I was listening to Randy Newman’s Little Criminals this morning. One of my favorite Newman albums.
It struck me that “Short People,” which went all the way to #2 on the Billboard chart thirty years ago, could never be a hit today. Mainly, because the pop charts have lost their sense of humor, and so have most of us in America. I remember at the time that there were a few groups who spoke out against Newman’s song, missing the humor in it. Today, I’m sure those same groups would be demanding a televised apology from him and that the song be banned from the airwaves. Musically, the song
would sound out of place too, as the Top 40 is no longer catholic in its acceptance of different styles, but narrow as the eye of a needle.