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Crazy (Aerosmith song)
Encyclopedia
"Crazy" is a song performed by American
hard rock
band Aerosmith
and written by Steven Tyler
, Joe Perry
, and Desmond Child
. It was the final single from Aerosmith's massively successful 1993 album Get a Grip
. It was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
, #7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart, and #3 in Canada
. In the United Kingdom
, "Crazy" was released as a Double-A side with "Blind Man
", which reached #23.
The video for the song (which was directed by Marty Callner
) received heavy rotation on MTV
and was one of the most requested videos of 1994. It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone
in the band's videos, as well as the career debut of Steven's then-teenaged daughter Liv Tyler
. The decision to cast Liv in the video for "Crazy" was based on the video's creators having seen her in a Pantene
commercial, with absolutely no knowledge her father was in the band. The video was very film-like and depicted the two as schoolgirls who skip class and run away, driving off in a blue Ford Mustang convertible. The two use their good looks to take advantage of a service station clerk, and needing money, enter an amateur pole-dancing competition. The video is noteworthy for its very risque and suggestive sexual scenes, many of which strongly suggest lesbianism in the characters. The video also shows the similarities in stage moves of Steven Tyler and daughter Liv. In the end, the girls win the dance competition. They continue their joyride the following day, where they encounter a young sweaty and shirtless farmer (played by model Dean Kelly) tilling land in the countryside. They persuade him to join them in their journeys, where they all go for a skinny dip
in a lake, and nearly abandon him. The farmer runs to join them again and his penis is briefly seen. The final seconds of the video show the word "Crazy" spelled out in cursive in the cropland by the still-running tractor.
A slightly altered director's cut
of the video appears on the video compilation Big Ones You Can Look At
. In addition, Jason London
makes a short cameo at the end in a tag scene
, reprising his character from the "Amazing
" video.
. The song also earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
in 1994. This was the band's second Grammy win for Get a Grip and third Grammy award overall.
The video for "Crazy" was selected #23 in VH1
's Top 100 Music Videos of All Time.
, A Little South of Sanity
, O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, and Devil's Got a New Disguise
, the band rarely performed it during their constant touring until it was added to international shows on their 2007 World Tour
due to overwhelming demand from fans.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and written by Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
, Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
, and Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
. It was the final single from Aerosmith's massively successful 1993 album Get a Grip
Get a Grip
Get a Grip is the 11th studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in April 1993 by Geffen Records. Get a Grip was the band's last studio album to be released by Geffen before they returned to Columbia Records....
. It was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, #7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart, and #3 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, "Crazy" was released as a Double-A side with "Blind Man
Blind Man
"Blind Man" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Taylor Rhodes. It was released as a single in December 1994 from the Geffen-era compilation album Big Ones, one of three songs from that greatest hits record not previously released on any...
", which reached #23.
Lyrical interpretation
The song's lyrics are about a woman who comes and goes, and whose "crazy ways" drive the narrator "crazy."Music video
Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a director. His primary work is with music videos. Marty has directed work from such popular artists as Cher, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and has work recorded back as far as 1977 and as recent as 2009. He has been nominated for 7 Emmys, 3 DGAs, and 1 CableACE Award...
) received heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and was one of the most requested videos of 1994. It featured the third appearance of Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
in the band's videos, as well as the career debut of Steven's then-teenaged daughter Liv Tyler
Liv Tyler
Liv Rundgren Tyler is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler, and Bebe Buell, model and singer. Tyler began a career in modeling at the age of 14, but after less than a year she decided to focus on acting. She made her film debut in the 1994...
. The decision to cast Liv in the video for "Crazy" was based on the video's creators having seen her in a Pantene
Pantene
Pantene is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1947 by Hoffman-LaRoche of Switzerland, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient...
commercial, with absolutely no knowledge her father was in the band. The video was very film-like and depicted the two as schoolgirls who skip class and run away, driving off in a blue Ford Mustang convertible. The two use their good looks to take advantage of a service station clerk, and needing money, enter an amateur pole-dancing competition. The video is noteworthy for its very risque and suggestive sexual scenes, many of which strongly suggest lesbianism in the characters. The video also shows the similarities in stage moves of Steven Tyler and daughter Liv. In the end, the girls win the dance competition. They continue their joyride the following day, where they encounter a young sweaty and shirtless farmer (played by model Dean Kelly) tilling land in the countryside. They persuade him to join them in their journeys, where they all go for a skinny dip
Skinny Dip
Skinny Dip is a caper novel by Carl Hiaasen first published in 2004.-Plot introduction:Set in South Florida in the course of April, 2003, it is about a woman, Joey Perrone, who takes revenge on her cheating husband after he has tried to murder her...
in a lake, and nearly abandon him. The farmer runs to join them again and his penis is briefly seen. The final seconds of the video show the word "Crazy" spelled out in cursive in the cropland by the still-running tractor.
A slightly altered director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
of the video appears on the video compilation Big Ones You Can Look At
Big Ones You Can Look At
Big Ones You Can Look At is a VHS and Laserdisc featuring music videos by the American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released on November 4, 1994. In addition, there are outtakes and band interviews. Running time is 100 minutes...
. In addition, Jason London
Jason London
Jason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
makes a short cameo at the end in a tag scene
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
, reprising his character from the "Amazing
Amazing (Aerosmith song)
"Amazing" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and longtime band friend and collaborator Richie Supa...
" video.
Success
The song was the second highest chart performance for the band out of all the singles for Get a GripGet a Grip
Get a Grip is the 11th studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in April 1993 by Geffen Records. Get a Grip was the band's last studio album to be released by Geffen before they returned to Columbia Records....
. The song also earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories...
in 1994. This was the band's second Grammy win for Get a Grip and third Grammy award overall.
The video for "Crazy" was selected #23 in VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Top 100 Music Videos of All Time.
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 68 |
Legacy
Despite the song bringing much success for the band in the mid 1990s and appearing on a number of compilations including Big OnesBig Ones
Big Ones is one of the many compilation albums by the American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 1, 1994 by Geffen Records...
, A Little South of Sanity
A Little South of Sanity
-Personnel:*Tom Hamilton – bass*Joey Kramer – drums, percussion*Joe Perry – guitar, backing vocals, talkbox on "Sweet Emotion", pedal steel guitar on "Rag Doll"*Steven Tyler – lead vocals, percussion*Brad Whitford – guitar...
, O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, and Devil's Got a New Disguise
Devil's Got a New Disguise
Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith is a compilation album by American hard rock band Aerosmith released on October 17, 2006. It has sold more than 265,048 copies to date in the U.S...
, the band rarely performed it during their constant touring until it was added to international shows on their 2007 World Tour
Aerosmith World Tour 2007
Aerosmith World Tour 2007 was a concert tour by American hard rock band Aerosmith that saw the band performing outside North America or Japan for the first time in about 8 years , and in some countries, the first time in 14 years...
due to overwhelming demand from fans.