I Go Crazy – Paul Davis | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#7) & Adult Contemporary (#25); 1978
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1970 singer/songwriter Paul Davis released a cover of a 1961 doo-wop tune by the Jarmels, A Little Bit Of Soap, an unusual career move at a time when rock ‘n’ roll oldies were definitely out of fashion.
The single crept up to #52, the accompanying album – A Little Bit Of Paul Davis – sank without a trace, and it was back to the drawing board for Paul. His subsequent singles muddled around the middle of the Hot 100 over the next seven years.
Still, Paul hung on, as did his label, and all were rewarded when I Go Crazy entered the pop list in August of 1978. Progressing up the chart at a snail’s pace, Crazy took almost seven months to reach its peak in March of the following year.
Its total chart run of 40 weeks made it the third longest running single of the rock era to date. In 1982 ’65 Love Affair returned Paul to the pop Top 10, before he moved over to the country side, where he notched up two #1 hits in the mid-1980’s.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Phil Benton
- Paul Davis
Lyrics Written by:
- Paul Davis
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).