The Randy Newman Lyric That Wasn’t Exactly Chamber of Commerce Material for a Major US City

Randy Newman’s 1977 song “Baltimore” presents a bleak portrait of Maryland’s largest city, depicting people struggling amid decline and a narrator planning to leave. Its stark view drew criticism from people who defended Baltimore, but the song’s lasting force comes from the way Newman turns the city’s hardship into a sharply observed story.

Newman later said he had only seen Baltimore from a train and drew inspiration from a National Geographic article, while defending the imaginative licence involved. The song appeared on *Little Criminals*, the album that also featured the hit “Short People”; backing singers Glenn Frey and JD Souther join Newman on the chorus.