Hey there, it's Tamara Keith. I cover the White House. I know this is hard to believe, but one day, the election will be over.

Then the winner gets a lot more powerful. It's my job to report on what they do with that power. That's public accountability, but it's not

possible without public support. So please support our work. Sign up for NPR Plus.

Go to Plus. NPR.

This is Fresh Air.

I'm David Beenkule.

Some people don't know Randy Newman's name, but they do know his celebrated movie songs,

like You've Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story.

Some people also know him as the guy who wrote a big novelty hit about short people.

And a smaller number are aware of a large body of work, including dark songs about relationships, racism, geopolitics, pollution and religion, that ranks among the finest pop music to emerge from Los Angeles in the latter part of the 20th century.

A new biography of Newman by Robert Hillburn takes its title from one of Newman's songs. It's called A Few Words in Defense of Our Country.

And rock critic Ken Tucker says it presents all these facets of Newman's life. What has happened down here is the winter have changed.

Clouds roll in from the north and it's start to rain. Three of Randy Newman's uncles were Hollywood film composers and their skill and success

was apparently, according to this new biography, a huge burden for a young Randy Newman, who knew he too wanted to be a musician, but doubted his talent.

He took refuge in music his uncles ignored, rock and roll, especially the tumbling piano hits of Fats Domino.

Rock music gave Newman an escape route into both fantasy and social commentary, and soon he was making and princess the night we met.

With your hair piled apart,

I will never never forget.

I'm drunk right now, baby.

But I've could tell you what you mean to me.

I never could tell you what you mean to me. I loved you the 1974 album Good Old Boys.

That's the achingly beautiful Marie from the 1974 album Good Old Boys.

...