Randy Newman Performs His New Song "Stay Away" On Colbert's "The Late Show"

Songwriting legend Randy Newman performs his new song, titled "Stay Away," on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Wednesday evening, May 6.

After Colbert introduced his new song, the "Short People" artist explained that he wrote the song for a public radio that wanted him to do a public service announcement about social distancing. Instead, he wrote a song.

"People are saying it's the greatest song ever written or that they've heard," the Newman patriarch said. He insisted that it was not him, but that it was "a lot of people" who said the comment about his latest song.

Turning to his piano, Newman started his latest song with the lines "Venus in sweatpants/That's who you are/ and when this mess is over/ I'll buy you a car." As the new whimsical quarantine anthem, his chorus pleads "stay away from me/ baby, keep your distance please/ 'please stay away from me"/ those are words of love, in times like these."

Newman's song was equal parts humorous, romantic, and timely, deserving of the "greatest song ever written" people have apparently heaped on "Stay Away." "Be kind to each another/ tell her you love her everyday/ if you're angry at something, let it go," he sings to a softer, slower rhythm. He ends with the advice that "if the kids are frightened, tell them not to be afraid/ but don't let them touch your face."

After his at-home performance, he reminded the people to "stay away, wash your hands, don't touch your face, don't touch mine either."

Randy Newman first performed "Stay Away" last month, in the same piano-centered room he was in "The Late Show."

Solo Career and Film Scoring

As a musician, Randall Stuart Newman is best known for his light, fun rhythms and humorous, and usually introspective, lyrics. As a solo musician, some of his best hits include "Short People" and "I Love LA." He also has some social commentaries woven with his piano in "Political Science," "Putin," and "It's a Jungle Out There."

While Newman still has his solo music career for almost six decades now, he is also widely known as a film composer, with his most popular work in this area being Toy Story's "You've Got A Friend In Me." He has been among Disney-Pixar's go-to musicians, creating the scores for the four "Toy Story" movies, "A Bug's Life," "Cars," "Monsters, Inc," "The Princess and the Frog," and more.

Aside from the animated movies he did, Newman also scored other movies including "Pleasantville," "Meet the Parents," and "Seabiscuit."

Randall Stuart of Hollywood's Newman Family

Randy Newman is a part of the Newman clan of esteemed music composers, being a cousin to Thomas (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Cinderella Man), David (Anastasia, Matilda, The Nutty Professor, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), Maria (Commissioned for the revision of silent films like Daddy-Long-Legs, The Love Light), and Joey (The West Wing, The Middle).

Randy's twenty-two Oscar nominations for "Best Original Score" and "Best Original Song," and his two victories in the latter category, all contribute to the Newmans' achievement as the extended family with the most Oscar nominations. The "You've Got A Friend In Me" also has three Emys, seven Grammys, and an induction to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Watch the "greatest song" ever below:

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Randy newman, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert