Go Insane (song)
Encyclopedia
"Go Insane" was the title track of Lindsey Buckingham
's second solo album. Released as a single, 3 July 1984, it became Buckingham's second solo hit (after "Trouble
", three years earlier). "Go Insane" is Buckingham's most recent US solo hit (peaking at #23 in the Billboard
Hot 100 chart); on the other hand, it did not chart in the United Kingdom
.
"Looking at it that way we all tend to go insane a little bit, I think that's ok. I think that's one of the things the album is saying - it is ok to go insane, it can be quite cathartic actually, to watch yourself go out to the edge and sort of reel yourself back in - now hopefully you do reel yourself back in.
"Another point the album makes is if you happen to be with someone else who takes that sort of behavior too far, and you're not willing to give up whatever that relationship might be - then you will tend to go a little bit insane with them.
"And if they are doing that you will experience a lot of the things they are simply by virtue of being a part of that. The important thing is not to take it too far, I guess."
At the time, he had a relationship that was close to ending (or maybe had just ended) with Carol Ann Harris. According to Buckingham, she was using drugs and Buckingham tried to stop her, but with no results. Two of his lines, "I lost my power in this world / Cause I did not use it", could be interpreted to be about how he had waited too long to try to stop her. Harris, however, in her book "Storms," claims that she only used the drug with the band and her friends and Buckingham used it in equal abundance.
, he did an acoustic flamenco
-styled version of Go Insane, which featured just him and a nylon-string guitar.
During the 2008 Gift of Screws tour, as well as Fleetwood Mac
's 2009 Unleashed tour, he played the original version of the song.
first season episode "The Great McCarthy."
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
's second solo album. Released as a single, 3 July 1984, it became Buckingham's second solo hit (after "Trouble
Trouble (Lindsey Buckingham song)
"Trouble" is a song by Lindsey Buckingham. It was the biggest hit off the album Law and Order, which was released in 1981. It was also Buckingham's first hit as a solo artist....
", three years earlier). "Go Insane" is Buckingham's most recent US solo hit (peaking at #23 in the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 chart); on the other hand, it did not chart in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Meaning
Lindsey Buckingham has said, when asked about the meaning of the song, insanity can said to be very relative to the context you find yourself in. An example might be a very acceptable and typical behavior for a group of people in a little rock and roll microcosm, might be grounds for someone being committed if they worked in a bank."Looking at it that way we all tend to go insane a little bit, I think that's ok. I think that's one of the things the album is saying - it is ok to go insane, it can be quite cathartic actually, to watch yourself go out to the edge and sort of reel yourself back in - now hopefully you do reel yourself back in.
"Another point the album makes is if you happen to be with someone else who takes that sort of behavior too far, and you're not willing to give up whatever that relationship might be - then you will tend to go a little bit insane with them.
"And if they are doing that you will experience a lot of the things they are simply by virtue of being a part of that. The important thing is not to take it too far, I guess."
At the time, he had a relationship that was close to ending (or maybe had just ended) with Carol Ann Harris. According to Buckingham, she was using drugs and Buckingham tried to stop her, but with no results. Two of his lines, "I lost my power in this world / Cause I did not use it", could be interpreted to be about how he had waited too long to try to stop her. Harris, however, in her book "Storms," claims that she only used the drug with the band and her friends and Buckingham used it in equal abundance.
Personnel
- Lindsey Buckingham- Vocals, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Percussion, Fairlight CMIFairlight CMIThe Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
, LinnDrumLinnDrumThe LinnDrum is a drum machine manufactured by Linn Electronics. It was released in 1982 as a successor to the Linn LM-1. The LinnDrum has 15 drum sounds sampled from real drums, a sequencer for programming rhythm patterns and five trigger inputs.... - Gordon Fordyce - KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Bryant Simpson - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Other versions
At concerts, notably on The DanceThe Dance (album)
The Dance is a live performance by Fleetwood Mac, released on Cassette, CD and VHS in 1997, and later on DVD. It hailed the return of the band's most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, who had not released an album together since...
, he did an acoustic flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
-styled version of Go Insane, which featured just him and a nylon-string guitar.
During the 2008 Gift of Screws tour, as well as Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's 2009 Unleashed tour, he played the original version of the song.
Popular culture
The song was featured in the Miami ViceMiami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
first season episode "The Great McCarthy."