"Crazy" as an upbeat number in which Rusty tries to convince the coaches to see him as a credible race contender.
Context[]
Control has commanded that all engines find their race partners in Hitching and Switching. In the confusion, Pearl has ended up on her own, and Rusty tries to persuade her that he's "The fastest Engine in the world!" The coaches get swept up in his high spirits, but they don't buy into his optimism. Pearl's happy to go with Rusty, "'til someone better comes along".
"Crazy" combines the function of two older songs, "Engine of Love" and "Call Me Rusty", giving Rusty a showcase, upbeat number to demonstrate his character. While "Call Me Rusty" is motivated by his anger of being disregarded, "Crazy" is lighter in tone, demonstrating a more positive, if delusional, character.
History[]
"Crazy" was written for the 1992 London revamp and has featured in every production since. In 2002, it was added to the German production.
Originally, "Crazy" took place after Control orders the engines to find partners, with Rusty trying to convince Pearl that he's "the fastest engine in the world!". As part of the 2018 revisions, it was moved much earlier. The revisions re-conceive Rusty and Pearl as strangers at the beginning of the show. "Crazy" is sung before they meet, after "Rolling Stock". This song becomes Rusty's signature theme, just as "Call Me Rusty" was previously. There are multiple variants in the 2018 show, such as where a short reprise is sung where Rusty tries to conceive Pearl to race, a more depressing version before Make Up My Heart and where the coaches' voices are singing the chorus after Terrorizing Rusty.
Music[]
"Crazy" has been re-orchestrated frequently, particularly in the German production. The original arrangement had a "doo-wop" feel. Later arrangements favoured modern dance music feel, before becoming alternative rock in 2018.
Aside from orchestration, however, the song has not altered significantly since its debut.
Lyrics[]
1992 London Lyrics[]
| RUSTY: | Where I go the rest better follow! |
| Look out everybody move aside! | |
| May go now or may go tomorrow, | |
| Hold on, I'll take you for a ride! | |
| COACHES: | Crazy - Can you believe him? |
| He's crazy - Love him or leave him! | |
| He's crazy - Going crazy! Going crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | Watch me, see me hit that horizon! |
| PEARL: | Take it slowly what you got to prove? |
| RUSTY: | Ride with me, you'll know you've been riding! |
| No one, can move the way I move! | |
| COACHES: | Crazy - Can you believe him? |
| He's crazy - Love him or leave him! | |
| He's crazy - Going crazy! Going crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | You know I'm crazy yeah! |
| COACHES: | Crazy - Can you believe him? |
| He's crazy - Love him or leave him! | |
| He's crazy - Going crazy! Going crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | Hold on tight! I'll turn up the pressure |
| Must be right, no way it can be wrong! | |
| You and me, go steamin' together! | |
| PEARL: | Till someone better comes along! |
| Oh yeah! | |
| COACHES: | Crazy - Can you believe him? |
| He's crazy - Love him or leave him | |
| He's crazy - Going crazy! Going crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | You know I'm crazy - yeah! |
| COACHES: | Crazy - Can you believe him? |
| He's crazy - Love him or leave him! | |
| He's crazy - Going crazy! Go crazy! | |
| Going crazy! Going crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | I'm just so crazy! |
| ALL: | Going crazy! |
1997 Mexico + Translation[]
Sung by Ferro (Rusty) in this production.[1]
| FERRO (Spanish): | Es mejor que todas me sigan | RUSTY (English): | It's the best if everybody follows me |
| ¡Aguas!, abran paso y van a ver | Look out! Open up and you will see | ||
| Que lo haré, digan lo que digan | What I will do, say what they say | ||
| Vengan, las llevo a corer | Come on, I will take you to run | ||
| COCHES: | Loco; no hay que pelarlo por loco | COACHES: | Crazy, You can't do anything about him, he's crazy |
| Hay que tirarlo de a loco | Give it up, he's crazy | ||
| Y más loco y más loco | More Crazy and more crazy | ||
| FERRO: | Me verás volar con el viento | RUSTY: | You will see me fly with the wind |
| PERLA: | Calma, nada tienes que probar | PEARL: | Calm down, you've got nothing to prove |
| FERRO: | Tu sabrás que en movimiento | RUSTY: | You know that in movement, |
| Nadie me puede igualar | No one can do it like I can! | ||
| COCHES: | Loco, no hay que pelarlo por loco | COACHES: | Crazy, You can't do anything about him, he's crazy |
| Hay que tirarlo de a loco | Give it up, he's crazy | ||
| Y más loco y más loco | More Crazy and more crazy | ||
| FERRO: | ¿Quién yo? | RUSTY: | What am I? |
| COCHES: | Loco, no hay que pelarlo por loco | COACHES: | Crazy, You can't do anything about him, he's crazy |
| Hay que tirarlo de a loco | Give it up, he's crazy | ||
| Y más loco y más loco | More Crazy and more crazy | ||
| FERRO: | ¡Vamos las palmas todos! | RUSTY: | Everybody put your hands together! |
| COCHES: | Uhh, Wap, wap, wap, wap | COACHES: | Uhh, wap, wap, wap, wap |
| Uhh, wap, wap, wap, wap | Uhh, wap, wap, wap, wap | ||
| Uhh, wap, wap, wap, wap | Uhh, wap, wap, wap, wap | ||
| FERRO: | ¡Yeah! | RUSTY: | Yeah! |
| ¡Estoy muy loco! ¡Estoy muy loco! | I'm very Crazy! I'm very crazy! | ||
| Vas muy bien agárrate fuerte | You will go with very strong power | ||
| Subo más fuerza del vapor | Raise up the power of steam | ||
| Vamos juntos vaporizando | We'll go steaming together | ||
| PERLA: | En tanto llega el major | PEARL: | Until someone better comes |
| COCHES: | Loco, no hay que pelarlo por loco | COACHES: | Crazy, You can't do anything about him, he's crazy |
| Hay que tirarlo de a loco (Estoy tan loco) | Give it up, he's crazy (I'm so crazy!) | ||
| Y más loco y más loco (estoy tan loco) | More crazy and more crazy (I'm so crazy!) | ||
| Loco, no hay que pelarlo por loco | Crazy, You can't do anything about him, he's crazy | ||
| Hay que tirarlo de a loco | Give it up, he's crazy | ||
| Y más loco y más loco | And more crazy, and more crazy! |
German Lyrics[]
| RUSTY: | And're sehen mich nur von hinten, |
| Achtung, Leute, geht mir aus der Bahn! | |
| Du kannst keinen schnelleren finden, | |
| Komm' mit und häng' dich bei mir an! | |
| COACHES: | Crazy! |
| Lass' den doch steh'n, er ist Crazy, | |
| Kannst du nicht seh'n? | |
| Er ist Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | Wie der Blitz von Osten nach Westen. |
| PEARL: | Nicht so schnell, was ist denn dein Plan? |
| RUSTY: | Fahr' mit mir, du weißt doch am besten: |
| Keiner kommt jemals an mich ran! | |
| COACHES: | Crazy! |
| Lass' den doch steh'n, er ist Crazy, | |
| Kannst du nicht seh'n? | |
| Er ist Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | You know, I'm crazy, yeah. |
| COACHES: (RUSTY): | Crazy (Kommt schon Leute,) crazy (macht mit!), |
| Crazy (Hey yeah yeah yeah), crazy (wowowo yeah, you know I'm crazy yeah) | |
| Crazy (völlig crazy), crazy (völlig crazy). | |
| RUSTY: | Ich entführ' dich in weite Ferne, |
| Komm, wir zieh'n das Tempo nochmal an. | |
| Und wir dampfen ab, zu den Sternen. | |
| PEARL: | Bis einer kommt, der's besser kann. |
| Wow yeah. | |
| COACHES: | Crazy! |
| Lass' den doch steh'n, er ist Crazy, | |
| Kannst du nicht seh'n? | |
| Er ist Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | You know, I'm crazy! Yeah Yeah! |
| COACHES: | Crazy, lass' den doch steh'n, |
| Er ist Crazy, kannst du nicht seh'n? | |
| RUSTY: | You know, you know, you know, I'm crazy! |
| COACHES: | Er ist Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy! |
| Völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy! | |
| RUSTY: | I'm just so crazy, yeah yeah yeah, |
| ALL: | Völlig Crazy |
2017 London Workshop (Reprise) Lyrics[]
This is set before Pearl You‘re Honored
| RUSTY: | Let's go Pearl, 'cause race time is looming |
| You'll be with me when the winner's crowned | |
| PEARL: | Rusty, I don't like you assuming! |
| I'll let myself be pushed around! | |
| RUSTY: | Crazy! this is the place to be! |
| Crazy! Not racing with me would be crazy! | |
| It's okay, see? | |
| PEARL: | No, it's crazy! |
| Rusty, I know you and I, | |
| We go back a long way... | |
| RUSTY: | Sure we do, it's me and you, |
| And that's how we'll stay. | |
| PEARL: | You think if you whistle, |
| You'll get me to stay, | |
| But each time you whistle, | |
| You push me away. | |
| A coking smoker yesterday, | |
| The world is moving on! | |
| It's clean and green | |
| And steam machines are history - | |
| They'll soon be dead and gone! |
2018 German Lyrics[]
| RUSTY: | Woo-woo! Woo-woo! |
| Keiner kann es besser als die Dampflok! | |
| CARRIE, BELLE, DINAH: | Woo-woo! Hört ihm nur zu! |
| Hält sich für die allergrößte Kampflok! | |
| CONTROL: | Hey da kommt Rusty! |
| Die allererste Lok meines Lebens, da war ich 6. | |
| Ach der ist so knuddelig! | |
| RUSTY: | Andere sehen mich nur von hinten |
| Achtung Leute, geht mir aus der Bahn! | |
| Ihr könnt keinen schnelleren finden | |
| Kommt mit und hängt euch bei mir an! | |
| CARRIE, BELLE, DINAH: | Crazy! |
| Glaubt ihm kein Wort, er ist crazy. | |
| Man sieht sofort er ist | |
| Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig crazy | |
| RUSTY: | Mit mir könnt ihr echt was erleben. |
| Denn ich tu nicht immer was ich soll | |
| Sowas hat es lang nicht gegeben | |
| Glaubt mir, ich roll ganz wundervoll! | |
| CARRIE, BELLE, DINAH: | Crazy! |
| Was er auch tut es ist crazy | |
| Das ist kein Mut, das ist | |
| Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy | |
| Crazy | |
| Oh oh oh oh oh crazy | |
| Oh oh oh oh oh crazy | |
| Völlig Crazy, völlig crazy | |
| RUSTY: | Ich entführ dich in weite Fernen |
| Los wir zieh‘n das Tempo nochmal an! | |
| CARRIE, BELLE, DINAH: | Und wir dampfen ab zu den Sternen |
| RUSTY: | Bis einer kommt der‘s besser kann! Yeah! |
| CARRIE, BELLE, DINAH: | Crazy, Keiner verdient es so Crazy |
| Und jeder liebt ihn dafür, er ist | |
| Crazy, völlig Crazy, völlig Crazy. | |
| RUSTY: | Ich bin so crazy yeaaaah |
| GREASEBALL, GANG: | Crazy, klapprig und dreckig und crazy |
| Rostig und fettig und Crazy | |
| Völlig Crazy, völlig crazy | |
| ALL: | Crazy! |
| Glaubt ihm kein Wort er ist crazy | |
| Man sieht sofort er ist crazy | |
| Völlig Crazy, völlig crazy | |
| RUSTY: | Ich bin so crazy yeah, völlig Crazy! |
2018 German Lyrics Translation[]
| RUSTY: | Woo-woo! Woo-woo! |
| Nobody can do it better like the steam train! | |
| BELLE/CARRIE/DINAH | Woo-woo! Listen to him, |
| He pretends he is the greatest fight train! | |
| CONTROL: | Hey, here comes Rusty the steam train! |
| The very first locomotive of my life, I was six. | |
| He‘s so cute! | |
| RUSTY: | Others only see me from behind |
| Be careful guys, get out of my way! | |
| You can’t find anyone faster than me | |
| Come with me and hang onto me! | |
| DINAH, BELLE, CARRIE: | Crazy! |
| Don’t believe a word, he‘s crazy | |
| You can see right away he‘s crazy | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| RUSTY: | With me you can experience something |
| Cause I don’t always do what I‘m supposed to | |
| Someone like me hasn’t been here in a long time | |
| Believe me, I‘m rolling wonderfully! | |
| DINAH, BELLE, CARRIE: | Crazy! |
| That’s not courage, that’s crazy | |
| Whatever he’s doing, it’s crazy, | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| Crazy, | |
| Oh oh oh oh oh, crazy | |
| Oh oh oh oh oh crazy | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| RUSTY: | I‘ll take you far away |
| Let‘s take the pace up again | |
| DINAH, BELLE, CARRIE: | And we steam off to the stars |
| RUSTY: | 'Till someone better comes along! |
| DINAH, BELLE, CARRIE: | Crazy, ???, he's crazy |
| And everyone loves him for that, he’s crazy | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| GREASEBALL, GANG, NATIONALS: | Crazy, rickety, dusty and crazy, |
| Filthy and rusty and crazy, | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| ALL: | Crazy! |
| Don’t believe a word, he’s crazy | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| Completely crazy, completely crazy | |
| RUSTY: | I‘m so crazy yeah, completely crazy! |
2018 German (Reprise) Lyrics + Translation[]
| RUSTY: | Pearl komm mit, jetzt startet das Rennen | Pearl come with me, now the race starts |
| Häng‘ dich dran wir fahren alle um! | Hang onto me, well knock them all down | |
| PEARL: | Rusty, langsam musst du erkennen | Rusty, you slowly have to realize |
| Mich stößt man nicht so leicht herum! | I‘m not easily being pushed around! | |
| RUSTY: | Crazy! | Crazy! |
| Wir sind ein Paar, sei nicht crazy | We’re a pair, don’t be crazy | |
| Nicht mit mir zu fahren wär crazy, | Not racing with me would be crazy | |
| Völlig Crazy, | Completely crazy | |
| PEARL: | Gar nicht crazy! | Not crazy at all! |
| Ich mag dich sehr gern | I like you very much | |
| Aber mehr ist da nicht | But that’s all there is to it | |
| RUSTY: | Merkst du nicht, wir sind viel mehr | Don‘t you notice, we’re so much more |
| Als nur du und ich? | Than just you and I? | |
| PEARL: | Du meinst wenn du pfeifst | You think if you whistle, |
| Komm ich bald wieder her, | I come to you soon | |
| Du bist so veraltet, | You’re so out of date, | |
| So ist das nicht mehr, | That’s not how things are anymore, | |
| Dein Rauch und auch dein Kohlenstaub | Your smoke and your coal dust | |
| Sind heut‘ nicht mehr gewollt. | Are no longer wanted today. | |
| Die Welt ist grün und Dampfmaschinen | The world‘s green and steam machines | |
| Sind doch völlig alt und überholt! | Are completely old and outdated! |
Videos[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
In Arlene Phillips' choreography, the coaches form a train twice during the song. In some productions the order for the first time is Pearl, Ashley, Dinah, and Buffy; the second time the girls are in the same order, but reversed. The second formation mirrors how passenger cars were ordered on some trains: first-class cars were at the back, with lower class closer to the engine: Pearl and Ashley are behind Dinah while Buffy is in the front. Also, Pearl, as an observation car, is at the back of the train. Dining cars were used to separate the classes on the trains.espee.railfan.net