Randy Newman "Burn On"

Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted in my last post a reference to the great American musician Randy Newman. If you didn't catch it, it was the part at the bottom where I scream-typed that I was like Randy Newman. 

Sounds like a good reason to talk about Randy Newman. Here's a song I heard yesterday about the river in Cleveland that caught on fire. It's called 'Burn On'

There’s a red moon rising

On the Cuyahoga River

Rolling into Cleveland to the lake

There’s a red moon rising
On the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake

There’s an oil barge winding
Down the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake

There’s an oil barge winding
Down the Cuyahoga River
Rolling into Cleveland to the lake

Cleveland, city of light, city of magic
Cleveland, city of light, you’re calling me
Cleveland, even now I can remember
‘Cause the Cuyahoga River
goes smokin’ through my dreams

Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on

Now the Lord can make you tumble
Lord can make you turn
The Lord can make you overflow
But the Lord can’t make you burn

Burn on, big river, burn on
Burn on, big river, burn on

Listen here 

Why? Why should we care about this Randy Newman song? Is it because he's making a statement about pollution and our detachment from nature? Not just our detachment but our antagonistic relationship with it? Or should we care because he's being ironic, or witty, or sarcastic? Writing a song about a burning river the way people sing about normal rivers. 

No. Those are reasons. But they aren't real reasons.

I don't think there is a good reason for everyone to care about this song. I don't think Randy Newman is for everyone.

But what are the qualities of things made for everyone? It's a style of its own. It's formulaic. And that's not to say that it's lesser or not a worthy pursuit but I think there's something to be said for being unapologetically idiosyncratic. For being undramatic and small and personal and a modest, limited individual. There can be a lot of joy in that.

The oppressed must be their own example in the struggle for their redemption.