About The Song
“Crazy” was released by Linda Ronstadt as the B-side to her single “That’ll Be the Day” in August 1976 via Asylum Records. It appears as track two on her album Hasten Down the Wind, issued August 21, 1976. Produced by Peter Asher at The Sound Factory in Hollywood, the song runs 3:58 and features a slow, emotional country-rock ballad arrangement with acoustic guitar, gentle pedal steel, soft percussion, and Ronstadt’s warm, aching vocal that builds quiet intensity.
Written by Willie Nelson in 1961, the track was first made famous by Patsy Cline, whose version became a country standard. Ronstadt’s interpretation stays faithful to the original’s melancholy while adding her signature interpretive warmth and subtle 1970s polish.
The lyrics explore the disorienting pain of lost love: “Crazy, I’m crazy for feeling so lonely / I’m crazy, crazy for feeling so blue.” The narrator admits to foolish hope and sleepless nights, confessing, “I knew you’d love me as long as you wanted / And then someday you’d leave me for somebody new.” The chorus repeats the title with resigned vulnerability, turning personal heartbreak into a universal confession of emotional unraveling. The melody’s gentle sway and sparse production keep the focus on the raw honesty of the words.
Though released only as a B-side, the track climbed to No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in early 1977 and reached No. 2 on Canada’s RPM Country Tracks. It helped extend the momentum of the parent album, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned Ronstadt a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The A-side “That’ll Be the Day” hit No. 11 on the Hot 100, making the pairing a dual-format success.
Ronstadt performed the song regularly on her 1976–1977 tours, including a notable concert in Offenbach, Germany, where her delivery captured the same intimate sorrow heard on record. The track has appeared on compilations such as Linda Ronstadt’s Greatest Hits and various anthologies, remaining a staple in playlists of her mid-1970s country-rock era.
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Lyric
I’m crazy
Crazy for feeling so lonely
I’m crazy
Crazy for feeling blue
I know you’d love me as long as you wanted
Then someday leave me for somebody new
Worry
Why should I let myself worry
Wondering
What in the world did I do
I’m crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for crying
And crazy for trying
And I’m crazy for loving you
Worry
Why do I let myself worry
Wondering
What in the world did I do
I’m crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
I’m crazy for trying
And crazy for crying
Ansd I’m crazy for loving you