Short People
{{other uses|Short people (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Short People
| cover = "Short People" by Randy Newman (1977 UK cover).jpg
| alt = cover art
| caption = UK cover
| type = single
| artist = Randy Newman
| album = Little Criminals
| B-side = Old Man on the Farm
| released = November 1977
| recorded = 1977
| studio =
| genre = Novelty rock{{cite web|url=https://www.spiked-online.com/2015/11/06/randy-newman-still-biting-still-brilliant/#.Vvx2z3plDfo |title=Randy Newman: still biting, still brilliant | Arts & Culture | Music | spiked |website=Spiked-online.com |date=6 November 2015 |access-date=2016-10-12}}
| length = 2:54
| label = Warner Bros.
| writer = Randy Newman
| producer = Lenny Waronker, Russ Titelman
| prev_title = Birmingham
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = The Blues
| next_year = 1982
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official video|{{YouTube|8bfyS-S-IJs|"Short People"}}}}
}}
"Short People" is a song by Randy Newman from his 1977 album, Little Criminals. With lyrics demeaning to short people, the song was intended by Newman to be a satire about prejudice more broadly.{{cite magazine |last1=Fricke |first1=David |title=Randy Newman: My Life in 15 Songs |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/randy-newman-my-life-in-15-songs-202825/short-people-204315/ |access-date=28 April 2020 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=15 September 2017}} As with many of his songs such as "Rednecks", Newman wrote the song from the point of view of a biased narrator.
Production and reception
The song follows a basic musical formula with bass and drums centering on Newman's catchy pop piano line in the key of A major.{{cite web|url=http://www.sheetmusicdigital.com/pdf/0/1/5/NESHORTP.png|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716054701/http://www.sheetmusicdigital.com/pdf/0/1/5/NESHORTP.png |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-16 |title=Short People : Sheet Music |access-date=2016-10-12}} A small brass section and an electric guitar occasionally rise into the mix and conga drums (played by Los Angeles–based session musician Milt Holland) also feature prominently in the song.
Although Newman had never charted a single before, and his preceding album, Good Old Boys, had been the first to reach the Top 150 on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart, "Short People" soon gained attention as a novelty song. The song consequently became a major hit on radio peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks; it was kept from reaching No. 1 by Player's "Baby Come Back" and the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive". It became a gold record.
Newman would later grow to dislike the song and its success, eventually calling it a "bad break", a "novelty record like The Chipmunks", and said it caused him to receive several threats regarding its misinterpreted message.{{cite news |last=Zitz |first=Michael |url=http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2003/092003/09182003/1104253/index_html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711211022/http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2003/092003/09182003/1104253/index_html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-11 |title=Songwriter Randy Newman hates his 'Short People' |newspaper=The Free Lance–Star |location=Fredericksburg, Virginia|date=2003-09-18 |access-date=2012-04-17}} He said, "I had no idea that there was any sensitivity, I mean, that anyone could believe that anyone was as crazy as that character. To have that kind of animus against short people, and then to sing it and put it all in song and have a philosophy on it."{{cite magazine| magazine= Performing Songwriter | title=Happy Birthday, Randy Newman| author=Lydia Hutchinson| url=http://performingsongwriter.com/randy-newman-songs/}} However, it ended up being included on almost every one of his greatest hits albums and he re-recorded it for his 2016 album The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 3.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Best-Randy-Newman/dp/B00005NTQ4 |title=Best of Randy Newman: Randy Newman: Music |website=Amazon |access-date=2012-04-17}}{{failed verification|date=July 2017}}
Record World said the single was "one of the funniest of any year."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=November 12, 1977|accessdate=2023-02-16|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/Record-World-1977-11-12.pdf}}
In 1978, Maryland State Delegate Isaiah Dixon attempted to introduce legislation making it illegal to play "Short People" on the radio. He was advised by Maryland Attorney General Bill Burch that such a law would be a violation of the First Amendment.{{cite news |first=M. Dion |last=Thompson |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2001-03-17-0103170141-story.html |title=They're smart, fast, usually right |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=2001-03-17 |access-date=2015-12-15}}
Chart performance
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| align="left"|Chart (1978)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Canada Top Singles{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0070a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0070a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0070a |title=Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=2016-10-12}}
| style="text-align:center;"|30 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1978.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=2016-10-12}}
| style="text-align:center;"|41 |
| U.S. Cash Box{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1978YESP.html |title=Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1978 |access-date=2015-11-03 }}
| style="text-align:center;"|15 |
{{col-end}}
Sales and certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Randy Newman|title=Short People|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=1977|certyear=1978|access-date=June 1, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
Personnel
=Musicians=
{{div col}}
- Randy Newman ‒ lead vocals, piano, synthesizer
- Glenn Frey ‒ backing vocals
- JD Souther ‒ backing vocals
- Jim Keltner ‒ drums
- Klaus Voormann ‒ bass guitar
- Milt Holland ‒ congas
- Timothy B. Schmit ‒ backing vocals
- Waddy Wachtel ‒ electric guitar
- Mike Boddicker ‒ synthesizer
{{div col end}}
=Technical =
- Lee Herschberg ‒ recording, mixing, mastering
- Lenny Waronker ‒ producer
- Loyd Clifft ‒ engineer
- Russ Titelman ‒ producer
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.songlyrics.com/randy-newman/short-people-lyrics/ Lyrics of this song]
- {{YouTube|v8UVBgUd9GE|Randy Newman – Short People}}
{{Randy Newman}}
Category:Songs written by Randy Newman
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Lenny Waronker