Song 23: Losing You

Losing You - Randy Newman

I'd really recommend watching this video even if you don't usually watch the videos at the top. In a sense, if you watch the video, you don't have to read the post, as here we have the absolute privilege of having the songwriter himself explain his work.

This is a fairly recent Randy Newman song which I believe will grow into a classic rather in the way 'Hallelujah' has done. It's a timelessly, extraordinarily sad song which I think will be covered more and more, and one of those covers will elevate it into popular consciousness.

Maybe not, but I hope so.

Randy Newman has hit paydirt in recent years as a film composer, most notably for Pixar - he's won two Best Song Oscars and been nominated several more times. These Pixar songs are gentle and avuncalar - to be honest, his voice hasn't changed much since he was a young singer/songwriter. It's funny how much voice recognition this has given a fairly obscure, left field singer songwriter. I play 'You've Got a Friend In Me' as a "What film is this?" question at quizzes, and the recognition, particurly among younger people, is extremely high.

He was known before that as a highly satirical writer, whose biggest hit 'Short People' was occasionally misinterpreted ... to be honest, though there are plenty of witty, satirical songs, that reputation might have been a bit of a burden for him, as I'd quite often be listening to his songs on the alert for satire and sarcasm when there was none. You'll be hard pressed to hear any in the song 'I Think It's Going To Rain Today', for example, as desolate a song as you're ever likely to hear.

Well, 'Losing You' is in that vein. It pulses with loss and grief (albeit it's not, as Newman explains, his own grief), though there is some strange kind of hope in it. It says "don't worry, young people, however bad you feel about what you've been through, time will, i promise, give you the chance to get over it". Unfortunately, in the next breath, it says "however, the losses you encounter when you get older you'll never have the chance to get over". Jeez, thanks Randy.

It's such a short, uncomplicated song, but has such mastery - I was reminded of it this year by the Paul Buchanan album 'Mid-Air', which is full of these short, simple, devastating songs. It's interesting that, while some thought rock would remain a young man's game and that aging rockers still plying their trade pretending to be young like the Rolling Stones would be absurd, the older singer/songwriters have brought a whole different knowledge and perspective to the pop songwriting cannon. You only have to listen to David Bowie's new song to feel that.

Incidentally, I originally intended to make this a dual entry with another song called 'Losing You' by Solange Knowles, which was probably my favourite single of last year, thinking I could draw links between the two songs from opposite ends of the spectrum with the same sentiment.

But there's no comparison really - the Solange song is a superbly cool piece of pop music, but it is just that - there's no devastation in it. Hats off to her - a good way to deal with a monstrously famous sister is to quietly operate in a similar but distinct sphere. 'Losing You' is a hip song which has been critically acclaimed by the hipsters ... but not troubled the upper reaches of the charts at all, which seems terribly unfair. It seems like once the hipsters get hold of something the mainstream runs a mile. I suppose that's what comes of writing songs with someone who calls himself Lightspeed Champion (enjoy 'Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk') and used to be in a band called Test Icicles.

Anyway, I hope you've watched the Randy Newman video - it's a little songwriting masterclass right there.