She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals

Album: The Raw and the Cooked (1989)

Charted: 5 1

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When Fine Young Cannibals first tried to record this song, lead singer Roland Gift used his regular voice and the song was called "She's My Baby." Nobody liked it, so they changed the title to "She Drives Me Crazy" and Gift tried singing it in falsetto. It was a winner: This bizarre vocal styling had quite an impact and made the song both a huge hit and inescapable earworm - it's now impossible to think of the song without Gift's vocal burrowing into your brain.

The rest of the chorus plays off this styling, ending in some extended words as Gift sings, "I can't he-elp my se-elf."
"She Drives Me Crazy" was a huge hit around the world, including America, where it went to #1.

The group was formed in England by two members of The Beat (known in America as The English Beat) - David Steele and Andy Cox - after that band split up. They got a lot of attention in the British press before they released any music.

Their first album, released in 1985, has a song called "Johnny Come Home" that did well in most countries and cracked the US chart at #76. It also contains their popular cover of "Suspicious Minds."

Thanks to "She Drives Me Crazy," their second album, The Raw & The Cooked, took off, but in 1990 they moved to New York City, a move that sowed discord. They broke up a few years later and never released another album, although they have reunited from time to time.
Fine Young Cannibals are not one-hit wonders. In fact, their next single, "Good Thing," also went to #1 in America. That song first appeared in a 1987 movie called Tin Men but wasn't released until 1989.
The music video is one weird, colorful image after another, making it perfect for '80s MTV. Directed by the Frenchman Philippe Decouflé, who did something similar in the New Order video for "True Faith," which also has a series of humanoids behaving in strange ways. The Oompa-Loompas from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory were clearly an influence.

Unlike the "True Faith" video though, the band is in a lot of the shots, since lead singer Roland Gift has a very unusual look and is also an actor.
Dolly Parton covered "She Drives Me Crazy" (with fiddles!) on her 2008 album Backwoods Barbie. The country legend explained to Observer Music Monthly April 2008: "It's a song my husband loves. So I did it as bluegrass with a little hoedown towards the end."
This song got the Weird Al treatment when the parody artist turned it into "She Drives Like Crazy," about a woman you don't want in the driver's seat. Arsenio Hall also recorded a spoof as his character "Chunky A" called "Ho is Crazy" in 1989.
"She Drives Me Crazy" has featured in several movies, including The Other Sister (1999), Hitch (2005), Towelhead (2007) and The Back-up Plan (2010).
Damon Wayans performed part of this song on In Living Color in a parody of the long-running musical variety show Soul Train called "Old Train."
This is one of the few "Crazy" songs where the singer doesn't sound at all crazy, which make us wonder if he really is. Roland Gift, who wrote the song with David Steele, delivers the vocal so deadpan that it adds some intrigue to the song. For the girl he's singing about, it's probably rather unsettling, especially when he sings:

I can't get any rest
People say I'm obsessed

In Fine Young Cannibals (aka FYC) Gift wasn't trying to tell personal stories or express deep thoughts - he was writing for singability.
If you're picking up a Prince sound in this song, that's the influence of its producer, David Z, who worked in the Prince camp and brought that sound to Jody Watley and Sheila E. when he worked with them in the '80s.

Comments: 20

The Dog That Should Not Be from FloridaWas there another version where me clipped the word crazy everytime he sang it?
Beck from Boca Raton, FlGood tune. A lot of the music from the 1980's was decent enough. At 41 years old I recall a lot of similar sounding songs. For some reason the 1990's sucked musically.
Then in the 2000's some of the music perked back up. The 50's (Doowop) , 1960's, and even to an extint the 1970's showed promise.
Phillipo from Montrea, QcTheir best song was by far their first single "Johnny Come Home," which snagged them their record contract. The singer was in a variety of medium-budget British films around this time.
Lucy from Rhinebeck, NyAlan, I agree with you. I like the song, but the music video sucks.
Alan from Sault Ste. Marie, OnI really like this song but the video was awful. If I had to list the worst videos ever it would be in my top ten.
John from Brisbane, United StatesShe drives me crazy poop poop,she drives me crazy poop poop,and I like nothing else.How can anyony like this ridiculous poop poop song.If you like someone saying she drives me crazy poop poop 20 times then you must go to a nut house.I know there are other words in this song but what are they?
Montse from Verdú, SpainI love it, good 80s flaw...
Ben from Gosford, AustraliaLol I remember when I was 3 years old I loved this song! So much so that Mum bought the tape of this album 'The Raw and the Cooked' and would play it in the car when we went out. I had good taste for an 80's kid!
Ed from Incognito, IlSomeone (don't know who) covered this song as a parody entitled "She Drives Me Brady"
Stephanie from Tampa, FlI gotta say, I originally thought that the "things you do don't seem real" lyric was actually "Daisy Duke does it real". So for the longest time I thought the lead singer was some big The Dukes of Hazzard fan.
Don from B G, KyThe Fine Young Cannibals get their name from a line in a Natalie Woods Movie. I get TFYC confused with the group London Beat. LB song "I've been thinking about you" is very similar in sound to TFYC songs. Go figure.
James from Westchester, EnglandOf course, there is always Arsenio Hall's version of this song, "The Ho is Lazy", recorded under his alter rap ego Chunky A.
Nathan from L-burg, Kythis is a good song it was used in Namco Museum 50th anniversary
Nathan from Defiance, OhGreat song, personally i like Good Thing more.
Jude from Thomasville, GaKermit the Frog covered this, and apparently he meant for the lyrics to refer to Miss Piggy.
Ali from Lahore, Pakistangreat song indeed, makes u think about the late 80's england, and it reminds me of the girl i fell in love with who just didnt care about me and was never interested in me
Alan from Singapore, SingaporeRoland Gift was also an aspiring actor. He acted in the TV series of Highlander
Alan from Singapore, SingaporeDavid Steele and Andy Cox, formally from The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals, realeased a song called "Tired Of Being Push Around" and their bacnd was called Two Men, A Drum Machine and a Trumpet
Montgomery from Florence, KyF.Y.C. is comprised of members from the English Beat (an 80's ska band) and the singer was a sax player in some other early 80's ska band. Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling (both also from the English Beat), formed their own band (can you guess who?) ;-)
Patrick from Conyers, GaConsumer Advocate and radio show host Clark Howard uses the intro music to this song for his radio show.

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