Crazy by Seal Lyrics Meaning – Diving into the Madness of Existence
Lyrics
He talks about the people going under
Only child know
A man decides after seventy years
That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door
While those around him criticize and sleep
And through a fractal on a breaking wall
I see you my friend, and touch your face again
Miracles will happen as we trip
But we’re never gonna survive, unless
We get a little crazy
No we’re never gonna survive, unless
We are a little crazy
Crazy yellow people walking through my head
One of them’s got a gun, to shoot the other one
And yet together they were friends at school
Ohh, get it, get it, get it, get it no no
If all were there when we first took the pill
Then maybe, then maybe, then maybe, then maybe
Miracles will happen as we speak
But we’re never gonna survive unless
We get a little crazy
No we’re never gonna survive unless
We are a little crazy
No no, never survive, unless we get a little bit
Oh, a little bit
Oh, a little bit
Amanda decides to go along after seventeen years
Oh darlin’
In a sky full of people, only some want to fly
Isn’t that crazy
In a world full of people, only some want to fly
Isn’t that crazy, crazy
In a heaven of people there’s only some want to fly
Ain’t that crazy
Oh babe, oh darlin’
In a world full of people there’s only some want to fly
Isn’t that crazy, isn’t that crazy, isn’t that crazy, isn’t that crazy
But were never gonna survive unless, we get a little crazy
No were never gonna to survive unless we are a little
But were never gonna survive unless, we get a little crazy
No were never gonna to survive unless, we are a little, crazy
No no, never survive unless, we get a little bit
And then you see things
The size of which you’ve never known before
They’ll break it
Someday, only child know
Them things
The size of which you’ve never known before
Someday, someway, someway, someway, someday, someday
Seal’s ‘Crazy’ might initially come off as an anthem of rebellion, a song that calls for a bit of madness as if it were a wistful incantation for the adventurous. But beneath the pulsing beats and the hauntingly smooth vocal delivery, the 1990 hit single sketches a vivid manifesto about the state of our collective consciousness, the individual’s place within it and the paradox of existence that binds us.
The lyrics are a tapestry of philosophical riddles wrapped in metaphors that are both cryptic and enlightening, urging us to peel back the layers of life’s mundane certainty. What does it really mean to ‘get a little crazy’? It’s an exploration of breaking free from societal chains, daring to dream and, perhaps, the transcendence that awaits those who challenge the status quo.
The Societal Sleepwalk: A Critique of Conformity
When Seal sings, ‘A man decides after seventy years, That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door, While those around him criticize and sleep,’ he is holding a mirror up to society’s zombified march towards nothingness. In the pursuit of safety, we become numb to the possibilities of what life can present. This is a sharp rebuke of complacency and the critique of those who dismiss dreamers as foolhardy rather than as pioneers.
The ‘door’ is a potent symbol here, representing the untapped potential of our lives. Seal’s protagonist waits seventy years to unlock it – a grim reminder that many of us wait until it’s nearly too late to start truly living. The song implies that the true madmen might be those who never dare to open new doors, content to ‘sleep’ through a reality dictated by the masses.
Embrace the ‘Fractal’ – Life’s Unpredictable Beauty
‘And through a fractal on a breaking wall, I see you my friend, and touch your face again.’ These lines suggest the beauty of brokenness and the unexpected patterns that emerge from chaos. The imagery of ‘fractals’—infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales—embodies the idea that within the messiness of life, we find its true splendor.
This stanza is a call to embrace the unpredictable, unexpected turns of fate. By highlighting the miracle of friendship, even when faced with a seemingly insurmountable divide—the ‘breaking wall’—Seal encourages us to see through the illusion of our separateness and recognize the intricate connections that bind us.
The Mind’s Battleground: Interpreting the ‘Crazy Yellow People’
One of the song’s more cryptic lines, ‘Crazy yellow people walking through my head, One of them’s got a gun, to shoot the other one,’ is an exploration of internal conflict and the constant battle between different facets of our personalities. Colors like ‘yellow’ can often signify madness, caution, or even enlightenment, depending on the context.
Here, Seal might be personifying the thoughts and impulses that rage within us all. The vivid imagery serves as a stark reminder that the mind is a battlefield where reason and madness vie for control, with consequences that can spill over into the external world—sometimes gravely so.
The Anthem of the Unchained Spirits
In an age where flying metaphorically means to soar and fulfill one’s potential, ‘In a sky full of people, only some want to fly, Isn’t that crazy?’ becomes a siren song for the rare ambitious soul. The repetition of this question chisels the theme of the song into a clear form: The true ‘crazy’ ones are those that carve their own paths despite the risk of failure or the weight of judgement.
Seal isn’t merely musing about the individuals who choose to ‘fly;’ he is honoring their courage. In doing so, he creates an anthemic chorus for anyone who has ever felt the pull of a dream that lies beyond the safe and the known. It’s a rousing battle cry against contented mundanity and in favor of something richer, something daring, something wildly alive.
Unlocking the Hidden Meaning: Seal’s Vision of Survival
‘But we’re never gonna survive, unless, We get a little crazy.’ This phrase is the epicenter of the song’s earthquake. It’s more than an encouragement to embrace eccentricities—it’s a profound acknowledgement that survival in its truest sense requires a break from normality. It is in our willingness to be irrational, at times, that our species finds its evolution.
Survival, Seal suggests, isn’t merely about biological continuation but is about spiritual and creative thriving. The insanity that he proposes is less about losing control and more about breaking the chains that keep us from exploring the full spectrum of human experience. The art of living, according to Seal, is found not within the familiar confines of our lives but in the awe-inspiring lunacy lurking just at the edge of reason.
