All of the songs were from the New York solo sessions with producer Phil Ramone in 1979 and 1980.
Carpenter suffered from anorexia nervosa, a little known disease at the time, and eventually died from complications related to the illness at the age of 32, in 1983.
Still Crazy After All These Years
Karen Carpenter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He seemed so glad to see me
I just smiled
And we talked about some old times
And we drank ourselves some beers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh Still crazy after all these years
I'm not the kind of girl
(To socialize)
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
And I ain't no fool for love songs
That whisper in my ears
Still crazy after all these years
Still crazy after all these years
(Crazy, I'm gonna crazy, I'm gonna crazy)
Four in the morning, crashed out, yawning
Longing my life away
I'll never worry
Why should I?
It's all gonna fade
Now I sit by my window
And I watch the cars
I fear I'll do some damage
One fine day
But I would not be convicted
By a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, Still crazy
(Baby I'm crazy through all these years)
Still crazy
Still crazy after all these years
The song "Still Crazy After All These Years" by Karen Carpenter speaks about a chance encounter with an old lover on the street one night that leads to reminiscing about the good times shared and drinking some beers. The singer of the song considers herself to be still a little crazy after all these years, referring to her years of experience and living a life that is different from what others may consider "normal" or expected. She admits that she is not the kind of girl who socializes much and tends to lean on old familiar ways. She is not easily swept away by love songs or romance but instead prefers to live her life in her own way, "longing her life away" at times. The singer also worries that she may do some damage one fine day, but she believes that she would not be convicted by a jury of her peers because she is still crazy after all these years.
The song was released in 1975 as the second single from the album of the same name by Paul Simon. Produced by Phil Ramone, it was a commercial success, charting at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Easy Listening chart. The song was later covered by many artists, including a version by Paul Simon himself and another by Willie Nelson.
Line by Line Meaning
I met my old lover on the street last night
Last night, I ran into my former partner while walking in the street.
He seemed so glad to see me
He appeared to be delighted to see me again.
I just smiled
I responded by smiling at him.
And we talked about some old times
We reminisced about some of our past moments.
And we drank ourselves some beers
We consumed some beer together.
Still crazy after all these years
Despite the passage of time, I am still somewhat eccentric.
Oh Still crazy after all these years
Yes, I'm still peculiar after all this time.
I'm not the kind of girl
I am not the type of woman who
Who tends to socialize
enjoys socializing regularly.
(To socialize)
---
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
I tend to rely on my old customs.
And I ain't no fool for love songs
I'm not naive enough to believe in love songs
That whisper in my ears
that murmur in my ear.
Still crazy after all these years
I am still somewhat eccentric, despite the passage of time.
Still crazy after all these years
Yes, I'm still peculiar after all this time.
(Crazy, I'm gonna crazy, I'm gonna crazy)
These words could be interpreted to convey that I will remain peculiar, no matter what.
Four in the morning, crashed out, yawning
At around 4 a.m., I was exhausted and yawning.
Longing my life away
I am feeling a strong sense of nostalgia or yearning.
I'll never worry
I'm not going to worry.
Why should I?
There's no reason why I should worry.
It's all gonna fade
Everything is going to disappear eventually.
Now I sit by my window
At the moment, I am sitting next to my window.
And I watch the cars
I am observing the cars from my vantage point.
I fear I'll do some damage
I worry that I might cause harm to someone or something.
One fine day
On some undetermined date in the future.
But I would not be convicted
I have no intention of being found guilty
By a jury of my peers
by a panel comprised of people of similar social standing or backgrounds.
Still crazy after all these years
Despite the passage of time, I am still somewhat eccentric.
Oh, Still crazy
Yes, I'm still peculiar.
(Baby I'm crazy through all these years)
This line suggests that my eccentricity is an inherent part of me, and has been present for a long time.
Still crazy
I am still somewhat peculiar.
Still crazy after all these years
Yes, I'm still odd after all this time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind