Far Side of Crazy

"Far Side of Crazy" is a song by the new wave group Wall of Voodoo from their album Seven Days in Sammystown. It was released on 7" and 12" singles in 1985. The song was the band's biggest hit in Australia, reaching #23 in the Australian Charts and staying in the top 100 for 21 weeks. It was featured in the 1985 movie Head Office. A music video combining black and white and full color footage was made for the song.

The lyrics refer to the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by John W. Hinckley Jr. The title comes from his poems; "I remain the far side of crazy".^[1] Hinckley was obsessed with Jodie Foster and believed that the only way to attract her attention was to become famous himself. He was inspired by the murder of John Lennon and the subsequent media attention that his killer, Mark Chapman, received as a result. The song picks a number of lines from the letters that Hinckley sent to Foster both before and after the assassination.

7"/12" single

Side A

1. "Far Side Of Crazy" (A. Prieboy)

Side B

1. "Wrong Way To Hollywood" (M. Moreland, A. Prieboy)
2. "Dance You Fuckers" (C. Gray)

7" promo single

Side A

1. "Far Side Of Crazy" (A. Prieboy)

Side B

1. "This Business Of Love" (C. Gray)

References