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An Entity of Type : wsb:Song, within Data Space : covidontheweb.inria.fr associated with source document(s)

AttributesValues
type
sameAs
has title
  • Short People
has format
  • Single (music)
Subject
  • 1977 singles
  • 1977 songs
  • Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman
  • Warner Bros. Records singles
  • Novelty songs
  • Randy Newman songs
  • Songs written by Randy Newman
  • Song recordings produced by Lenny Waronker
abstract
  • %22Short People%22 is a song by Randy Newman from his 1977 album, Little Criminals. The verses and chorus are lyrically constructed as a prejudiced attack on short people. In contrast, the bridge states that %22short people are just the same as you and I.%22 Newman interprets the song to be about %22prejudice%22 as was widely thought, but added that it was %22about a lunatic%22. As with many of his songs such as %22Rednecks%22, Newman wrote the song from the point of view of a biased narrator. Like Dire Straits' 1985 hit single, %22Money for Nothing%22, which used the same lyrical technique, the song was misunderstood by many listeners who wrongly assumed that it reflected Newman's personal viewpoint.Newman would later grow to dislike the song and its success, eventually calling it a %22bad break%22, a %22novelty record like The Chipmunks%22, and said it caused him to receive several threats regarding its misinterpreted message. However, it ended up being included on almost every one of his greatest hits albums.Although Newman had never charted a single before, and his previous album, Good Old Boys, had been his first to reach the Billboard 200, %22Short People%22 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; it was kept from reaching No. 1 by Player's %22Baby Come Back%22 and the Bee Gees' %22Stayin' Alive%22. It became a Gold record. 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. 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.In 1978, legislation was introduced in the state of Maryland to make it illegal to play %22Short People%22 on the radio. Contrary to urban legend, the bill did not obtain enough votes to pass.
schema:author
  • Randy Newman
schema:datePublished
homepage
musicbrainz
Musicbrainz GUID
  • 15e58a9f-5c9e-4808-899f-f8daa5277708
mo:performer
universally unique identifier
  • 5714dee125ac0d8aee4ee7b0
wikipedia
bpm
mo:duration
isrc
  • USWB19901943
producer
  • Russ Titelman
  • Lenny Waronker
track number
schema:album
wsb:allMusic_page
wsb:deezer_artist_id
  • 5679
wsb:deezer_page
wsb:deezer_song_id
  • 754080
wsb:explicit_lyrics_count
wsb:gain
wsb:has_explicit_lyrics
wsb:iTunes_page
wsb:language_detected
  • english
wsb:rank
wsb:record_label
  • Warner Bros. Records
wsb:title_without_accent
  • Short People
wsb:youTube_page
wsb:arousal
wsb:has_emotion_tags
wsb:has_social_tags
wsb:valence
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