In 1996, after attending the Evergreen State College for two years, Wozniak moved east to New York, where Marcy Playground began to coalesce around the songs that would become the self-titled album. Bassist Dylan Keefe and drummer Dan Rieser filled out the band's sound, and complemented Wozniak's songwriting. The self-titled album was released in 1997, and Marcy Playground emerged into the mainstream with the success of the single "Sex and Candy." Marcy Playground is quiet and minimalist in tone. Wozniak's songs run in many different styles: some are modern folk music; many have undertones reminiscent of children's songs; the blurred sound of psychedelia makes appearances; and then there are the songs with a clear rock sound. The only band member who contributed to all of the album was Wozniak himself; several others filled in for Rieser and Keefe on some of the songs, notably Jared Kotler (bass and drums).
Marcy Playground's next outing was 1999's Shapeshifter, not as much of a success commercially as the self-titled album.
A minor controversy came to light when Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers revealed on Marcy Playground's website forum that the cover art for Shapeshifter had originally been conceptualized and commissioned by Leary for his band's aborted After the Astronaut album. He admitted to being a fan of Marcy Playground, but accused the band of an apparent lack of imagination and originality. Leary's outrage was eased once he learned that Capitol Records, former home of the Butthole Surfers and then-current home of Marcy Playground, had pitched the artwork to Wozniak as original work from their own art department and that Marcy Playground had no knowledge of the work's origins. Upon learning the truth, Wozniak proclaimed that he was "honored" to have an album cover designed by Paul Leary. There were apparently no bad feelings between the bands once the controversy had been cleared up.
After Shapeshifter, drummer Dan Rieser left the band to pursue other interests. The position was eventually filled on his recommendation by Gonzalo Martinez De La Cotera, a friend whose previous band Lincoln had opened for Marcy Playground.
After a considerable hiatus and at least one failed attempt to record a follow-up to Shapeshifter, Marcy Playground's third album, MP3, was finally released in 2004 with even less commercial success than the two preceding albums.
Marcy Playground did little if any touring in support of MP3. Despite releasing many singles, the band never matched the success of their single "Sex and Candy".
As of July 12'th 2008, John Wozniak posted a blog on MySpace stating his unreleased solo effort is now officially going to be a Marcy Playground record and is going to be released within the next few months along with a separate "Rarities and B-Sides" album. They are still performing live although to their many fans dismay, venues are sporadic. Meanwhile, Keefe has held the job of WNYC radio program On the Media's technical director, a position he left in December 2007.
Gone Crazy
Marcy Playground Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come back for free
Come back and stay child
Have you gone crazy
Molly it must be fine
It seems so dreamy to be sublime
Molly has gone to Spain
Has gone with Venus to watch the rain
And it seems that's not the place where you belong
And it seems that's not the place where you belong
When there's no sun and there's no moon
And there's no stars child have you gone crazy
Come back and be
Come back for free
Come back and stay child
Have you gone crazy
Molly it must be fine
It seems so dreamy to be sublime
And Molly the whippoorwill
Has gone to space boy, she is there still
When there's no sun and there's no moon
And there's no stars child have you gone crazy
The lyrics to Marcy Playground's "Gone Crazy" seem to be a plea to a lost loved one to return home. The repetition of "come back and be" and "come back for free" in the chorus emphasizes the singer's desire to have their loved one return, but also a desire for things to go back to the way they were before. The line "have you gone crazy" adds a hint of desperation to the song, as if the singer is struggling to understand why their loved one left in the first place.
As the song progresses, the references to "Molly" and her travels to Spain and space boy add a surreal quality to the song. It's not entirely clear who Molly is or what her presence in the song means, but it seems to suggest that the singer's world has been turned upside down since their loved one left. The line "when there's no sun and there's no moon and there's no stars child have you gone crazy" reinforces this theme of chaos and confusion.
Overall, "Gone Crazy" is a poignant meditation on loss and longing. The lyrics are cryptic enough to allow for multiple interpretations, but the emotional weight of the song is clear.
Line by Line Meaning
Come back and be
Return to your former state and personality
Come back for free
There won't be any cost for your return
Come back and stay child
Return and remain permanently, my dear
Have you gone crazy
Are you mentally not in your senses anymore?
Molly it must be fine
I assume Molly is doing well
It seems so dreamy to be sublime
Molly's current situation in Spain appears splendid
Molly has gone to Spain
Molly is in Spain at the moment
Has gone with Venus to watch the rain
She's experiencing sublime moments with her lover in Spain
And it seems that's not the place where you belong
Maybe Spain is not the right place for you to be
When there's no sun and there's no moon
In the absence of the biggest celestial bodies
And there's no stars child have you gone crazy
When there are no heavenly bodies, implying that the situation is worse, are you out of your mind?
And Molly the whippoorwill
Molly's nickname is 'the whippoorwill'
Has gone to space boy, she is there still
Molly has traveled to outer space and still remains there
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN K. WOZNIAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind