Crazy (Willie Nelson 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.

Background and writing

In 1958, while performing around Fort Worth, Texas and working as a DJ hosting The Western Express, Willie Nelson attracted the attention of Pappy Daily.^[1] Daily, a record producer from Houston, offered Nelson a recording contract with D Records as well as a job as a writer for Glad Music.^[2] Nelson moved to Houston, where he also searched for musical gigs in ballrooms and clubs. At the Esquire Ballroom, band leader Larry Butler told Nelson that he could not offer a musician job. In response, Nelson suggested he sell original songs that he played for Butler on a reel-to-reel tape recorder.^[3] Butler liked the songs, but refused to buy, instead offering Nelson a job working six nights a week with his band.^[4] Nelson and his family settled in Pasadena, Texas,^[3] where he became a DJ on radio station KRCT.^[4][2] Later, he also taught guitar.^[5]

Nelson used his commute from Pasadena to the Esquire Ballroom as writing time, because the 30 mi (48 km) ride usually took an hour that he used to develop new lyrics.^[5][4] Over one week, he wrote "Crazy", "Night Life", and "Funny How Time Slips Away".^[6][7] At the time, Nelson's mood was negatively affected by his lack of stable employment while supporting his wife and three children, since his three jobs did not provide enough income.^[8] On his long night commutes to clubs, he compared his situation with those of his contemporaries and felt that "the world was asleep".^[9] According to his autobiography It's A Long Story: My Life, Nelson wondered if he were "Crazy" and completed the song as if he were a man whose relationship recently ended.^[9] Musician Sleepy LaBeef, who accompanied Nelson on upright bass on the song's demo recording, asserted that the songwriter had arrived in Houston with "Crazy" already written.^[2] Additionally, biographer Joe Nick Patoski noted that Nelson played "Crazy" for Butler along with the songs he planned to sell just as he arrived in the city.^[10] Nelson wrote "Crazy" in less than an hour,^[11] and originally titled it "Stupid".^[6] The intonation of the opening was inspired by Floyd Tillman's "I Gotta Have My Baby Back".^[12]

Nelson sold an original song, "Family Bible", which was then recorded by Claude Gray, whose version enjoyed success. But Nelson's employment situation remained unstable.^[13] He accumulated debt, while he often attended parties and drank to excess. In July 1960, Nelson was arrested for speeding and driving without a license.^[2] After several tardy incidents, he was fired by KRCT, then let go from a Pasadena club where he performed. Nelson then decided to move his wife and children to Waco, Texas, and, after the success of "Family Bible", moved to Nashville, Tennessee .^[12]

At first Nelson lived with Billy Walker, who found him an encyclopedia sales job.^[14] Walker also took him to different music publishers in town, and introduced Nelson as the writer of "Family Bible" to the artists and songwriters that frequented Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Through steel guitarist Buddy Emmons, Nelson became acquainted with many Grand Ole Opry performers.^[15] The publishing house Pamper Music hired him after Faron Young's recording of "Hello Walls" and Billy Walker's of "Funny How Time Slips Away" succeeded.^[16]

Patsy Cline's recording

In his book Willie: An Autobiography, Nelson recalled that it was hard to find artists interested in recording "Crazy" due to its use of several chords, instead of the standard three used for country music compositions at the time.^[17] Walker intended to record the song, and made a demo at Starday Records. Ultimately, the label decided to reject Walker's proposition since they felt that "Crazy" would not have commercial success.^[18]

Nelson's fellow Pamper Music song plugger and writer Hank Cochran played "Crazy" for Patsy Cline's producer Owen Bradley, who felt that the composition would be good for Cline.^[19] Cochran then told Walker about Bradley's interest in the song for Cline and asked him not to record it. In exchange, Cochran gave Walker "Charlie's Shoes".^[18]

Cline's husband Charlie Dick had previously taken her a demo of Nelson's "Night Life". Cline disliked the song, and she asked her husband not bring her any more of Nelson's songs, saying that she did not want to record compositions that embraced vulnerability or loss of love. The persistent Cochran drove Nelson to Cline's house with the demo of "Crazy". While Nelson waited in the car, Cochran played the song for Cline. Cline told Cochran to bring Nelson into the house, where he taught her to sing the song. Cline had difficulty following Nelson's phrasing because he sang behind the beat.^[20][21] An alternative account published by Nelson in his 2015 book It's A Long Story: My Life revealed that, while drinking with Dick at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Nelson played his demo of "Crazy" on the bar's jukebox. Dick thought the song was good, that his wife should record it, and offered to take Nelson to his home to play the demo for Cline. Because it was after midnight, Nelson decided to wait in the car as Dick played the song for Cline, and she later invited him in.^[22][23]

"Crazy" by Patsy Cline

For the recording, Cline adapted Nelson's phrasing to her own singing style

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Bradley planned to record "Crazy" with the minor and major sevenths jazz chords favored by Nelson.^[21] For most of the song, the composition uses a B-flat key but ends in B major.^[24] Bradley decided to add the Jordanaires on background vocals, pianist Floyd Cramer, and bass guitarist Bob Moore.^[21] Cramer opened with a four-bar introduction, followed by brushing from drummer Buddy Harman. Moore was complemented by Harold Bradley's electric guitar, creating a tic-tac effect.^[24] The first four-hour recording session took place on August 21, 1961, at Quonset Hut Studio.^[25] Cline had recently been in a car accident that bruised her ribs and Owen Bradley had to end her participation because, in her pain, she could not reach the notes needed to match Nelson's phrasing. Bradley worked the arrangements with the musicians and recorded the music track for the song.^[23]

Bradley asked Cline to use her own rather than Nelson's singing style.^[26] After her ribs recovered three weeks later, Cline returned to record her vocal track; she accomplished it on the first take.^[23] During the session on September 15, 1961,^[25] Cline's vocal featured ascending and descending intervals and the use of broken chords. Cline learned to sing in the style needed for "Crazy" early in her life; she listened to and imitated big band and jazz performers that she heard on the radio.^[27] Following Nelson, Cline sang slightly behind the beat, but modified to fit her own unique style.^[28]

Release and reception

"Crazy" was released in October 1961 by