Randy Newman can probably write songs like this one in his sleep, but that doesn’t stop it from being freaking awesome. It’s amazing how much mileage he can get out of a jaunty New Orleans musical backdrop and some conversational lyrics.
For me, the genius of this song comes right in the first verse, when Newman says/sings “She may be hungry, but she won’t say. You better get a burger or something in her right away. If you don’t, you’re gonna pay.”
Want Two came out a year after Want One, and the main distinction I’d draw between the two albums is that this one takes a more feminine perspective while the first was more masculine.
That dichotomy is borne out in the cover art… Want One depicting Wainwright dressed as a knight in a suit of armor while Want Two depicts him as a lady in waiting. In an embarrassing show of homophobia, the record company released Want Two with a giant sticker of critics quotes placed directly over Wainwright in drag. As if anybody buying his album would be scared off by that image?
Meet Me In Montauk 