With humor, he wants to be taken seriously

Randy Newman, using a few words at a time, hopes to 'save the world'

''The Republicans don't want to hear me,'' says Randy Newman. ''That's just the way it goes.'' (jeff chiu/associated press/file)

Randy Newman is a successful film composer, respected singer-songwriter, and pop's most incisive, sharp-witted satirist. His new album, "Harps and Angels," includes such signature tuneage as "Korean Parents," "A Piece of the Pie" (a morality tale starring Bono, Jackson Browne, and John Mellencamp), and a jaunty ditty about the end of an empire - ours - titled "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country."

Newman, who performs tonight at Symphony Hall, called recently from his home in Los Angeles to chat about bad presidents, preaching to the converted, and the similarity between songwriting and blacksmithing.

Q. It's election season. The centerpiece of your album is "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country." Can we talk about the state of the union?

A. I sure as hell have been doing it. I used to not like it when showbiz people talked about politics, even if I agreed with them. I thought it would be untoward to give too much weight to people like me.

Q. Your viewpoint is as valid as anyone else's. So, what's wrong?

A. One thing that's wrong is the anti-intellectual strain that's gotten the Republicans elected a couple of times, the whole frontier, rough-and-ready thing that people find appealing. There's a lot that's right, too. We've done immigration and free speech better than any other country.

Q. When you sit down to write a pointed song about society's ills, what are you setting out to accomplish?

A. You know, I've been doing it a long time and I think my intention, vaguely, is to save the world. But I doubt I've changed one person's mind about inferior schools or racism.

Q. The New York Times reprinted the lyrics to "A Few Words . . ." on the Op-Ed page. Have you done any writing outside of your song lyrics?

A. I've considered it. I get asked by publishers and magazines and the idea appeals to me. I ought to try it before I kick off or get senile.

Q. There's a reference to Jackson Browne on the album, framing him as the last bleeding heart on the planet. Are you friends with him? Have you heard from him about that?

A. We're not friends, but I've heard indirectly that he liked it and was honored. That lyric by the way was written with reverence and respect. He's underrated as a writer. Here Rod Stewart is getting rewarded for doing these ballads badly. Jackson Browne deserves some [respect].

Q. You recently performed at the Democratic National Convention. What did you play?

A. I played "Louisiana," because it was specifically a Louisiana event, which was a mess. It was in a junior high school multi-purpose room, not where the convention was, and it was a lot of milling about. It was Louisiana personified in show business: a mess, but a lot of sweet people.

Q. Is it a fundamental flaw of topical songwriting that you're perennially preaching to the converted?

A. Yeah. But I don't want to be booed and hated. I don't want to be abused. I'm too fragile for that. The Republicans don't want to hear me. That's just the way it goes. I mean, have you ever won that argument?

Q. Are you generally pessimistic about America's future or do you feel hopeful?

A. We won't do this badly again. We've never done this badly before. Based on what little I know about famous bad presidents like Harding and Buchanan, this is the worst administration we've had. We won't ever be this off the rails, where there's just a wrong-headed, almost crazy, direction to it.

Q. Have you ever thought about running for public office?

A. No. I couldn't do it. My mother is from New Orleans; I'm not organized. I'd get fooled.

Q. "Harps and Angels" had the biggest opening weeks sales of your career. Did that surprise you?

A. It's like being a blacksmith in 1909. The business is about to go. I'm not dismissing that this album is a success. It doesn't mean any less. The fact is it isn't going to pay the rent nowadays. The better thing is that I have the old catalog. It's still vital, commercially. It always has been.

Joan Anderman can be reached at anderman@globe.com. For more on music, visit www.boston.com/ae/music/blog.