The Closest Thing to Crazy

Last updated
"The Closest Thing to Crazy"
Katie Melua - The Closest Thing to Crazy.JPG
Single by Katie Melua
from the album Call Off the Search
Released1 December 2003 (2003-12-01)
Length4:11
Label Dramatico
Songwriter(s) Mike Batt
Producer(s) Mike Batt
Katie Melua singles chronology
"The Closest Thing to Crazy"
(2003)
"Call Off the Search"
(2004)
Music video
"The Closest Thing to Crazy" on YouTube

"The Closest Thing to Crazy" is the debut single of Georgia-born singer Katie Melua. The song is featured on her first studio album, Call Off the Search (2003). The song was written as part of the musical Men Who March Away, and appeared first in 1995 on Mike Batt's album Arabesque.

Contents

The single was originally due out in January 2004 but was released a month early in an attempt by Terry Wogan to make it that year's Christmas number one in the United Kingdom;[ citation needed ] it stalled at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. However, owing to the success of the album reaching number one, the song climbed back into the top 20 during January and February and resulted in Melua's first nomination for the annual Record of the Year prize on ITV1. At the end of 2004, due to its longevity on the UK chart, the song came in at number 77 on the year-end ranking, making it the lowest-charting song to finish within the top 100 for that year.

Composition and lyrics

The song is played in the key of E major at a tempo of 64 beats per minute. The vocal range is G3 to C5. It has an irregular meter with a mix of 4
4
, 3
4
, and 2
4
. [1] [2]

The lyrics of the song take the form of a series of rhetorical questions, describing the contradictory emotions of being in love. It appears[ weasel words ] that the object of the singer's love treats the singer unkindly, and may not return the emotion.

Track listings

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [17] Gold4,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [18] Silver200,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United Kingdom1 December 2003CD Dramatico [19]
United States3 May 2004 Adult contemporary radio [20]
10 May 2004 Triple A radio [21]

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References

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