"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
To live
They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here
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)
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
To love
They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That got beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here
Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
To live
They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here
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)
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
To love
They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That got beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here
Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira, edited by ericdl, SWLinPHX
Short People Lyrics as written by Randy Newman
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Randy Newman may well be an asshole, but that's not the point. The idea of the song is to take a particularly ridiculous prejudice and exaggerate it to the nth degree. Maybe some people are insensitive to short people, maybe even a little prejudiced against them, but no one actually hates them as a group for goodness sake..... By exaggerating a particularly absurd prejudice, Newman was making fun of prejudice in general.
Also you are correct ereed6 Randy Newman has stated that the song was written from the perspective of a crazy person. Very cool you knew that. I still don't think that negates the fact that the song is making a point on discrimination. When I talk to a racist or sexist person, I often walk away thinking that they are lunatics. They are irrational, they lack a clear concept of reality, and project paranoid thoughts onto individuals who are of no threat to them. Sounds like a crazy person to me! From a song writing perspective the character singing the song would have to be crazy. No sane person would believe those things. But it becomes this crazy person's beliefs that ultimately become a perfect critique on discrimination.
I Heard Glenn Danzig wanted to kick Randy's ass after this was released
Got into lift at a Randy concert (he was backed by the LSO) - very tall elegant blonde turned to her equally distinguished male companion and whispered "I see we have some short people too" - it was kind of amusing, even if I wasn't supposed to hear - btw - I've known to tell a few blonde jokes "What do you call a blonde in a particle-physics department? Ans - the cleaner.
I think Randy is mildly prejudiced on this - he is squint-eyed, overweight etc but at least not short - he's gets a catharsis out of this in a way - so do I.
ur all wrong.. he's a nazi...
out..
So short-minded people have little hands, tiny teeth, and are so short you have to pick them up to say hello? No, sorry, you're wrong.
i'm quite short my self.... my boyfriend is quite tall...he sings this to me alot... i hit him hard when he does ... :P
anyway cant watch toystory without wanting to punch randy newman lol
This song is written from the perspective of a crazy person. There is no deep meaning. It's just silly. Randy Newman told me this in concert 3 days ago.
what does this song mean to me? humm... well either Randy Newman is a comedy mastermind or the biggest asshole on the planet... u decide
The ridiculous thing about this song is that he obviously doesnt mean it but after it was released midgets protested outside of anywhere he was performing