He Gives Us All His Love

Randy Newman wears a lot of hats: risk-taking consummate songsmith, novelty-tune hitmaker, film-scoring genius, parent-approved Disney songwriter—and, in concert, the stand-up (well, sit-down) comedian. What often gets left out of the conversation is that Newman's last two records of new material—1999's Bad Love and 2008's Harps and Angels—were just as ballsy and ambitious as his first two, if not more so. Newman's next release, The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 2, underscores the point: This guy rarely pulls punches, even in the tunes that sound sweet on the surface. Newman was just as sweet—and as honest—when reached by telephone last week.

WW: Do you find yourself writing more autobiographical songs these days?

Randy Newman: I mean, that's where I'm finding them. I'll take them wherever they come from. For one thing, you try and keep it…I don't want to say age-appropriate, but I can't help it. You can't pretend that they're written by a 24-year-old somehow. They ought to be something that someone 50 or 60 could sing.

That's interesting, because you haven't tamed with age. A lot of songwriters kind of—

Amazingly, they sort of drift off into ballad land! I can understand it, because the audience is there, too. When I do ballads now, there's like this total attention. I noticed it in Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles many years ago. No one can rock like Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles—and they just didn't choose to. It might be something hormonal....

Are there any songs in your discography that you won't play these days?

Yeah, there are. There are things I play that audiences like that maybe I like less well. But it hurts people's feelings when [I] say that "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" doesn't interest me that much. It hurts people's feelings. It's like you think they're stupid. But liking this music or that music has nothing to do with intelligence. One song I like that I don't play is "Old Man." Which is a good song, but I can't get the audience back when I do it. Not that it's so effective, but it's so bleak that it's a laugh-killer for sure. 

You wouldn't end with it, either?

I've tried. I can't do anything with it.... I think if they stop trusting you as a nice guy or a person, it changes things. They look at you different.

Would we be better off if we talked as bluntly about race as you do on Harps and Angels’ “Korean Parents”? 

Oh, I don't know. It's hard to defend "Korean Parents." I can defend it saying that it's meant in fun and it's not pejorative in any way, but I can't make a really good case for it. My kids don't let me do it here in L.A.. They have friends with Korean parents who are [bursts into laughter and snorts] serious people! For a laugh, I would…I don't know what I'd do. Almost anything. 

You sing that you don't believe in God, but don't you need him as a narrative device?

Well, it's a big thing in the world. The fact that I don't believe in it is a drop in the bucket. Christianity is such a hit! Judaism was way too rough. You get love and, uh, forgiveness in there...whoo! It's such a hit that it's of great interest to me.

Do you listen back to your old albums?

More so now that my kids will be playing something. But I think they like James Taylor and Paul Simon or Arcade Fire better. So not much, no. I don't like looking back. Never have. Don't like looking forward, either. But I never learned to live all that "in the moment" stuff. Where you are is a great place to do it. Years ago I saw people fishing in that river—in the Willamette that you're named after there. Right in town! Fantastic!

Do you ever think about retirement? 

Well, we were just discussing Portland the other day [laughs]. 

Really?

Yeah. Yeah, though I don't know. I've got the feeling that sometime I'll start liking being in [the studio] all by myself. I still think that will happen. So I'm not seriously thinking about retiring, I don't think I could.... [And] it rains a lot there. Everything creaks. Ugh. Getting up every day to a gray sky? I don't know. 

SEE IT: Randy Newman plays the Aladdin Theater on Friday, April 15. 8 pm. $55. Minors must be accompanied by parent.

WWeek 2015