Let's Go Crazy
"Let's Go Crazy" is a song written, arranged, and performed by Prince with his backing band the Revolution, released in 1984 as the lead track on the album Purple Rain, which doubled as the soundtrack for the concurrent film of the same name.[1][2] The track fuses rock, funk, and gospel influences, commencing with a mock-eulogy spoken-word segment by Revolution keyboardist Doctor Fink—delivered in the voice of a preacher—before erupting into a high-energy guitar riff and lyrics that urge embracing vitality while shunning the "elevator" of suicidal despair and hedonistic pitfalls.[2][3] Issued as the album's second single on July 18, 1984, it ascended to the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks beginning September 29, also claiming the top spot on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Dance Club Songs charts, underscoring Prince's command of diverse musical formats.[4][5] This pinnacle propelled Purple Rain's blockbuster status, enabling Prince to concurrently lead the singles, albums, and motion picture charts—the third artist ever to achieve such trifecta dominance—and cementing the song's role in his ascent to superstardom amid the era's fusion of music and visual media.[6]Background and Composition
Origins and Inspiration
"Let's Go Crazy" was composed by Prince Rogers Nelson in early 1983 as the intended opener for his sixth studio album, Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to the semi-autobiographical film of the same name directed by and starring Prince. The song's basic track was first laid down on May 18, 1983, at Prince's home studio on Kiowa Trail in Chanhassen, Minnesota, with subsequent overdubs and mixing occurring in October 1983 at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.[7][8] This timing aligned with the development of the Purple Rain project, which Prince had begun conceptualizing in 1982 after Warner Bros. executives encouraged him to pursue a feature film to expand his multimedia presence.[9] The song's lyrical and thematic foundation stemmed from Prince's personal spiritual convictions, portraying life as a battle against evil forces embodied by temptation and despair. Prince described its core intent as addressing "God and the de-elevation of sin," but he consciously moderated explicit religious language to suit commercial radio play, observing that "religion as a subject is taboo in pop music."[10] The opening monologue, intoned over church-organ chords in a style mimicking a eulogy, declares, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life," and contrasts earthly struggles with an eternal "afterworld" of perpetual light, implicitly urging resistance to the "elevator" leading to damnation—symbolizing suicide, vice, or spiritual downfall.[10] This message echoed Prince's broader oeuvre's fascination with salvation and moral dualism, informed by his upbringing in a Seventh-day Adventist-influenced household and a childhood marked by epilepsy that he credited to divine intervention after a visionary experience.[11][12] Though not overtly proselytizing, the track functioned as an exhortation to "let your little light shine" through joyful defiance of adversity, aligning with Prince's view of faith as a counter to existential chaos.[10]Lyrics and Themes
The lyrics of "Let's Go Crazy," the opening track on Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain, begin with a mock-sermon introduction: "Dearly beloved / We are gathered here today / To get through this thing called life," establishing a spiritual tone amid an energetic funk-rock arrangement.[3] Prince later explained that the song originated as a reflection on God versus the "de-elevation of sin," with the titular phrase representing divine encouragement to embrace joy and focus, while the "de-elevator" symbolizes Satan or downward-pulling temptations that lead to despair or death.[10] In a 1997 interview, he elaborated: "The de-elevator was Satan in that song... Stay happy, stay focused, and you can beat the de-elevator," emphasizing resistance to forces that undermine spiritual elevation.[13] Central themes revolve around life's transience and the choice between uplift and downfall, framed through metaphors of elevators as conduits to heaven or hell. Lines like "Don't let the elevator / Bring us down" warn against succumbing to sin or negativity, portraying "going crazy" not as reckless abandon but as defiant celebration of existence—"Electric word, life / It means forever and that's a mighty long time."[2] Prince intentionally softened explicit religious references during writing to avoid divisiveness, shifting from overt God-Satan duality to a broader exhortation for personal agency amid mortality's "thing called life."[10] This duality—upbeat hedonism masking existential caution—reflects Prince's Jehovah's Witness-influenced worldview, urging transcendence over temptation without prescriptive dogma.[2] The song's structure reinforces these ideas, transitioning from the introductory plea to a raucous chorus that equates "crazy" with liberated vitality: "Let's go crazy, let's get nuts / Let's look for the purple banana / 'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!" Here, the "purple banana" evokes elusive, sensual pleasures as part of life's absurd joys, yet bounded by awareness of eventual reckoning ("put us in the truck").[3] Critics and biographers interpret this as Prince's commentary on balancing carnal urges with moral vigilance, a recurring motif in his work influenced by his conversion to Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001, though the song predates it and draws from earlier spiritual explorations.[14] Overall, the lyrics promote resilience against depressive or demonic pulls, prioritizing empirical embrace of the present over passive decline.Recording and Production
Studio Sessions
The basic track for "Let's Go Crazy" originated from a demo recorded by Prince on May 18, 1983, at his Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, capturing the core riff and idea.[15] A live rehearsal version was taped on August 3, 1983, at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but the album's foundational take came from a full-band live recording on August 7, 1983, at The Warehouse rehearsal space in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, preserving the high-energy performance with Prince and the Revolution.[15] [16] Overdubs and refinements occurred later at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, including edits on March 22, 1984, to shape the final structure, with additional cross-fading adjustments for the single on June 5, 1984.[15] Engineer Susan Rogers, who worked extensively on the Purple Rain sessions, noted that Prince prioritized the Warehouse live track's raw vitality, layering minimal studio enhancements like guitar solos and synthesizer fills to retain its spontaneous feel rather than rebuilding from multitracks.[17] The Revolution's core lineup—Wendy Melvoin on guitar, Lisa Coleman on keyboards, Brown Mark on bass, and Bobby Z on drums—contributed to the basic tracking, with Prince handling lead vocals, guitar, and additional instrumentation during overdubs.[15] This approach reflected Prince's method during the Purple Rain era, blending rehearsal captures for authenticity with targeted studio polishing, as detailed in session logs from the period.[18] No major rewrites occurred post-Warehouse; edits focused on tightening transitions and integrating the church-organ-like synthesizer intro, drawn from Prince's thematic intent of countering "the elevator to hell" with uplifting rock.[7]Personnel and Instrumentation
Prince provided lead vocals, guitar, and additional instrumentation on "Let's Go Crazy," while directing the live band tracking session.[1][8] The track features The Revolution members: Wendy Melvoin on guitar and backing vocals, Lisa Coleman on keyboards and backing vocals, BrownMark (Mark Brown) on bass guitar and backing vocals, Bobby Z. (Robert Rivkin) on drums and percussion, and Doctor Fink (Matthew Fink) on synthesizer, including the synthesizer solo.[1][19] These credits reflect the band's full participation in the core recording, captured live-to-tape on 7 August 1983 at The Warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with subsequent overdubs and edits.[1][8] Instrumentation emphasized a rock-funk ensemble sound, built around electric guitars for the driving riff and solo, electric bass for rhythmic foundation, live acoustic drums (supplemented by percussion), and keyboards/synthesizers emulating a church organ in the introduction and providing textural layers.[7][8] Prince's multi-instrumental contributions, including possible additional guitar and keyboard overdubs, integrated seamlessly with the band's live performance to create the track's energetic, gospel-inflected arrangement.[19] No external session players were credited, underscoring the self-contained production by Prince and his core touring band.[1]Musical Style
Genre Characteristics
"Let's Go Crazy" is primarily characterized as a funk rock track, blending the rhythmic grooves of funk with the aggressive guitar-driven energy of rock.[20][21] This hybrid style is evident in its fast-paced tempo, pulsating bassline, and prominent electric guitar riffs that evoke hard rock influences.[22][23] The song incorporates gospel elements through its opening church organ riff and spoken-word sermon-like introduction, which sets a spiritual, exhortative tone before exploding into rhythmic intensity.[22][7] This structure mirrors gospel call-and-response dynamics while accelerating into punk-infused speed and psychedelic flourishes, such as layered synth textures and improvisational guitar solos.[23][22] New wave influences appear in its synthetic keyboard elements and upbeat, danceable propulsion, aligning with 1980s pop-rock experimentation, yet the core remains rooted in Prince's signature Minneapolis sound of funk-rock fusion.[22] The track's chord complexity exceeds typical pop songs, featuring modal mixtures and tension-building progressions that enhance its ecstatic, boundary-pushing feel.[24]Arrangement and Structure
"Let's Go Crazy" features an introductory spoken-word segment by Prince, styled as a ministerial eulogy on navigating life, set against sustained synthesized organ tones produced via Oberheim OB-Xa keyboards to mimic a Hammond organ.[25][3] This sparse opening lasts approximately 28 seconds before erupting into the main body. The song follows a verse-pre-chorus-chorus form with three verses, repeated pre-choruses building tension via the line "Are we gonna let de-elevator bring us down? Oh, no, let's go!", and anthemic choruses centered on the hook "Let's go crazy, let's get nuts."[3] After the second chorus, a guitar solo intervenes, played over chord progressions echoing the verse structure, followed by a bridge exhorting "C'mon baby, let's get nuts" and additional chorus repetitions leading to an outro with ad-libbed vocals and fading elements.[3][24] This deviates from rigid pop conventions through its extended solo and blues-tinged resolution, prioritizing dynamic buildup over symmetry.[26] Instrumentation comprises Prince on lead guitar and vocals, Wendy Melvoin on rhythm guitar via a modified Rickenbacker 330, keyboards from Lisa Coleman and Matt Fink, Brown Mark on bass, and Bobby Z on drums, with drum machine augmentation for rhythmic drive.[25] The arrangement layers dense textures: rhythm guitars and riffs processed through Boss DS-1 distortion, OC-2 octaver for bass-heavy depth, BF-2 flanger, and Colorsound wah-wah, amplified via Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB heads into 4x12 cabinets.[27] Keyboards provide new wave synth accents alongside the organ intro, fusing rock, funk, and gospel influences in E major at 4/4 time.[27][28] The production emphasizes guitar prominence, with the main riff and initial solo employing octaver effects for fuzz-like overtones, while the climactic second solo integrates wah and flanger for expressive swells, contributing to the track's high-energy, improvisational feel despite its structured form.[27]Release and Promotion
Single Formats and Track Listing
The single "Let's Go Crazy" was issued by Warner Bros. Records on July 18, 1984, in the United States as a 7-inch vinyl format, with the 12-inch maxi-single released on August 29, 1984.[5] The 7-inch edition (catalog number 7-29216) paired an edited version of the title track from the Purple Rain album with "Erotic City," a previously unreleased funk song credited to Prince (and The Revolution) featuring Sheila E., which employed double entendres referencing Minneapolis nightlife and sexual themes.[5][29] The 12-inch maxi-single (catalog number 0-20246) extended the title track into a special dance mix optimized for club play, while the B-side presented a longer iteration of "Erotic City" subtitled "Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive."[5][29] International releases varied; for instance, the UK 7-inch single substituted "Take Me With U" (another Purple Rain track) for "Erotic City" on the B-side.[5]US 7-inch Single Track Listing
| Side | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| A | Let's Go Crazy (Edit) | 3:46 |
| B | Erotic City (Edit) | 3:53 |
US 12-inch Maxi-Single Track Listing
| Side | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| A | Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) | 7:35 |
| B | Erotic City (Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive) | 7:24 |
Marketing and Tie-ins
"Let's Go Crazy" was released as the second single from the Purple Rain album on July 18, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records, in both 7-inch and 12-inch formats.[5] The 12-inch maxi-single included extended versions and the B-side "Erotic City," a funk track featuring Sheila E. on vocals, which gained independent radio play despite not being officially credited to Prince.[29] Promotional copies, such as radio edits and special pressings, were distributed to stations and media outlets to build anticipation ahead of the single's chart ascent.[5] The single's marketing was closely tied to the broader Purple Rain project, leveraging the synergy between the album, film, and tour. Released shortly before the film's theatrical premiere on July 27, 1984, at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, "Let's Go Crazy" benefited from cross-promotional efforts including magazine advertisements and television spots that highlighted Prince's multimedia dominance.[30] As the opening track in both the album and film—where it accompanies a church-like sermon scene—the song served as an entry point to the Purple Rain narrative, with Warner Bros. emphasizing its role in promotional materials to draw audiences to theaters and record stores.[31] Tie-ins extended to the Purple Rain Tour, which began in November 1984 and featured the song as a high-energy opener, supported by TV commercials advertising concert dates, such as the December 2 show in Toronto.[32] Local merchandising in the Twin Cities, including apparel and posters linked to the film's Minneapolis setting, further amplified visibility, though national efforts focused primarily on album-film bundling and radio airplay to capitalize on the single's momentum.[33] This integrated strategy propelled "Let's Go Crazy" to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 by September 1984, reinforcing the commercial success of the Purple Rain ecosystem.[5]Commercial Performance
Chart Achievements
"Let's Go Crazy" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 4, 1984, and ascended to the number-one position on September 29, 1984, where it remained for two weeks before being displaced; the single spent a total of 19 weeks on the chart.[5][4] On the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (then known as Black Singles), it debuted August 11, 1984, reached number one for one week, and charted for 17 weeks.[5] The B-side coupling with "Erotic City" topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week starting August 18, 1984, accumulating 20 weeks on that listing.[5] Internationally, the single achieved moderate success upon its delayed release in early 1985. In the United Kingdom, the double A-side with "Take Me with U" debuted February 23, 1985, peaked at number seven, and spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart.[34] It reached number two on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart.[35] In Australia, the track peaked at number 10 on the Kent Music Report.[35] Other notable peaks included number 11 in Belgium (Ultratop Flanders), number 13 in New Zealand, and number 18 in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40).[35][5]| Country | Peak Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| United States (Billboard Hot 100) | 1 | [4] |
| United States (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop) | 1 | [5] |
| Canada (RPM Top Singles) | 2 | [35] |
| United Kingdom (UK Singles Chart) | 7 | [34] |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 10 | [35] |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) | 11 | [35] |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 18 | [5] |
Certifications and Sales
In the United States, "Let's Go Crazy" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 1,000,000 units, reflecting physical single sales in 1984.[36] By 2021 estimates from music industry analysts, combined digital downloads and streaming equivalents added over 2 million units, though no additional RIAA certifications have been issued beyond the original Gold award.[36] In the United Kingdom, the single earned a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 200,000 units shipped.[5]| Country | Certifying body | Certification | Certified date | Units certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | RIAA | Gold | 1984 | 1,000,000 |
| United Kingdom | BPI | Silver | Unknown | 200,000 |