The Story Behind Randy Newman’s Misunderstood First Hit “Short People”

Short people got no reason to live / They got little hands / And little eyes / And they walk around. Randy Newman had no qualms about opening his 1977 song “Short People” with these declarations. And that was just the beginning of his story.

“Short People” goes on to describe more shortcomings of vertically challenged individuals singing They got little hands / And little eyes / And they walk around.

Taken at face value, the lyrics “Short People,” released on Newman’s fifth album Little Criminals, came off as prejudiced against people who are short in stature. The misinterpretation of Newman’s slightly camouflaged lyrics led some radio stations to ban the song, and got Newman dubbed a bigot, but “Short People” was a more figurative look at individuals who are small-minded: Tellin’ great big lies / They got little noses.

[RELATED: The 25 Best Randy Newman Quotes]

“I was surprised by the reaction,” said Newman in 2017 of the initial controversy around the song. “Because it was a hit, the song reached people who aren’t looking for irony. For them, the words mean exactly what they say. I can imagine being a short kid in junior high school. I thought about it before I let the record get out. But I thought, ‘What the hell?’ I know what I meant. The guy in that song is crazy. He was not to be believed.”

Further into the song, the deeper message of the song is evident, that everyone is equal.

Short people are just the same
As you and I
(A fool such as I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It’s a wonderful world)

“All you gotta do is listen,” said Newman of the obvious meaning behind the song. “It’s not like it’s James Joyce.”

Newman’s Little Criminals hit was just a sample of what was yet to come within a cast of sardonic and convoluted narratives. Caught between blatantly dry humor and more sentimental stories, Newman has gone from the darker satire of “Political Science” in 1972 to the more dystopian city view of other Little Criminals track “Baltimore,” through his more lighthearted Toy Story hit “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and heartrending “Lost Without You” about the final moments a husband shares with his dying wife.

When released, “Short People” was Newman’s first big hit, going to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images