It's a good song, but you don't really realize how good until you listen to a performance of this quality; the human voice as a true instrument, combined with top-notch stagecraft.
With all the technology available today even mediocre singers can sound good, but this is just pure class. I don’t think the average person can truly appreciate how good they are.
Love it and love the comedy element too, fabulous singing and lots of memories... Tee hee ... I used to watch them on BBC 2 with my mum in the late 70's and 80's... Thankx for posting this little gem... Well sung Gentlemen :0)x
@pierepresentative8 I can why you would find it offensive, when my mum first showed me the Randy Newman version I was offended (because I am five feet tall and shorter than everyon in my family). But then I saw the King's Singers version and realized that it was not meant to be offensive but rather an ironical and satirical representation of the ridiculous prejudices that the human race is so inclined to. This is now my personal theme song, I will forever love the King's Singers!
@Crowdsurfer10 ... LOL it's the way we say it in UK/England ... Mind you in Wales they say Mam, it's all more or less the same as all our 'Moms' are loved by us... Oh, my own children call me Mum as I was born in England and I called my 'Mother-in-law' Mam as she was Welsh... Hope that answers your Q... Best regards from wet and windy Wales... I love this version it always makes me smile ... :0)x
I hope no actual little people are offended by this song... its been around for years.. and it does make me laugh! It gets stuck in my head! For the record I'm relatively tall.
fantastic !! it's shame there are only two videos from this concert in 82. The only problem with this song is that is sort of sticks in your head. Short people... short people... short people...
The Kings Singers are probably aware of the ridiculousness of their performance. It's a song based on irony (Randy Newman wants to mock the narrator displaying the prejudice against the vertically challenged), but they sing it in a way that suggests that they are taking it too literally.
I don't think "short" is a metaphor for petty. I think "short" is a metaphor for "Jew," "black," "gay," "Armenian," whatever. And I think Newman's point is that we're more than petty, we're hateful towards one another, and it's crazy.
Im guessing this would be politically incorrect and not allowed today. Im not politically correct and think its a great meaningless happy songs sung by an amazingly talented group.
No, this song is an example of irony. Randy Newman's point is to show how ridiculous it is that people discriminate against each other on the basis of race, religion, gender, appearance, etc. By demonizing a common, meaningless trait like height, he's making fun of the human race's stupid tendency to do this to each other all the time in a million ways.
That short guy's voice is beautiful!
Bill Ives, later Director of Music at Magdalen Oxford and a very fine composer.
We're singing this in choir! I love this song. They're such a great group.
It's a good song, but you don't really realize how good until you listen to a performance of this quality; the human voice as a true instrument, combined with top-notch stagecraft.
I can't help it; but every time I see a person struggling to reach something because they're vertically challenged, this song comes to mind.
Vertically challenged
Incredible! The Kings Singers are always so fantastic!
I remember watching this in 1982!!
Bill Ives voice is amazing !
King's Singers at there very best - but then they are always at their very best and in my opinion the best vocal group ever.
With all the technology available today even mediocre singers can sound good, but this is just pure class. I don’t think the average person can truly appreciate how good they are.
I love the ending part " this is what do we called (group singing)" TOTALLY AWESOME
That's a great way of seeing the song.
i can't put my finger on why i love this so much....
love the music at 1:11 and the sus2-ending chord
good music never dies
Thank you!
Love it and love the comedy element too, fabulous singing and lots of memories... Tee hee ...
I used to watch them on BBC 2 with my mum in the late 70's and 80's...
Thankx for posting this little gem...
Well sung Gentlemen :0)x
Great performance (music + presentation)!
fantastic
the short dudes voice is so... it sounds so "real" in a way, u know?
i just love it
I love this rendition...so funny!
Brilli brilli brilliant!
so sweet!!!!!! : )
@urbanstylehomes ... me too... On BBC2... with my Mum and Dad,, Happy days are here again, coz we can watch again and enjoy... :0)x
esa cancion es muy genial
This is so well done.. I wish this was recorded in better quality! :D
*higher quality
Pee-Wee Herman, Eduard Khil, Bill Nye, Tom Cruiser, and Tony Soprano are surprisingly good singers
@pierepresentative8 I can why you would find it offensive, when my mum first showed me the Randy Newman version I was offended (because I am five feet tall and shorter than everyon in my family). But then I saw the King's Singers version and realized that it was not meant to be offensive but rather an ironical and satirical representation of the ridiculous prejudices that the human race is so inclined to. This is now my personal theme song, I will forever love the King's Singers!
Very nice.
@Crowdsurfer10 ... LOL it's the way we say it in UK/England ... Mind you in Wales they say Mam, it's all more or less the same as all our 'Moms' are loved by us... Oh, my own children call me Mum as I was born in England and I called my 'Mother-in-law' Mam as she was Welsh... Hope that answers your Q... Best regards from wet and windy Wales... I love this version it always makes me smile ... :0)x
Too many people don't understand what this song is truly about. It makes me sad. =/
Awsome
Pause on 0:24! The guy on the right's expression is priceless!
I hope no actual little people are offended by this song... its been around for years.. and it does make me laugh! It gets stuck in my head! For the record I'm relatively tall.
They are brilliant, most definitely. The Bobs are my other favorite vocal group. Good singing but even better senses of humor.
Great adaptation of acapella music.
The short singer sounds to me like Dennis Day. Those few of you who know who Dennis Day was will know that that is a compliment.
my dad sings this all the time! XD my whole family is made of giants so its like a little inside joke for us. :D
LMAO. absolutely hilarious!!!
well said Cara :)
Few people?
The Dennis Day Show was amazing.
fantastic !! it's shame there are only two videos from this concert in 82. The only problem with this song is that is sort of sticks in your head.
Short people...
short people...
short people...
They look so different from the way they do now...and HEY im short Q.Q...
:P Great performers
LOTR theme song.
i wish I knew, some friends of mine and I have been looking for and have not been able to find the choral arrangement for this
omg its halarious when they sing it 4 sum reason
I think it's possible that he just has a weird laugh and he believes in conveying it accurately via text.
A revised version of the song could add "Short people have tiny little ipods that go tweet, tweet, tweet".
Snipe hunting season, on the other hand, is just getting started.
is it ironic that the most beautiful voice in this set up was Bill Ives? (that's the short one for those of you who don't know...)
The short one is also famuse for singing the Trololo song
@ebutemetube
And that's about the long and the short of it!
That moment when all the king singers rip on Grayston Ives for a song.... :P
Poor ikkle Bill :(
hehe xd
so funny
Hahahahaha!
Oh man thats hilarious.
what a funny arangement
So, not being familiar with the King's Singers, the accents threw me for a moment there,
hahahahahahahahah!!!!!! LMAO!!!!
pause on 0:27 as well!
the guy on the right'a expression
hes lookin at the other one lol!
@caraphyllis yeah - well said - he tends to fight absurd by pseudo - agreeing with it
You are wight, Gary Newnan does Cars :)
Lets keep it short. LOL
I just meant that most of the population wasn't born yet in Dennis' day (pun intended). I did not mean to imply that he was forgettable.
it's controversial but quite fun!
Ребята, какого года съемка? Состав поменялся на 100%
it's Luke Skywalker!
What is the name of the short fellow singing the chorus?
this is randy newmans best song.
HiLArious! lol
Who else thinks he's singing "Wha wha the the fu- fu-"
at 0:44
Its Gary Newman
Not quite; we call them Tropers. Snark is just what it implies; a snide remark.
I don't think many versions "measure" to this one
It's Randy Newman....
I think his name is Shorty.
ahahahah
4 months i said that.. 5 days i though 5 weeks i said fuck it and now i am sorry to all those i offended
that's kind of the point. listen to the chorus about brotherhood and such. he was being ironic. if you're still offended, nobody really cares.
. . . n o .
Does this make anyone else think of monty python?
The Kings Singers are probably aware of the ridiculousness of their performance. It's a song based on irony (Randy Newman wants to mock the narrator displaying the prejudice against the vertically challenged), but they sing it in a way that suggests that they are taking it too literally.
...no.
... Randy?...
@pierepresentative8
you clearly dont get a joke then
I don't think "short" is a metaphor for petty. I think "short" is a metaphor for "Jew," "black," "gay," "Armenian," whatever. And I think Newman's point is that we're more than petty, we're hateful towards one another, and it's crazy.
does the short guy kind of look like trololo guy?
lol ridiculously ironic
Then tell Randy's cousin to explain the meaning of the song, since you can't figure it out on your own.
Im guessing this would be politically incorrect and not allowed today. Im not politically correct and think its a great meaningless happy songs sung by an amazingly talented group.
I have a few suggestions for the arrangement ...
No, this song is an example of irony. Randy Newman's point is to show how ridiculous it is that people discriminate against each other on the basis of race, religion, gender, appearance, etc. By demonizing a common, meaningless trait like height, he's making fun of the human race's stupid tendency to do this to each other all the time in a million ways.
also by short people he doesn't really mean short people.. he's making fun of babies...
Anyone who thinks this song is politically incorrect missed the point entirely...
I like that song, but isn’t it actually offensive?
Lena Storm I'd say it's only 60% offensive.
Stop being so snarky.
this song is offensive
hehe xd
hehe xd