In 1979, Randy Newman was probably the only person in America who thought a song about an ELO fan getting all the facts wrong would be a massive radio hit. He was wrong. Very wrong.
After the freak success of "Short People," a song that basically turned him into a novelty act for the masses, Newman didn't lean into the fame. He leaned into the weirdness. The result was Born Again, an album that remains one of the most abrasive, cynical, and flat-out bizarre entries in the history of American popular music.
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If you look at the cover, you see the joke immediately. There’s Newman, dressed like a corporate executive in a high-rise office, but his face is painted like a member of Kiss. Specifically, he has dollar signs over his eyes. It’s a middle finger to the commercialization of rock and roll.
What Really Happened With Randy Newman Born Again?
Honestly, the timing was perfect for a disaster. Newman had just come off Little Criminals, which sold like crazy because people didn't realize "Short People" was a satire about the absurdity of prejudice. They just thought it was a funny song about short people.
Newman expected Born Again to keep the momentum going. He famously said he was so excited about the release that he didn't fly in any small planes because he didn't want to die before seeing it hit the charts.
Instead? Crickets.
Critics like Stephen Holden at Rolling Stone called it "snide" and "nihilistic." The public was baffled. You’ve got to remember that in 1979, the "Me Decade" was hitting its peak. People wanted disco or arena rock. They didn't necessarily want a grumpy guy at a piano singing about how he loves money more than his family.
The Songs That Made People Uncomfortable
The opening track, "It's Money That I Love," sets the stage perfectly. It’s a bouncy, piano-driven rock song, but the lyrics are pure bile. The narrator talks about how he used to worry about the poor and the "black man," but now? He just wants a sixteen-year-old girl and a half-pound of cocaine.
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It’s gross. It’s meant to be gross. But because it's Randy Newman, people weren't sure if he was being "born again" as a jerk or if he was just playing a character. (Spoiler: It’s always a character.)
Then you have "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band." This is the ELO parody that Newman thought would be a smash. He gets the names of the band members wrong. He mispronounces the town they’re from. He mocks the "big violins" and the "little violins." It’s hilarious if you’re in on the joke, but to the average listener, it just sounded like a mean-spirited attack on Jeff Lynne.
The Dark Side of 1970s Masculinity
If you listen to the record today, it feels like a autopsy of the 1970s man. Not the cool, Fonzie-type man. The pathetic, angry, or deluded man.
Take "Mr. Sheep." It’s a song about a businessman walking to work. The narrator just screams at him. "Dance, Mister! You're walking all over your own self now!" It’s bullying set to a jaunty melody.
Or "Pretty Boy," which features a rich record executive-type mocking a street kid who thinks he’s tough. "Talk tough to me, Pretty Boy. Tell us all about the mean streets of home." It’s menacing. Buzzy Feiten’s guitar work on this track adds a layer of grime that feels closer to a Scorsese film than a pop album.
Then there’s "Half a Man." This one is tough to stomach. It’s a satirical take on a homophobic truck driver who is terrified that being gay is contagious. By today’s standards, it’s radioactive. But in 1979, it was Newman trying to point a mirror at the most ignorant corners of society.
Why Born Again Still Matters
Is it his best work? Probably not. Sail Away and Good Old Boys are tighter, more cohesive masterpieces. But Born Again is the "punkest" thing Newman ever did.
He didn't care about being liked. He didn't care about "Short People" fans. He used synths and glossy production—thanks to Michael Boddicker and the usual suspects like Waddy Wachtel—to create a sound that felt both modern and hollow.
It was a deliberate "un-selling" of his soul.
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The album didn't move the needle commercially. It stalled out. But it paved the way for the 80s yuppie satire of "I Love L.A." and the bitter, film-score success that followed. It’s the sound of an artist realizing that the public will never truly "get" him, so he might as well have some fun being the villain.
Actionable Insights for the Curious Listener
If you’re going to dive into this record, don’t expect Toy Story. Do this instead:
- Listen to "Ghosts" first. It’s the one truly sincere, heartbreaking song on the album. It’s about an old man living in a rooming house, aching with gout and loneliness. It proves Newman hasn't lost his heart; he's just hiding it.
- Read the lyrics. Don't just let the "bouncy" piano fool you. Newman’s narrators are almost always unreliable. If the guy in the song sounds like a jerk, he is.
- Compare it to the 1979 SNL performance. Seeing Newman do these songs live helps you see the "performance art" aspect of the whole era.
- Look for the ELO references. If you like "Mr. Blue Sky," hearing Newman's warped version of it is a trip.
The reality of Born Again is that it’s a time capsule of a man who got too famous for his own comfort and decided to burn the house down to see who would stay for the fire. It's awkward. It's mean. It's brilliant.