian]

Vat ees theez Cracked pleez?

[docrod714]

I nominate Randy Newman for a Kennedy Center Award for the performing arts.

It's way passed due.

[John7011]

Bob Dylan called Randy Newman and Shel Silverstein the greatest songwriters of all time...this song is one of the major reasons why.

[MrDissolvist]

If you dislike this song you are a sociopath. "nuff said.

[gabe25591]

Never done this before, but thumbs up if you're fucking sick of people pretending to like Randy Newman cos some gay-ass site like Cracked told them to. Why boast that fact?

[karzymimi42]

AMAZING!!

[TJTele]

For Benton Harbor Michigan..!

[joeknee4767]

To our friends in the Middle East and beyond...things CAN change...Revolution IS Evolution

[reyesbloomfieldnj]

Randy Newman IS AWESOME!

[thegreatmoof]

I think I would be more surprised at how completely other commenters here missed the point if I hadn't been maintaining a permanent resident on The Internets since 1999. =/

I guess eventually you just realize that everyone else online is a mouth-breathing retard? Word to the mother of anyone who knows what I mean.

[TheiCritic]

Like this if you're only here because of Cracked.

[Tokopol]

@TheiCritic Disliked.

[connormcj25]

@Tokopol are you the only fag who disliked this?

[Tokopol]

@connormcj25 No. I was disliking the stupid-ass comment. I've been enjoying this song since long before 'Cracked' ever existed.

[Koolkitties]

@Tokopol 1958?

[TheItalianStallion33]

@TheiCritic What the hell is Cracked?

[Leogun94]

@TheiCritic This was on Cracked? Which article?

[halfmanhalfmetal]

Randy Newman's music is weird. In his songs he's making fun of everybody, including himself. All the while he's rocking back and forth with his eyes closed like an inmate in an asylum. It's pretty psychotic

[yrcrazypa]

@halfmanhalfmetal All piano players do that rocking back and forth thing, I've never understood why.

[crazypianolady]

@yrcrazypa Not all piano players do that! Saxophone players move about, so do trumpet players, so do guitar players. When you 'feel' the music that you're playing so much, you'll sway. Just like you may tap your foot or move about or even dance when you hear some music.

[TerminalViscosity]

@halfmanhalfmetal

Piano players rock because they can't really tap their feet.

[crazypianolady]

@halfmanhalfmetal I think his music is tremendously clever. He gives a very REAL, ironic and true-to-life account of dark side of us humans - slave owner mocking slaves in this song, a person hating short people in 'Short People', an ignorant American in 'Political Science' etc, you really have to read the lyrics to see, they're very clever. I'd rather hear his songs than some one hit wonder singing a pop-tune with crappy nonsense lyrics!

[foursprings]

great song, remember me Ray Charles style, I dont know why

[RRcarson]

At first listen the song seems like a political statement against the dreaded enslavement of soon to be 'Americans'. Cleverly done. But I'm dismayed

at the thought of the crowd cheering it on for the wrong reasons. You know,

like the way some folks cheer when they hear 'Dixie'. Let's hope their reasons

are pure.

[karmadhyana]

@RRcarson I would like to think that they are applauding his genuis. His demeanor (not a 'showman') affirms his feelings about that event, But the thing is, it's an easy song to enjoy. Instead of thrusting it's true meaning into one's face, he tells a very sweet story about a beautiful land, far, far away, that offers the things that dreams are made of. And if you're not familar with RN, you wouldn't get it.

In that way, it's like"Strange Fruit". Beautiful song, horrific theme.

[MirandaFsJones]

this song is all about the brilliant storytelling, soulful simple vocals, and piano mastery of randy newman

[Gooseberry51]

This man makes me cry..

[mcboltron]

randy newman is like if regina spektor was a dude.

[Dan474834]

Every time I hear this song a tear comes to my eye.

[MrChameleon2010]

You know.. I don't hate Randy Newman but I'm not a big fan of his style. Yet they keep putting him in my "Recommended for you" list on the front page. But this is a decent song.

[diana001us]

@MrChameleon2010 This song is the story of America. How reassuring to know you find it "decent."

[philateliceun]

@MrChameleon2010 Decent song? Damn I feel sorry for you.

[awolpete10]

"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard

[Alfrunk]

Aren't you the perfect embodiment of that, with your cut and paste wisdom.

[awolpete10]

Thank you. I thought that qoute help pvandck point

[naylorfan90]

@awolpete10 Huh, I hadn't known his middle name was Aabye...

[pvandck]

Pity so many people don't understand or appreciate irony and sarcasm. Maybe it's not part of mainstream American culture.

Anyway, great song. Linda Ronstadt did a nice version of it too.

[charold3]

Agreed pvandck, but remember that Randy Newman is an American--born in

anybody know?

New Orleans

[charold3]

Actually, I just wiki'd Newman, and he was apparently born in LA. Figures. He moved to New Orleans when little.

[Army30th]

@charold3

His mother's family lived in New Orleans, and he moved there when his father was in the military after he was born.

The song is told from the view point of a slave trader disguised as a Travel Agent, making America look like the land of milk and honey, everybody free to do what they want, everybody happy, singing about Jesus, and sitting on the front porch drinking and having a good time. How else can you make Slavery look good?

[rentatrip1]

Surprised that anyone would be offended by this song? - However the idea of pursuding potential salves with over simplified lies may well have been the truth &  a matter of fact... I do not feel Randy is pounding out an anthem here in order to speak in favor of "slavery" - He is shedding Light on the truth of the evil that men did & still do ...so his music has merit & social importance-

[hijapo76]

Stop referring to this hack as underrated. There is no one more overrated.

For real genius, see Nilsson.

[siracha]

This is such a great song. I love how offensive and beautiful Newman can be at the same time. Truly a great writer.

[BigJBear45]

One of the greatest songwriters of our time!

[tistinti]

..but isn´t it also a bit of a delight that he´s underrated?? ( besides, this unknown man has already two oscars on his mantlepiece!!)

[Jbear9]

Who underrates him? Who cares!

He wrote my theme song!

[MoveOverCasanova]

came around to this one again and saw you answered me back when i was "tistinti".

Just wonder why, I mean for what specific reason you consider this your "theme song"?

or do you mean another ? (he wrote my theme song, you wrote)

[Jbear9]

The first time I heard a couple of his songs, I thought, "this could be my theme song!"

[MoveOverCasanova]

thank you for the information( / ;-= )

[Jbear9]

You're welcome.

[ECWfan700]

i love this song i think he is graetly and dissgustingly underratted

[Alfrunk]

Learn to spell you illiterate moron

[VeganBoy13507]

@Alfrunk I think that was what us humans call a typo.