Randy Newman is well-known for his sharply satirical, but somewhat sentimental songs. With a catalogue spanning everything from covers of tunes by Dusty Springfield and Peggy Lee, to the music he has composed for animated children's movies like Toy Story and A Bug's Life, Newman’s dark sense of humour and warm fuzzy voice is loved across generations. 

Which makes him the perfect person to perform a charming awareness song about COVID-19. At the request of KPCC, a Southern California radio station seeking donations for their coronavirus coverage, Newman has written “Stay Away” … a social distancing love song, of sorts, celebrating all the things to look forward to while reiterating all the things we must abstain from right now. 

He prefaced the performance by explaining that he was asked to write the song “because of my scientific background. Apparently there’s some disease that’s going around. Stay six feet away from people. Wash your hands, religiously and often and don’t touch your face.”

Randy Newman | “Stay Away”

He sings the jovial lines in his signature voice: “Stay away from me/baby, keep your distance, please/stay away from me/words of love in times like these.”

Newman even offers his own PSA of sorts to wrap things up.

“I wish everyone well, and wish myself well, to some extent,” he says at song’s conclusion.  “Stay safe. It’s hard for Americans that don’t like being told what to do at all. But in this case, let’s do it, and we’ll be all right.”

In a recent interview with LA Times writer, Randall Roberts  Randy Newman reflected on the positive side to the change of pace that comes with life in quarantine, saying: “One thing about it is there’s no rush for anything. If I want to take 20 minutes to tie my shoes, I can do it.”

Listen to Randy Newman on Spotify:

Listen to Randy Newman on Apple Music: