NEW YORK — Randy Newman is weighing in on the presidential election, and he's playing the race card through a song he wrote called "I'm Dreaming."
The piano tune features the refrain: "I'm dreaming of a white president." It is full of satirical, sarcastic — and signature — Newman anecdotes about someone who votes for the president because he is white.
Newman, who is white, is openly supporting President Barack Obama. He says he wants the public to find comedic relief in the song, but to also know he's serious about his thoughts that racism is well and alive in the world — and in the current presidential race. He called racism "the great issue of this country."
"I felt that that sentiment exists in the country," Newman said in an interview Monday. "I don't know how many people you can get to admit it. I think maybe zero."
The song will be released as a free download Tuesday and Newman is encouraging listeners to donate to the United Negro College Fund.
Newman, 68, has won multiple Academy Awards, Grammys and Emmys for composing music for movies such as "Cars," ''Monsters, Inc.," the "Toy Story" franchise and the TV series "Monk." He often writes songs from the perspective of a character not like himself. "Short People," the 1977 No. 2 Billboard hit, attacked short people. And "Sail Away" is a come on from a slave trader to a potential slave.
"I'm Dreaming" features lyrics like: "He won't be the brightest, perhaps, but he'll be the whitest, and I'll vote for that." He said as he wrote the song the lyrics "didn't come that easy." "It's delicate enough that I'm not going to offend people every which way, but I wanted to get it right as best I could," said Newman, who added that he's always worried there may be some backlash following the release of a song like this one.
Newman believes Obama will be re-elected in November and feels that Republican contender Mitt Romney isn't a "serious candidate for president."
Newman said he's proud of how America has progressed, though, but adds that "there's a long way to go."
"No European country would have elected a black man," he said. "I can't believe it happened. I think it's fantastic, like a step on the moon."
The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee said some friends told him to save the track — which he wrote a couple weeks ago — for an upcoming album, but he says releasing it now is perfect timing.
"I think it's for the moment," he said. "It's not going to live forever."
Randy Newman Weighs In on Race and Presidency in New Song
By JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR.
September 18, 2012, 1:50 pm
You can always trust Randy Newman to talk about the elephant in the room. The award-winning songwriter, who supports President Obama, has weighed in on the role of race in the presidential election, releasing a satirical song on Tuesday poking fun at voters who long for the days when a white man was in the White House.
The song has the refrain “I’m dreaming of a white president” and is written from the point of the view of a voter who casts his ballot solely on the basis of race. Mr. Newman said in a press release he felt the passionate opposition to President Obama over issues that generally put the public to sleep – the budget deficit and health care policy, for instance – belie a deep strain of racism in the electorate.
“I think there are a lot of people who find it jarring to have a black man in the White House and they want him out,” Mr. Newman said. “They just can’t believe that there’s not a more qualified white man. You won’t get anyone, and I do mean anyone, to admit it.”
Mr. Newman, who is white, released the song as a free download on his Web site, but encouraged listeners to donate to the United Negro College Fund.
At 68, Mr. Newman is perhaps best known for the songs he has composed for films like “Cars,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and the “Toy Story” films, as well as the theme song for the television show “Monk.”
On his albums, he often writes songs in character, with biased narrators who express extreme views for satirical effect. “Short People,” for instance, his 1977 single that reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, attacked people of small stature, as a general statement about prejudice. He used a similar lyrical technique on his song “Rednecks” from his 1974 album “Good Old Boys,” which explored the topic of institutionalized racism.
This time, however, Mr. Newman is wading right into the presidential race. The song includes the line: “He won’t be the brightest, perhaps / But he’ll be the whitest / And I’ll vote for that.” Mr. Newman told The Associated Press: “I felt that sentiment exists in the country. I don’t know how many people you can get to admit it. I think maybe zero.”
A few other liberal songwriters have taken on the same issue recently, though none quite so directly. For instance, Ry Cooder released “Election Special” last month, an album which featured songs written from the point of view of a disillusioned poor white voter.
Speaking to The A.P., Mr. Newman said the topic was “delicate enough that I’m not going to offend people every which way” and added he was worried there may be backlash from conservatives.
I'm little surprised that Mr. Newman is concerned about any type of backlash. Twenty-five or thirty years ago his song may have resonated across the county but with explosion of media/internet it's very easy for people to create their own "virtual reality." You can pick and choose what you wish to tune in or tune out based on whatever you want to hear or see. In my opinion most Americans don't want the truth nor can we accept the truth; we elect officials who adhere or pay lip serve to whatever bullshit we believe. Which is why we find ourselves in this mess now.
I'm little surprised that Mr. Newman is concerned about any type of backlash. Twenty-five or thirty years ago his song may have resonated across the county but with explosion of media/internet it's very easy for people to create their own "virtual reality." You can pick and choose what you wish to tune in or tune out based on whatever you want to hear or see. In my opinion most Americans don't want the truth nor can we accept the truth; we elect officials who adhere or pay lip serve to whatever bullshit we believe. Which is why we find ourselves in this mess now.
I'm little surprised that Mr. Newman is concerned about any type of backlash. Twenty-five or thirty years ago his song may have resonated across the county but with explosion of media/internet it's very easy for people to create their own "virtual reality." You can pick and choose what you wish to tune in or tune out based on whatever you want to hear or see. In my opinion most Americans don't want the truth nor can we accept the truth; we elect officials who adhere or pay lip serve to whatever bullshit we believe. Which is why we find ourselves in this mess now.
I'm little surprised that Mr. Newman is concerned about any type of backlash. Twenty-five or thirty years ago his song may have resonated across the county but with explosion of media/internet it's very easy for people to create their own "virtual reality." You can pick and choose what you wish to tune in or tune out based on whatever you want to hear or see. In my opinion most Americans don't want the truth nor can we accept the truth; we elect officials who adhere or pay lip serve to whatever bullshit we believe. Which is why we find ourselves in this mess now.
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