“You hear a song on the radio you think you hate, and then after they play it far too much, all of the sudden you’re singing along.” »read more
Songfacts: You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.
Ann and Nancy Wilson wrote this about Mike Fisher, who was an original guitarist for Heart (he eventually stopped performing and became their sound man) - he and Ann were dating. Roger Fisher, who is Mike's brother and also plays guitar in the band, is also credited as a writer on this song.
This seems to be about sex, but Ann and Nancy Wilson sometimes make up different stories about it. In an interview with Heart on a radio program called Rockline, Ann and Nancy described the meaning of this song to be about ecology and the preservation of the earth, clean air and clean water. (thanks, michael - dallas, TX)
This was Heart's first single. They were based in Vancouver at the time and signed to a small label called Mushroom. When the album became a hit, they moved to Seattle and signed with a label owned by CBS Records.
The original band members were from Seattle. According to the liner notes for one of their greatest hits albums, they moved to Vancouver when some of the male members of the band would have been subject to the draft in the Vietnam War. They returned to Seattle when that was no longer a threat of them being called up in the draft. Unfortunately, their Vancouver years limited their exposure in the US at a time when they could have been one of the top bands there. (thanks, Rick - Seattle, WA)
Comments:
The intro gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. It is the most beautiful song that I have ever listened to.
- Kassandra, Sudbury, ON
The Wilson Sister paved the way for other rocker chicks like Evanecence and Alanis. All female singers and artists should be grateful to Heart for not having to endure male chauvanism as they experienced it themselves.
- alma, laredo, TX
love this song it has a great intro and than it just goes wild
its clearly about sexual freedom fighting the backdrop of the world at the time
- elie, london, -
The fact that the Wilson sisters fled with draft dodging band members to Canada kinda bugs me. I mean, many died in wars to give us the very freedom that allows Heart to play and sing whatever kind of music they want.
- Wayne, Crockett, TX
Absolutely killer song with one of the coolest Spanish tinged guitar intros.
My daughter loves to show off on Guitar Hero with this song.
Nancy sure can tear up that axe!
- oldpink, New Castle, IN
In my old school way of looking at things, you have to go with what the words say. Hard to see this as anything other than two young people being caught up in a war zone, dealing with responsibilities they aren't ready for. If the not so subtle sexual allusions -- interesting dream -- are any guide, sex was how they dealt with being "crazy."
- Rob, Chicago, IL
Hey Sam in Athens... I just listened to the Bert Jansch song on Youtube. You're right... it is very similar.
- Mark, New York, NY
LOVE this song! I can remember that day in '76 as though it happened yesterday...the first time I heard it. I decided I wanted to sing just like Ann Wilson...unfortunately, I don't have her amazing range! Anyway, my mother heard me belting this song out while practising my guitar and she darn near banned me from playing guitar altogether because she thought "Crazy on You" was dirty and inappropriate for a 15 year old to sing. Now I cover Heart songs every chance I get...out of REBELLION! hahahaha!
- Sabrina, Corvallis, OR
The intro to this song is very similar in style to Bert Jansch's cover of Davey Graham's "Anji".
- Sam, Athens, GA
this song was playing in the background of a sketch on "You Can't Do That on Television"
- Jeff, Austin, TX
The first time I heard this song was in 1984 (the year I discovered classic rock). The drum roll just before the third chorus threw me for a loop the first couple of times I heard it; I kept thinking the song was already over and the radio station had started playing Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher"! LOL...
- Joshua, La Crosse, WI
I am a 20 year old male. I just want to say that Heart is absolutely great. They deserve respect from a broader audience. Great Band. Great Song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PKULglde8
- Jed Humanoid, Lake Oswego, OR
I posted this under "Suffragette City" by David Bowie, but listen to the guitar riff of this and the Bowie song...they are strangely similar, in my opinion! Nonetheless, great song, and an all-time classic.
- Jena, Bonner Springs, KS
What an intro! That brilliant, intricate acoustic melody, followed by straight-ahead powerful electric power chords. Man, could that band make music! And this was their first album! What an entrance! And don't forget Ann's powerful lungs belting out that song. I still turn it up and let it blow me away! Sad thing is, I'm from Seattle and never saw them live. :-(
- Guy, Woodinville, WA
I love that one little riff played on electric guitar. It sounds so much like the guitar of Steve Howe from the awesome group Yes!
- Greg, Oakville, Canada
You can hear elements of folk, hard rock, country, jazz, and flamenco within the song.
- Joey, Boston, MA
This song is so fun to play on guitar hero 2!
- Kelsey, Littleton, CO
I don't know about all that ecology stuff, seems to me the song is very clear on the sexuality. I can remember when this song came out, and I tried playing it on my guitar. My mother was so upset about the song, she forbade me to play any Heart song on the guitar. Of course, now I cover them all the time LOL....I like the way they take no prisoner in their music!
- Sabrina, Corvallis, OR
It was 100% Nancy. I've seen them in concert several times and she played it. You can also see her on youtube playing it live.
- Mark, New York, NY
from what ive read it is nancy who plays the acoustic intro, if you look on the album linear notes it lists her as the only acoustic guitar player while the others are just regular electric guitar. ive seen one interview where she also stated that she played that intro to show people what she was capable of on an acoustic guitar.
- chris, milford, CT
In an issue of Guitar World Acoustic about a year ago there was a piece where Nancy talked about the recording of the intro. If I remember correctly, she said she played an acoustic with really bad action and her fingers were all messed up and stuff like that. But I've heard from friends that it was the male guitarist who played the intro. Maybe she was talking about the wild strumming and not the intricate main intro. Does anyone know the real facts, and has whoever did play that ever done anything comparable? (not that anything could be) ...Also are there any explanations why the didn't do it on "The Road Home"? You'd think that a band who has one of the best acoustic guitar pieces in rock music might want to include it in their acoustic show.
- Ben, Newmarket, Canada
Once again, Mike Fisher never played guitar with Heart. It was Roger Fisher.
- Pete, Seattle, WA
"Ann and Nancy described the meaning of this song to be about ecology and the preservation of the earth, clean air and clean water." WHAAAT? What nonsense. This song is clearly about infatuation - probably sexual infatuation.
- Wes, Springfield, VA
Actually, Michael Fisher never played guitar in Heart. It was his brother, Roger, who was the original guitarist.
- Debbie, Hernando, MS
"They returned to Seattle when that was no longer a threat of them being called up in the draft. Unfortunately, their Vancouver years limited their exposure in the US at a time when they could have been one of the top bands there" Things are tuff all over.
- Nessie, Sapporo, Japan
According to the interview with Ann in The Road Home this song was written when a guy who worked for the band offered them mushrooms. The band took them and Ann was really messed up on stage and felt like she was a forty year old even though at the time she was only twenty-one. When she went to bed she was still feeling really nervous and couldn't go to sleep so she wrote down parts of the song. Nancy was sick at the time and when she got better wrote the melody of the song.
- Jessica, Cleveland, OH
gotta love the intro
- jordan, ontario, Canada
Well known rapper Eminem used a sample of this song in "Crazy In Love", a track from his 2004 album "Encore". It is another track about his love/hate relatiohship with his wife Kim Mathers (as if we needed any more of those).
- Nick, Erwin, NC
"Crazy on You" is on the soundtrack of "Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle" which is a great stoner comedy
- Brian, Toronto, Canada
"Crazy on You" is on the soundtrack of "The Virgin Suicides".
- megan, Lambertville, MI
As a joke, Ann & Nancy Wilson claimed the song to be about many different things, but Ann most recently cliamed the song was purely about Michael Derosier (former drummer/boyfriend). Much like 90% of everything she wrote on the earliest days when they were together.
- John, Greeneville, TN