Crazy (Willie Nelson song)

"Crazy" is a ballad composed by Willie Nelson. It has been recorded by several artists, most notably by Patsy Cline, whose version was a #2 country hit in 1962.^[2]

Partly due to the genre-blending nature of the song, it has been covered by dozens of artists in several genres over the years; nevertheless, the song remains inextricably linked with Cline. Nelson's own version appears on his 1962 debut album ...And Then I Wrote.

Origin

With some help from a friend named Oliver English, Nelson wrote the song in early 1961; at the time he was a journeyman singer-songwriter who had written several hits for other artists but had not yet had a significant recording of his own. Nelson originally wrote the song for country singer Billy Walker who turned it down for the same reason Roy Drusky turned down "I Fall to Pieces" the previous year - that it was "a girl's song". The song's eventual success helped launch Nelson as a performer as well as a songwriter.

Musically the song is a jazz-pop ballad with country overtones and a complex melody. The lyrics describe the singer's state of bemusement at the singer's own helpless love for the object of his affection.

Patsy Cline version

Patsy Cline, who was already a country music superstar and working to extend a string of hits, picked it as a follow up to her previous big hit "I Fall to Pieces". "Crazy", its complex melody suiting Cline's vocal talent perfectly, was released in late 1961 and immediately became another huge hit for Cline and widened the crossover audience she had established with her prior hits. It spent 21 weeks on the chart and eventually became one of her signature tunes. Cline's version is #85 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[3]

According to the Ellis Nassour biography Patsy Cline, Nelson, who at that time was known as a struggling songwriter by the name of Hugh Nelson, was a regular at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Nashville's Music Row, where he frequented with friends Kris Kristofferson and Roger Miller, both unknown songwriters at that time. Nelson met Cline's husband, Charlie Dick, at the bar one evening and pitched the song to him. Dick took the track home and played it for Cline, who absolutely hated it at first because Nelson's demo "spoke" the lyrics ahead of and behind the beat, about which an annoyed Cline remarked that she "couldn't sing like that".

However, Cline's producer, Owen Bradley, loved the song and arranged it in the ballad form in which it was later recorded. On Loretta Lynn's album I Remember Patsy Bradley reported that as Patsy was still recovering from a recent automobile accident that nearly took her life, she'd had difficulty reaching the high notes of the song on the original production night due to her broken ribs. So after about four hours of trying, in the days of four songs being recorded in three hours - they called it a night. A week later she came back and recorded the lead vocal we all know in one take.

On the same interview, Loretta remembers the first time Cline performed it at the Grand Ole Opry on crutches, and received three standing ovations. Barbara Mandrell remembers Cline introducing the song to her audiences live in concert saying

All my recent hits have come true in my life. I had a hit out called Tra-La-La Triangle and people thought about me and Gerald and Charlie. I had another hit out called 'I Fall to Pieces' and I was in a car wreck. Now I'm really worried because I have a new hit single out and it's called 'Crazy'.

Willie Nelson stated on the 1993 documentary Remembering Patsy that Cline's version of "Crazy" was his favorite song of his that anybody had ever recorded because it "was a lot of magic."

Chart performance

LeAnn Rimes version

"Crazy"
Single by LeAnn Rimes
from the album LeAnn Rimes
Released	December 28, 1999
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	1998
Genre	Country
Label	Curb
Writer(s)	Willie Nelson
Producer(s)	Wilbur C. Rimes
LeAnn Rimes singles chronology
"Cattle Call" (1999) "Crazy" (1999) "I Need You" 2000

Country singer LeAnn Rimes recorded "Crazy" for her self-titled cover album, released in 1999. It was released as the second and final single from the album. She also performed this song at the White House for President George W. Bush and particularly for Laura Bush, who said it was one of her favorite songs.

Track listing

Europe Single

1. Crazy
2. How Do I Live (Extended Mix)
3. Blue

Chart

Other versions

Notable versions include those recorded by The Kills, Linda Ronstadt (No. 6 US country), Julio Iglesias (hit in the Netherlands, UK and New Zealand), Kenny Rogers (Kenny Rogers version is a completely different song he wrote himself), Dottie West, Kidneythieves, LeAnn Rimes, Shirley Bassey, Guy Lombardo, Chaka Khan, Don McLean (Don McClean's is also a completely different song titled, "Crazy Eyes") and The Waifs. (Rogers also wrote and recorded another song with the title "Crazy", which topped the charts in 1984 and shouldn't be confused with this one). In 2007, the song was covered by English alternative band Apartment. Willie Nelson himself has also recorded several versions of the song over the years including a trio version with Elvis Costello and Diana Krall. Additionally, it was covered by the Kidneythieves and co-released on the Bride of Chucky soundtrack.

In 1980 "Crazy" was part of the soundtrack for the Loretta Lynn biography Coal Miner's Daughter and was sung by Beverly D'Angelo who was portraying Patsy Cline.

Canadian country music singer Colleen Peterson covered the song in 1993. Her version peaked at number 29 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.^[5]

Canadian musician Neil Young released a cover of this song on his 2014 album A Letter Home.^[6]

Slim Richey recorded a version of "Crazy" with Jitterbug Vipers in Austin, Texas in 2015.^[7]

Hayden Panettiere recorded two versions of "Crazy" for Nashville as her character Juliette Barnes (who portrays Patsy Cline in a biopic), one in 2014 heard in the episode "That's Me Without You," and the other in 2015 as a duet with Steven Tyler (playing himself) in the episode "Can't Let Go."

Canadian singer Brigitte Boisjoli recorded a version of "Crazy" on the album Patsy Cline, on which all songs are from the well-known country superstar.^[8]

In the media

• In 1992, Ross Perot used the song during his political campaign for president.^[9]
• Willie Nelson's own version of "Crazy" can be heard in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the fictional country radio station K-Rose.
• The song and album are a central image in as well as helping to name the 2005 Canadian film C.R.A.Z.Y.
• The song appears on the soundtrack to the videogame Twisted Metal. It is only heard in the game's story cutscenes and does not play during regular gameplay.
• The song is used as the title music for "What The Fuck Is WRONG With You?!", a series of online videos by Nash Bozard as well as a segment of Bozard's internet radio show Radio Dead Air's Monday night broadcast of the same name, that both humorously relay various news stories of stupidity.
• The Patsy Cline version of the song appears throughout the video game Deadpool, first when Deadpool sings along with the elevator music version of it and again when Death lip syncs to it.
• The Patsy Cline version of the song is also featured in the 1991 film Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox.
• The Patsy Cline version of the song can be heard in the background of the movie Tommy Boy when Richard goes into the gas station.
• The Patsy Cline version of the song was played in the opening credits of Filipino actor Cesar Montano's film Bilang na ang araw mo (1996), also in the opening scenes where Charlene Gonzales lipsynchs to it.
• The Patsy Cline version is sung by the character Isa in the Scottish sitcom Still Game.
• Norah Jones sings "Crazy" on the album House of Blues Chicago, released in 2002.
• The Rebecca Kilgore version appears in a scene from Gary Larson's Tales from the Far Side Part II where an assumed widow dances with her taxidermied husband.

Notes

External links

• SecondHandSongs listing of known covers of "Crazy"
• Library of Congress essay on Patsy Cline's version and its inclusion in the National Recording Registry.