People Are Crazy
Encyclopedia
"People Are Crazy" is the title of a song written by Bobby Braddock
and Troy Jones. It was recorded by American country
artist Billy Currington
, who released it in early 2009 as the second single from his third studio album, 2008's Little Bit of Everything
. The song is Currington's ninth single on the Billboard
country singles charts, and has become his third number-one single. On December 2, 2009, "People Are Crazy" was Grammy-nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
and Best Country Song
. The song has also received a "Song of the Year" nomination on the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards.
in the paper. He discovers that the now dead old man was a millionaire, and "left his fortune to / Some guy he barely knew" (i.e., the narrator). After this discovery, the narrator also declares that "people are crazy."
According to the blog maintained by the television network CMT
, Currington said of the song, "It’s one of those that lifts your spirits and make you laugh. I knew the first time I heard it, I wanted to lay it down and record it for the album."
Bobby Braddock
and Troy Jones wrote the song after Jones gave Braddock the idea for the line "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy." Jones was in Alabama
and decided to take a drive through the country. He was trying to think of three things you can't argue with and came up with the three things. When the two were writing the song, Braddock then suggested the twist ending.
critic Mikael Wood said that the song was a "briskly strummed country-rock number" that "handily reduces [Currington]'s worldview to a memorable one-liner", and added that the rest of the album "doesn't do much to complicate that philosophy". Juli Thanki of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs-down rating, saying that it was "feel-good like a Reader's Digest
story" and did not have a country music sound other than "an occasionally audible steel guitar lick."
Bobby Braddock
Robert Valentine Braddock is an American country music songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit songs during more than 40 years in the industry, including 13 number-one hit...
and Troy Jones. It was recorded by American country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Billy Currington
Billy Currington
William Matthew "Billy" Currington is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right, 2008's Little Bit of Everything, and 2010's Enjoy Yourself...
, who released it in early 2009 as the second single from his third studio album, 2008's Little Bit of Everything
Little Bit of Everything
-Album:-End of year charts:-Singles:-Certifications:- External links :*...
. The song is Currington's ninth single on 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...
country singles charts, and has become his third number-one single. On December 2, 2009, "People Are Crazy" was Grammy-nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance was awarded between 1965 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...
and Best Country Song
Grammy Award for Best Country Song
The Grammy Award for Best Country Song has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the writer of the song.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
. The song has also received a "Song of the Year" nomination on the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Content
"People Are Crazy" is a mid-tempo centralizing on the male narrator and an old man whom he meets in a bar. In the first verse, the two of them converse, which leads to the old man saying, "God is great, beer is good / And people are crazy." They continue to converse throughout the second verse as well before parting ways. In the third verse, some time has passed, and the narrator reads the old man's obituaryObituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in the paper. He discovers that the now dead old man was a millionaire, and "left his fortune to / Some guy he barely knew" (i.e., the narrator). After this discovery, the narrator also declares that "people are crazy."
According to the blog maintained by the television network CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
, Currington said of the song, "It’s one of those that lifts your spirits and make you laugh. I knew the first time I heard it, I wanted to lay it down and record it for the album."
Bobby Braddock
Bobby Braddock
Robert Valentine Braddock is an American country music songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit songs during more than 40 years in the industry, including 13 number-one hit...
and Troy Jones wrote the song after Jones gave Braddock the idea for the line "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy." Jones was in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and decided to take a drive through the country. He was trying to think of three things you can't argue with and came up with the three things. When the two were writing the song, Braddock then suggested the twist ending.
Critical reception
In his review of the album, BillboardBillboard (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...
critic Mikael Wood said that the song was a "briskly strummed country-rock number" that "handily reduces [Currington]'s worldview to a memorable one-liner", and added that the rest of the album "doesn't do much to complicate that philosophy". Juli Thanki of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs-down rating, saying that it was "feel-good like a Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
story" and did not have a country music sound other than "an occasionally audible steel guitar lick."
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|
End of year charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
93 |