| "Hazard" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Richard Marx | ||||
| from the album Rush Street | ||||
| B-side | "Big Boy Now" | |||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Adult contemporary | |||
| Length | 5:17 (Album Version) 4:48 (Edit) |
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| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Richard Marx | |||
| Producer | Richard Marx | |||
| Richard Marx singles chronology | ||||
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"Hazard" is a 1991 song performed by adult contemporary artist Richard Marx. It has since become one of the most popular songs by Richard Marx, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, the song spent one week atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. It also did very well in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3 on the UK Singles Chart, and it topped the ARIA Chart in Australia. It was the 14th best-selling single of 1992 in the UK.
Contents |
"Hazard" tells the story of an implied relationship of some kind between Marx's character (usually considered the protagonist) and a woman named Mary. Mary dies in suspicious circumstances, and Marx, shunned by many in the small town since his childhood ("That boy's not right."), is immediately considered the main suspect. Marx, however, maintains his innocence throughout the song, and the question of such is left open to the listener's interpretation.
The music video for "Hazard" reveals additional video cues and other details that led viewers to speculate about the question of Marx's innocence while still following the song's lyrics and ultimately leaving the outcome open to interpretation. Marx also refers to the state of Nebraska, US, and specifically a town called Hazard, NE.
The music video opens with several older men teasing Marx's character as a child with his mother in the background; the description of Marx's character as "not right" may imply slight mental retardation or simply being different. The video then shows Mary, who is depicted as having features very similar to Marx's mother. Various scenes in this sequence can cause the viewer to become unclear about the nature of their relationship. As the story continues, the town's sheriff is shown taking photographs of the couple and following one or both of them in his vehicle.
It is implied that Marx goes to see Mary but catches her making love to an unidentified person. Again, the video flashes back to his childhood, where Marx sees his mother committing adultery. In present time, the sheriff arrives and sees Marx, who then flees, leaving his scarf behind on the branch of a bush. Marx returns home and weeps about Mary.
Mary is then shown alone near the river spoken of in the song. She turns to face the camera with a look of surprise on her face, and it is then made to look as if she lay in water. The next morning (as the song states), several people assist in arresting Marx for Mary's murder.
While in the interrogation room, Marx is shown a white cloth, which the sheriff identifies as the item used to strangle Mary. Marx then denies that he and Mary were romantically involved, and the sheriff asks if Marx was jealous. At this point, the video reveals a larger picture of Marx's childhood: that after his mother's affair, his father leaves her for another woman. Marx is then shown as a child running out of a burning house, although it is unclear whose it is or if he actually set the fire.
Locals are shown vandalizing Marx's home, breaking windows and setting fire to it. It is implied that Marx cannot be proven guilty when the sheriff drops him off at his ruined home. As the video ends, a woman walking by covers her young son's eyes, again implying Marx is an outcast or considered guilty of Mary's murder.
| End of year chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] | 56 |
| Preceded by "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton |
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single May 9, 1992 |
Succeeded by "Hold on My Heart" by Genesis |
| Preceded by "Save the Best for Last" by Vanessa L. Williams |
ARIA (Australia) number one single 25 July 1992 - 14 August 1992 |
Succeeded by "Amigos Para Siempre" by José Carreras and Sarah Brightman |
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