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Randy Newman — Last Night I Had a Dream
Album: Sail Away
Avg rating:
6.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1268









Released: 1972
Length: 2:54
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Last night I had a dream
You were in it, I was in it with you
Everyone that I knew
And everyone that you know was in my dream
I saw a vampire
I saw a ghost
Everybody scared me but you scared me the most
In the dream I had last night
In the dream I had last night
In my Dream

It started out in a barnyard at sundown
And everyone was laughing and you were lying on the ground
You said, "Honey, can you tell me what your name is?"
"Honey, can you tell me what your name is?"
I said, "You know what my name is."
Comments (83)add comment
A shame he’s best known for that one big hit. He really does have some great music! 
who played slide on that track?
 indatube1 wrote:

who's playing slide on this track? Most excellent in a vampiry scary way.



I believe it is none other than Ry Cooder. 
 Steely_D wrote:
Mama Told Me Not To Come. "That cigarette you're smokin / bout to scare me half to death!" Newman does cynical and snide and clueless better than anyone.

However, when he wants to be sad, he's unstoppable. Listen to "Real Emotional Girl" She's a real emotional girl / She wears her heart on her sleeve / Every little thing you tell her / She'll believe / She really will / She even cries in her sleep / I've heard her

or

"Old Man." Won't be no God to comfort you / You taught me not to believe that lie / You don't need anybody / Nobody needs you / Don't cry, old man, don't cry / Everybody dies

He's one of the great songwriters of our time. And, of course, he's right that short people truly got no reason to live. They got little tiny voices going peep peep peep.


Hey now! I like being short. Could do without the whiny voice though.
who's playing slide on this track? Most excellent in a vampiry scary way.
 Shesdifferent wrote:

Sounds to me like he is stretching for lyrics and a song......



Listen harder. He's never singing as himself. It's always a character.
what exactly is the voice this son of Beverly Hills, Hollywood Royalty, singing in?  Is this mockery? 
 mikec09 wrote:

Is it wrong, that I rate every Randy Newman song a 10?  "Honey, can you tell me what your name is?"



Honey you know what my name  is!
Such a great album
 mxflash wrote:


This is awesome.



Ya have to hand it to short people. They probably can't reach it anyway.
 Lindo525 wrote:
 

It's nothing personal. I just don't like short people, that's all...




This is awesome.
I've always loved this album since I bought it on vinyl when it came out. Randy is brilliant.
Randy went Savage with this one
Easy 9
Mama Told Me Not To Come. "That cigarette you're smokin / bout to scare me half to death!" Newman does cynical and snide and clueless better than anyone.

However, when he wants to be sad, he's unstoppable. Listen to "Real Emotional Girl" She's a real emotional girl / She wears her heart on her sleeve / Every little thing you tell her / She'll believe / She really will / She even cries in her sleep / I've heard her

or

"Old Man." Won't be no God to comfort you / You taught me not to believe that lie / You don't need anybody / Nobody needs you / Don't cry, old man, don't cry / Everybody dies

He's one of the great songwriters of our time. And, of course, he's right that short people truly got no reason to live. They got little tiny voices going peep peep peep.
Call me clueless (and some people reasonably do), but it took a while before I realized how simple and yet profound the line(s) from this song are.  Equal parts irony, whimsical, insightful and obvious ...

"Last night I had a dream.
I was in it …  and you were in it with me."

Who else would think of that but Randy? He rules!

Bill, a bit more Randy Newman please. 
 tonyjory wrote:
It's only because they got no body.

 

 Lindo525 wrote:
 oldhipsjackson wrote:
How can you not love Randy Newman?

It's nothing personal. I just don't like short people, that's all...


 

 Lindo525 wrote:
 oldhipsjackson wrote:
How can you not love Randy Newman?

It's nothing personal. I just don't like short people, that's all...


 

We need an MRN button for More Randy Newman, please.
Ah, me hears Ry Cooder sliding around.
I don't know if it's just bad timing on my part, but I'm always hoping to hear a Randy Newman song here on RP, but never do. Finally, a Randy Newman song is playing when I'm tuned in! 

More Randy Newman, please!
Great artist and such a unique, recognizable voice.
 Lakeview wrote:
Over exposure by selling out to every movie he could possibly do has me quite tired of his voice and style. Every song sounds exactly the same to me and may as well be Toy Story 17, 18, 19, etc.

Please, don't play him any more. There's no real reason to, is there? 
 

You can take your hat off

Dumb as a sack of rocks!

Republican?
 fogmoose wrote:

its not wrong. I rate every one of them a 5 or less, so it evens out!
 
It evens out to a 7.5 or less

Innumerate
 oldhipsjackson wrote:
How can you not love Randy Newman?

It's nothing personal. I just don't like short people, that's all...


How can you not love Randy Newman?
 mikec09 wrote:
Is it wrong, that I rate every Randy Newman song a 10?  "Honey, can you tell me what your name is?"

 
its not wrong. I rate every one of them a 5 or less, so it evens out!
Is it wrong, that I rate every Randy Newman song a 10?  "Honey, can you tell me what your name is?"
Loved the album when it came out and still have it. Memories & music. What a lovely combo. 8^)
 Forest267 wrote:

Red haired lady..takes a bite out of an apple..no, wait, she rubs it on her shirt...then she takes a bite...then another bite...
 
It was great and really summed up the general feeling about the movie sell-out.
 
Over exposure by selling out to every movie he could possibly do has me quite tired of his voice and style. Every song sounds exactly the same to me and may as well be Toy Story 17, 18, 19, etc.

Please, don't play him any more. There's no real reason to, is there? 
Sounds to me like he is stretching for lyrics and a song......
 cchris_47 wrote:
Please play more Randy Newman!!!!!!
 
Why? Can't think of any good reason.

 Mandible wrote:

The Family Guy did a hilarious spoof of Randy Newman. Anyone else see it?
 
Red haired lady..takes a bite out of an apple..no, wait, she rubs it on her shirt...then she takes a bite...then another bite...

 cchris_47 wrote:
Please play more Randy Newman!!!!!!
 
I agree! 
Please play more Randy Newman!!!!!!
Old_Pool_Skunk wrote:
I seem to recall Newman wrote a song or two picked up by Three Dog NIght. I mean, this guy has been quietly songwriting for over thirty years. Good on him for scoring with the movie soundtracks... 'bout time.

Mama Told Me Not To Come.
"That cigarette you're smokin / bout to scare me half to death!" Newman does cynical and snide and clueless better than anyone. However, when he wants to be sad, he's unstoppable. Listen to "Real Emotional Girl"
She's a real emotional girl
She wears her heart on her sleeve
Every little thing you tell her
She'll believe
She really will
She even cries in her sleep
I've heard her

or "Old Man."
Won't be no God to comfort you
You taught me not to believe that lie
You don't need anybody
Nobody needs you
Don't cry, old man, don't cry
Everybody dies

 
dmax wrote:

He's one of the great songwriters of our time. And, of course, short people truly got no reason to live. They got little tiny voices going peep peep peep.
 
or "I Want You To Hurt Like I Do"

I ran out on my children
And I ran out on my wife
Gonna run out on you too baby
I done it all my life
Everybody cried the night I left
Well almost everybody did
My little boy just hung his head
And I put my arm put my arm around his little shoulder
And this is what I said:
"Sonny I just want you to hurt like I do
I just want you to hurt like I do
I just want you to hurt like I do
Honest I do honest I do, honest I do"


 Pyro wrote:


You must only be familiar with his pop stuff. He is really quite deep, at times. Like Warren Zevon. People remember "Werewolves of London" and "aaaooooo", just like they remember "Short People", etc.
 

But what a lot of people don't get about Randy is how, in so many songs, he's holding up the mirror to our own failings. Short People was a perfect example of most people not getting it. The whole song is to point out just how ridiculous bigotry is, but because it was cute, and funny, most people took it at face value and it became his biggest hit. To Randy's credit, I don't think I've ever heard him attempt to explain any of his songs—even the really controversial ones. He just doesn't seem to care if people don't "get" it.
 Mandible wrote:

The Family Guy did a hilarious spoof of Randy Newman. Anyone else see it?
 
CANNOT hear one of his songs without thinking about it! 



The Family Guy did a hilarious spoof of Randy Newman. Anyone else see it?
 coolpeople_rule wrote:


How about Short People, do they do it for you?
 
...damn midgets.

 jahiel wrote:
Randy Newman doesn't do it for me. I just don't like his singing voice.

 

How about Short People, do they do it for you?

 Radio Paradise is actually playing some early Randy Newman?!
Pardon me while I pick my jaw up from off the floor.

Great sequence on the dream theme, Bill! Themes--one of my many reasons for loving RP!
YA_MAN wrote:
Ditto on the Family Guy episode, most excellent
Double ditto! Hah.
EssexTex wrote:
Can't listen to him without picturing Woody and buzz!
Dude, you need to get out more.
Can't listen to him without picturing Woody and buzz!
Love this guy. next time play Political Science from this album. Its most appropriate for this Administration. Bush must have taken Randy Newman corrospondence course on International Relations. Ditto on the Family Guy episode, most excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbjFfujojh4
Hahaha. I can't hear Randy Newman without thinking of that episode of Family Guy anymore. I was never a big Newman fan, but it's pretty hard to take him seriously after that. BoFiS wrote:
You ever see the Family Guy where the world ends on New Years because of Y2K and they come upon a house with an apple tree, but the down side was Randy Newman on a piano singing about everything he saw...which drove them away Left food, right foot, left foot, right foot...
The piano riff in this song sounds like Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity.
BKardon wrote:
... I know I've heard Baltimore on here a few times.
... few hundred times more like, good to have this one for a change I reckon
i love this crazy S.O.B ... :) ...
MickMan wrote:
Great song by a great song writer. Baltimore or Sail Away would be nice.
Both are in the playlist and I know I've heard Baltimore on here a few times.
One of my favorite Newman tunes ever.
What I love about this song is that you know he's saying something, and you know if affects you, but you're not sure what it is. Nice.
Roverfish wrote:
Precisely why you're there and he's not: Clueless. I guess all those RECENT Grammy and Oscar nods are just window dressing...
Are you really so naive as to think Grammy and Oscar music awards have much to do with talent? What color is the sky in your world?
Great song by a great song writer. Baltimore or Sail Away would be nice.
I seem to recall Newman wrote a song or two picked up by Three Dog NIght. I mean, this guy has been quietly songwriting for over thirty years. Good on him for scoring with the movie soundtracks... 'bout time.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.....
Dirktooth wrote:
A classic bit of personal creepiness by the master of the toss away song line....
You must only be familiar with his pop stuff. He is really quite deep, at times. Like Warren Zevon. People remember "Werewolves of London" and "aaaooooo", just like they remember "Short People", etc.
"You got a friend in me...."
Can't help that I love most of the old work of Randy Newman very much!
Randy Newman ... great artist, appreciate his talents, but just don't personally enjoy his stuff. Doesn't work for me. Makes for great stuff in Disney movie soundtracks (Toy Story, etc)
jahiel wrote:
Randy Newman doesn't do it for me. I just don't like his singing voice.
You ever see the Family Guy where the world ends on New Years because of Y2K and they come upon a house with an apple tree, but the down side was Randy Newman on a piano singing about everything he saw...which drove them away Left food, right foot, left foot, right foot...
Randy Newman doesn't do it for me. I just don't like his singing voice.
Art_Carnage wrote:
Another lame effort from Randy "All My Songs Sound The Same Now" Newman. At least when this album came out he still had a spark of originality, even if this song doesn't show it.
Precisely why you're there and he's not: Clueless. I guess all those RECENT Grammy and Oscar nods are just window dressing... Not one of Randy's best, but still entertaining.
(you scared me the most)
Art_Carnage wrote:
Another lame effort from Randy "All My Songs Sound The Same Now" Newman. At least when this album came out he still had a spark of originality, even if this song doesn't show it.
he needs to write more songs for Disney
Art_Carnage wrote:
Another lame effort from Randy "All My Songs Sound The Same Now" Newman. At least when this album came out he still had a spark of originality, even if this song doesn't show it.
To each his own. I like this. The musicianship is superb.
Another lame effort from Randy "All My Songs Sound The Same Now" Newman. At least when this album came out he still had a spark of originality, even if this song doesn't show it.
Perhaps not the best song from perhaps one of the best songwriters ever. :)
I like the sectional aspect of this song, different parts. Really modern for its time. Old Kentucky Home is a great track. That may be on 12 Songs though. But it really moves, you know?
I love Randy Newman! didn't know this song, but please play more of him
What a great album! I think that Sail Away was the second album I ever bought. Lets hear Political Science or the Title Song.
A classic bit of personal creepiness by the master of the toss away song line....
Short people have no reason to live. ( sorry just had to say that)
Any time I hear Randy Newmann (or Leonard Cohen) I feel a cool groove comin\' on! Thanks RP. Would never hear this on local radio! (pimp)
I was wondering when RP was going to start playing more Randy Newman. Thank you!