Bob Dylan Praised Randy Newman's 'Louisiana 1927' for Its Songwriting

Bob Dylan has praised Randy Newman as a songwriter of rare talent, naming ‘‘Louisiana 1927’’ and ‘‘Sail Away’’ as examples of work that, in his view, doesn’t get any better. Newman is best known for songs such as "Short People," "I Love L.A.," and "You've Got a Friend in Me," and for scoring numerous films.

"Louisiana 1927," from Newman’s 1974 album Good Old Boys, recounts the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, a disaster that left hundreds dead and thousands homeless. Dylan highlighted the song’s classical, heroic quality when discussing Newman’s craft.

In a 1991 interview Dylan said: “To me, someone who writes really good songs is Randy Newman. ... Now Randy might not go out on stage and knock you out, or knock your socks off. ... But he’s gonna write a better song than most people who can do it. ... It doesn’t get any better than [‘Louisiana 1927’] or [‘Sail Away’].”

United States, Louisiana

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