Well I'm still here
But I'm so scared
Got myself in trouble, so much trouble
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I just can't take New York
My middle name is fear
I have a vacant stare
And it's been so long since my body's been warm
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I just can't take New York
I came here
All dreams and wide eyes in the big, big city
No family, no money
And I don't even know what's hit me (hit me) (New York)
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
Men and women to the slaughter
We just stand and watch them
Do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
It's been one whole year
And it's just not fair
For all the pushing and shoving
I've still got nothing
I'm never gonna make it
And I'm stuck here in New York
Stuck here in New York
So people don't come near
Unless you've a dollar to spare
'Cause you know what they say
About madmen on the subways of New York
New York, believe it (believe it)
Yesterday's newspapers
I wrap them around my body
Outside these skyscrapers
I wait for the night to hit me
And boy, does it hit me
Just like your Ma, just like your Pa
Just like someone you used to know
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
For a nickel or a quarter
For your pleasure
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
I'm coming to London
I'm coming to Paris
I'm coming to make you good clean people embarrassed
Why don't you look at my face
Why don't you look in my eyes
You'd rather look at your feet
You'd rather look at the skies
Oh, you'd look anywhere
But at a man whose pure existence
Says 'I ain't got time'
And I don't care
I don't care
You just don't care
Care
Don't worry about it man
God is crazy
Crazy, crazy
Crazy
But I'm so scared
Got myself in trouble, so much trouble
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I just can't take New York
My middle name is fear
I have a vacant stare
And it's been so long since my body's been warm
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I just can't take New York
I came here
All dreams and wide eyes in the big, big city
No family, no money
And I don't even know what's hit me (hit me) (New York)
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
Men and women to the slaughter
We just stand and watch them
Do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
It's been one whole year
And it's just not fair
For all the pushing and shoving
I've still got nothing
I'm never gonna make it
And I'm stuck here in New York
Stuck here in New York
So people don't come near
Unless you've a dollar to spare
'Cause you know what they say
About madmen on the subways of New York
New York, believe it (believe it)
Yesterday's newspapers
I wrap them around my body
Outside these skyscrapers
I wait for the night to hit me
And boy, does it hit me
Just like your Ma, just like your Pa
Just like someone you used to know
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
For a nickel or a quarter
For your pleasure
Watch them do the crazyman dance
(Crazyman dance) watch them do the crazyman dance
I'm coming to London
I'm coming to Paris
I'm coming to make you good clean people embarrassed
Why don't you look at my face
Why don't you look in my eyes
You'd rather look at your feet
You'd rather look at the skies
Oh, you'd look anywhere
But at a man whose pure existence
Says 'I ain't got time'
And I don't care
I don't care
You just don't care
Care
Don't worry about it man
God is crazy
Crazy, crazy
Crazy
inviata da Alberta Beccaro - Venezia - 23/5/2018 - 02:06
Questa è un'approfondita intervista audio del 1987, risalente alla campagna promozionale USA dell'album "Faith", ove - ai minuti 34.45' e poi 40.40' - George Michael spiega la genesi di "Crazyman Dance" al suo interlocutore statunitense, che l'ha ascoltata in anteprima e se ne dichiara entusiasta (inizialmente doveva essere pubblicata per l'appunto nell'album "Faith", che invece finirà con l'ospitare una sola canzone attenta al sociale, la comunque notevole "Hand To Mouth"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1znwNFA6vU
________________________
Curiosità: il testo originario di "Crazyman Dance" comprendeva la seguente ulteriore strofa di otto versi, poi tagliata nella versione discografica:
"He hasn't seen a doctor
Since he got here in the spring
Went to the Medicentre
But they wouldn't let him in
Without a green card
Life can be so hard
Take pity on a man without a home of his own
How could he ever have known?"
Il testo comprensivo della strofa tagliata può leggersi in appendice al libro autobiografico "Bare" (1990), scritto da George Michael assieme al giornalista Tony Parsons
________________________
Curiosità: il testo originario di "Crazyman Dance" comprendeva la seguente ulteriore strofa di otto versi, poi tagliata nella versione discografica:
"He hasn't seen a doctor
Since he got here in the spring
Went to the Medicentre
But they wouldn't let him in
Without a green card
Life can be so hard
Take pity on a man without a home of his own
How could he ever have known?"
Il testo comprensivo della strofa tagliata può leggersi in appendice al libro autobiografico "Bare" (1990), scritto da George Michael assieme al giornalista Tony Parsons
TESTO PUBBLICATO IN APPENDICE AL LIBRO AUTOBIOGRAFICO "BARE" (1990) due anni prima dell'uscita del brano su disco. L'appendice, intitolata "Lyrics", comprende in realtà un nucleo assai ristretto di testi: a parte "Crazyman Dance" vi sono quelli di "Praying For Time", di "Mother's Pride" e di "Something To Save" (tutti brani pubblicati quello stesso anno - 1990 - nell'album "Listen Without Prejudice") e quello di "Happy", altro brano all'epoca inedito che fu pubblicato su disco solo due anni dopo, nel 1992, all'interno del progetto benefico RED HOT + DANCE, un album collettaneo di artisti vari (cui George Michael contribuì con tre pezzi, uno dei quali è quella "Too Funky" di cui "Crazyman Dance", viceversa non presente in RED HOT + DANCE, fu la B-side) i cui proventi andarono per intero a sostegno della lotta contro l'AIDS.
Well I'm still here
But I'm so scared
Got myself in trouble, so much trouble
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
My middle name is fear
I have a vacant stare
And it's been so long since my body's been warm
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I came here
All dreams and wide eyes in the big, big city
No family, no money
And I don't even know what's hit me
He hasn't seen a doctor
Since he got here in the spring
Went to the Medicentre
But they wouldn't let him in
Without a green card
Life can be so hard
Take pity on a man without a home of his own
How could he ever have known?
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
Men and Women to the slaughter
We just stand and watch them
Do the Crazyman Dance
It's been one whole year
And it's just not fair
For all the pushing and shoving
I've still got nothing
I'm never gonna make it
And I'm stuck here in New York
So people don't come near
Unless you've a dollar to spare
'Cause you know what they say
About madmen on the subways of New York
Believe it!
Yesterday's newspapers
I wrap them around my body
Outside these skyscrapers
I wait for the night to hit me
And boy, does it hit me
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
For a nickel or a quarter
For your pleasure
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
I'm coming to London
I'm coming to Paris
I'm coming to make you good clean people embarrassed
Why don't you look at my face
Why don't you look in my eyes
You'd rather look at your feet
You'd rather look at the skies
Oh, you'd look anywhere
But at a man whose pure existence
Says 'I ain't got time'
And I don't care
I don't care
You just don't care
Care
Well I'm still here
But I'm so scared
Got myself in trouble, so much trouble
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
My middle name is fear
I have a vacant stare
And it's been so long since my body's been warm
I know I've got to make it
But I just can't take New York
I came here
All dreams and wide eyes in the big, big city
No family, no money
And I don't even know what's hit me
He hasn't seen a doctor
Since he got here in the spring
Went to the Medicentre
But they wouldn't let him in
Without a green card
Life can be so hard
Take pity on a man without a home of his own
How could he ever have known?
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
Men and Women to the slaughter
We just stand and watch them
Do the Crazyman Dance
It's been one whole year
And it's just not fair
For all the pushing and shoving
I've still got nothing
I'm never gonna make it
And I'm stuck here in New York
So people don't come near
Unless you've a dollar to spare
'Cause you know what they say
About madmen on the subways of New York
Believe it!
Yesterday's newspapers
I wrap them around my body
Outside these skyscrapers
I wait for the night to hit me
And boy, does it hit me
Every street and every corner
Watch them drowning
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
For a nickel or a quarter
For your pleasure
Watch them do the Crazyman Dance
I'm coming to London
I'm coming to Paris
I'm coming to make you good clean people embarrassed
Why don't you look at my face
Why don't you look in my eyes
You'd rather look at your feet
You'd rather look at the skies
Oh, you'd look anywhere
But at a man whose pure existence
Says 'I ain't got time'
And I don't care
I don't care
You just don't care
Care
Alberta Beccaro - Venezia - 23/5/2018 - 20:50
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B-side del CD singolo "Too Funky"
Testo, musica, arrangiamento e produzione di George Michael
Forse una delle canzoni di George Michael meno conosciute di sempre in quanto pubblicata come mera B-side del CD singolo "Too Funky" (1992), episodio discografico - ogni ricavo dalle sue vendite andò in beneficenza alla lotta contro l'AIDS - isolato e non legato a un album di inediti nonché ultima uscita per la madre-matrigna Sony Music, con la quale di lì a poco l'artista britannico avrebbe ingaggiato (e perduto) una lunga e aspra battaglia legale. Solo nell'ottobre 2017, a poco meno di un anno dalla morte di Michael, è stata data nuovamente al pubblico la possibilità di possedere "Crazyman Dance" su disco (o in alternativa - per la primissima volta - in digitale), essendo stata inserita nel CD3 della riedizione box set di "Listen Without Prejudice".
In effetti si tratta di un brano scritto diversi anni prima dell'epoca della sua uscita, già completato quanto meno nel 1987, sicché il suo habitat ideale sarebbe - col senno di poi - stato proprio l'intenso ed impegnato album "Listen Without Prejudice" del 1990. Questa canzone - a tratti rabbiosa nella vocalità, sottilmente angosciante e vagamente sinistra nell'atmosfera musicale, plasticamente "cinematografica" nel testo carico di empatia oltre che di denuncia sociale - costituisce un perfetto pendant di "Praying For Time" (brano - ben più famoso di questo - a sua volta dedicato al tema della povertà, dell'egoismo avido di chi ha già molto, della forbice sempre più ampia ed impietosa tra ricchi e poveri).
La genesi di "Crazyman Dance" risale a un viaggio a New York nel quale la giovane popstar, all'epoca poco più che ventenne, rimase fortemente colpita dal numero di senzatetto, di mendicanti e di persone mentalmente instabili che si aggiravano per le strade della Grande Mela. Icone viventi di come il tanto magnificato American Dream, tutte le volte in cui non si avvera, possa convertirsi in uno spietato incubo togliendo ogni dignità ad esseri umani - giunti nella grande città alla ricerca di un lavoro favoleggiato come accessibile a tutti - che erano partiti carichi di aspirazioni, desideri, speranza nel futuro, voglia di fare.