Randy Newman is best known for his song "I Love L.A.", the unofficial theme song of our fair city. Who else could write a song that includes a mention of the homeless people and some of the ugliest street corners in the city, and have 50,000 people sing it at Dodger Stadium every time we win a ballgame?
If you know Randy's music, you know it can be highly satirical and character-driven. Not to make light of the crisis in Ukraine today, I thought it was a good time to share his 2017 song, PUTIN. This was written over 5 years ago, but it is worth a listen today.
Here are the lyrics, if you wish to sing along:
Putin puttin’ his pants on One leg at a time
You mean he’s just like a regular fella, huh?
He ain’t nothing like a regular fella
Putin puttin’ his hat on Hat size number nine
“You sayin’ Putin’s gettin’ big headed?”
Putin’s head’s just fine
He can drive his giant tractor Across the Trans-Siberian plain
He can power a nuclear reactor With the left side of his brain
And when he takes his shirt off He drives the ladies crazy
When he takes his shirt off Makes me wanna be a lady
It’s the Putin Girls!
(Putin Girls) Putin if you put it when you Put it where you put it
Putin if you put it Will you put it next to me?
Putin if you put it when you Put it where you put it
Putin if you put it Will you put it next to me?
Now Putin hates the Putin girls ‘Cause he hates vulgarity
And he loves his mother country And he loves his family
He and his ex-wife Lyudmila Are riding along the shore
In his beautiful new Russian Black "C"
Let’s listen in, A great man is speaking
"We fought a war for this? I’m almost ashamed
The Mediterranean Now there’s a resort worth fighting for
If only the Greeks or the Turks Would start to sniff around
I’d bring the hammer down So quick their woolly heads would spin
Woolly head, woolly head, woolly head
Or, wait a minute Even better What if the Kurds got in the way?
Hey! Kurds and way, curds and whey!
Sometimes a people is greater than their leader
Germany, Kentucky, France
Sometimes a leader towers over his country
One shot at glory, they don’t get a second chance
I dragged these peasants kicking and screaming Into the 21st century
I thought they’d make it I must have been dreaming
These chicken farmers and file clerks gonna be the death of me
I can’t do it (PG – Sure, you can)
I can’t do it (PG- Yeah, you can)
What makes you say that girls?
(PG – Tell you why. ‘Cause you’re the Putin man)
Who whipped Napoleon? PG- We did!
Who won World War II? PG- The Americans!
That’s a good one ladies
It’s our turn to sit in the comfy chair
PG – And you’re the man gonna get us there!
I don’t know, Lenin couldn’t do it
I don’t know, Stalin couldn’t do it
They couldn’t do it Why you think I can?
PG – You’re gonna lead our people To the Promised Land
You’re right, ‘cause, Goddamn,
I’m the Putin Man
https://youtu.be/6Ya-FGHdBso
