Crazy, right?

"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley

"Crazy" by Seal

One song with the same name by two entirely different musicians.  Two different musicians from two different countries.

One song with the same name and inspiration being polar opposites.

"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley - psychiatric theme

"Crazy" by Seal - fall of the Berlin Wall and Tiananmen Square massacre (1989)

"Crazy" - Two different musicians, Two different countries, Two radically different inspirational perspectives

Crazy, right?

Let's focus on English singer, Seal, and his take on the "Crazy" song.

"Crazy" was Seal's debut single from his debut album, Seal (1991).

Critical acclaim -
- Top 5 in the UK (No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart)
- Over 200,000 copies sold in the UK 
- UK Silver Certification
- Ivor Novello Award for songwriting (1992) 
UK Honor
- Top 10 in the U.S.
- No. 83 on Billboard Hot 100 (debut)
- No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100 (peak)
- Top 5 on Modern Rock Tracks
US Chart
- Seal's most commercially successful single in the U.S. until "Kiss from a Rose" (No. 1 in 1995)

Point of interest -
"Crazy" has been covered by many artists, most notably Alanis Morissette for her album, The Collection (2005).  Alanis Morissette's version of "Crazy" is featured in the 2006 film, The Devil Wears Prada - a staple in modern pop culture.

(Source - Wikipedia)

My take away from both versions of "Crazy" -
Seal's debut single from his debut album was released in November 1990 in the UK and May 1991 in the U.S.  Gnarls Barkley's debut single from their debut album was released in 2006.  While both takes are enjoyable to listen to and perhaps sing along to, I cannot help but wonder how the two never clashed given the exact same name.

Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.