About The Song
“Crazy” is a song written by Willie Nelson and popularized by country singer Patsy Cline in 1961. Nelson wrote the song while living in Houston, working for Pappy Daily’s label D Records. He was also a radio DJ and performed in clubs. Nelson then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, working as a writer for Pamper Music. Through Hank Cochran, the song reached Patsy Cline. After her original recording and release, Cline’s version reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles, also crossing to the pop chart as a top 10 single.
Cline’s version is considered a country music standard and, in 1996, became the all-time most played song in jukeboxes in the United States. “Crazy” was covered by many artists; different versions reached the charts in a variety of genres. The song was featured in television shows, while many publications have included it in their all-time best songs lists. The Library of Congress inducted Cline’s version into the National Recording Registry in 2003.
Crazy” was released in October 1961 by Decca Records under catalog number 31317 with “Who Can I Count On” on the flip side. In November, “Crazy” was included on Cline’s album Showcase. After 11 weeks, the single peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and it crossed over to the pop charts reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, also attaining number two on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. With the success of “Crazy” and her previous single “I Fall to Pieces”, Cline was named Billboard’s Favorite Female Country Artist of 1961. In November 1961, Cline sang “Crazy” during a performance with the Grand Ole Opry cast at Carnegie Hall.
“Crazy” became Cline’s most successful pop single, her signature song, and one of the country songs that generated the most royalties.[35][36] Nelson dubbed Cline’s his favorite version of his composition. He opined that her interpretation was done with “delicacy, soul, and perfect diction”. Media outlets, including National Public Radio, New Musical Express, and American Songwriter defined “Crazy” as a country music standard.
The recording was featured in the 1985 Cline biopic Sweet Dreams. In 1989, the Amusement and Music Operators Association ranked “Crazy” number two on the all-time Top 40 Jukebox Singles on the United States list. By 1996, the updated list cited the song as the most played in jukeboxes. “Crazy” appeared on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 at number 79, and moved to number 14 in 1990. The next year, it peaked at number 14 on the Irish Singles Chart. In 2003, Cline’s recording was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. The next year, it was ranked number 85 on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the 2021 version of the list, the magazine placed it at number 195. In 2018, it was included by New Musical Express on their “25 best country songs of all time” list,in 2019; The Tennessean listed it as one of the 100 best country songs of all time.
In 1992, Patsy’s version of “Crazy” was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Video
Lyrics
Crazy, I’m crazy for feeling so lonely
I’m crazy, crazy for feeling so blue
I knew you’d love me as long as you wanted
And then someday you’d leave me for somebody new
Worry, why do I let myself worry?
Wondering what in the world did I do?
Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving you
Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I’m crazy for loving you