"Far Side of Crazy" is a song by the American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Wall of Voodoo Wall of Voodoo was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California who were active from 1977 until disbanding in 1989. Though largely an underground act for the majority of its existence, the band came to prominence when its 1982 single " ...

from their album ''

Seven Days in Sammystown ''Seven Days in Sammystown'' is the third studio album by American rock band Wall of Voodoo, released in 1985. This was the first Wall of Voodoo album to include Andy Prieboy on vocals and Ned Leukhardt on drums—following the departure of fron ...

''. It was released as the album's lead single in late 1985, with an accompanying music video combining black and white and full color footage. The song was also featured in the 1985 movie ''

Head Office Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

''. The lyrics refer to the

attempted assassination This is a list of survivors of assassination attempts. For successful assassination attempts, see List of assassinations. Non-heads of state Heads of state and government Gallery File:Arrestation Gregori.jpg, Arrest of Louis Gregori, th ...

of U.S. President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

John Hinckley Jr. John Warnock Hinckley Jr. (born May 29, 1955) is an American man who attempted to assassinate U.S. president Ronald Reagan as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981, two months after Reagan's first inauguration. Using ...

in 1981. The title comes from his poems; "I remain the far side of crazy". Hinckley was obsessing over actress

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Foster started her career as a child actor before establishing herself as leading actress in film. She has received List of awards and nominations re ...

and believed that the only way to attract her attention was to become famous himself. He was inspired by the

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

and the subsequent media attention that his killer,

Mark David Chapman Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) is an American man who murdered English musician John Lennon in New York City on December 8, 1980. As Lennon walked into the archway of The Dakota, his apartment building on the Upper West Side, Chapman ...

, received as a result. The song picks a number of lines from the letters that Hinckley sent to Foster both before and after the assassination. The single failed to chart in all territories except Australia, where it reached No. 23 in June 1986 and stayed in the top 100 for 21 weeks.

Reception

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' said the song, "rolls in innocently enough with the twangy, giddy-up guitar of Marc Moreland. Then a thundering bass beat from Bruce Moreland stomps in and Prieboy starts ranting like

John Hinckley John Warnock Hinckley Jr. (born May 29, 1955) is an American man who attempted to assassinate U.S. president Ronald Reagan as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981, two months after Reagan's first inauguration. Using a ...

-as-

Marlboro Man The Marlboro Man is a figure that was used in tobacco advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by advertising executive ...

. He sets the mood as he takes the role of the psychopathic poet with a crush on a celebrity."

Track listings

7": I.R.S. Records / A 6846 (Europe)

#"Far Side Of Crazy" (A. Prieboy) – 4:07 #"Wrong Way To Hollywood" (M. Moreland, A. Prieboy) – 4:21

7": Illegal Records / ES 1098 (Australia)

#"Far Side Of Crazy" (A. Prieboy) – 4:07 #"This Business Of Love" (C. Gray) – 4:25

12": I.R.S. Records / IRMT 111 (UK)

#"Far Side Of Crazy" (A. Prieboy) – 4:07 #"Wrong Way To Hollywood" (M. Moreland, A. Prieboy) – 4:21 #"Dance You Fuckers" (C. Gray) – 6:10

Charts

References

{{authority control 1985 songs 1985 singles Wall of Voodoo songs I.R.S. Records singles Song recordings produced by Ian Broudie