In the late 70s, he and his childhood friend Steve George founded the band Pages (most notable for "I Do Believe In You") in Phoenix, Arizona. The outfit Mr. Mister sprang out of that project 1982. The two continued to apply their tight harmonies to background vocals on albums by successful pop artists like Laura Branigan while working on their own material as well. About the time when the first Mr. Mister album, titled 'I Wear the Face', came out in early 1984, Page was offered the chance to replace Bobby Kimball as lead singer of Toto. He even was also later offered Peter Cetera's place in the jazz rock outfit Chicago.
Page refused both offers, confident in Mr. Mister's potential. The single "Hunters of the Night" managed to become a near-hit, reaching the #57 slot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the new wave fueled album had brought them with producer Peter McIan, who had been behind releases by Dear Enemy and Men at Work. Still, the line-up of Page, George, Pat Mastelotto, and Steve Farris failed to reach a mass audience as the album just didn't sell that well.
Mr. Mister's second album, 1985's 'Welcome To The Real World', featured emotive lyrics from Page's cousin John Lang and became the breakthrough that the guys had been hoping for. The group had three top 10 singles, two of which even coming #1 hits on the U.S. pop charts. The band's compelling ballad "Broken Wings" had become a part of the national pop consciousness, particularly serving as a sort of 'signature song' for the outfit. In those days of widespread success, they toured with legendary diva Tina Turner, for whom their song "Stand And Deliver" was written. This song eventually appeared on Mr. Mister's third album, titled 'Go On', which the band said contined "some of the best stuff we ever did".
With expectations sky-high for the band, the guys planned on taking a more mature approach lyrically, standing up against the notorious materialism and celebration of greed during that decade, and the album had a sound that hinted at progressive rock. Nevertheless, 'Go On' failed to achieve commercial success, and the band members found themselves getting lost in the 80s pop/rock shuffle. Guitarist Steve Farris left around 1989, which seemed to spell the beginning of the end for the group. Still, the band began working on a fourth album, called 'Pull', with session guitarists. Dropped by their label before that work could be released, the band decided to break up for good.
That album remained unreleased for something like two decades, although one track ("Waiting In My Dreams") later appeared on a popular greatest hits collection. The release in its entirely finally surfaced in 2010 on the indie label Little Dume Recordings, a company project of Richard Page's that had also published solo efforts by him such as 'Peculiar Life'. After the band's split, Page continued to work as a composer (for example, he co-authored Madonna's 1994 Golden Globe nominated song "I'll Remember") and as a background singer for several artists. Page additionally produced a solo album, called 'Shelter Me', in 1996 that featured guest appearances by all his former band-mates.
Steve Farris has toured with Whitesnake and also recorded songs with artists such as Tori Amos and 4 Non Blondes. Pat Mastelotto has played with groups such as King Crimson and XTC. Steve George served as musical director for American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins until 1997, also having toured with the star Jewel. Finally, John Lang became a part of the alternative rock group Djinn (not to be confused with the DJ of the same name and other artists), an obscure band that gained some interest when they produced their 1998 album 'All-Time'.
Crazy Boy
Mr. Mister Lyrics
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Underneath the stair
There's a door I knock on once
Hoping that you'll be there
Down on the corner
Are all my friends
They think that I'm just a big fool
They don't understand
Leave the light on
I'll be over
You'll be my angel
I'll be your crazy boy, oh
You've got my number
But you never call
What can I do to make you
Tear down the wall?
I'll leave you flowers
Outside your door
Just one more thing to remind you
I love you so
Leave the light on
I'll be over
You'll be my angel
I'll be your crazy boy, oh, yeah
All my lonely nights without you
Felt my empty arms around you
Am I crazy, or can I get you closer to me?
Leave the light on
I'll be over
You'll be my angel
I'll be your crazy boy
I'll be your crazy boy
The lyrics to Mr. Mister's song "Crazy Boy" convey a message of unrequited love and the lengths that the singer is willing to go to in order to win back the affection of his love interest. The song begins with the singer sneaking through a back alley in search of a particular door. He hopes that the person he's looking for will be on the other side, indicating a sense of desperation and obsession. The singer's loneliness is highlighted in the following lines when he talks about his friends thinking he's a fool for remaining dedicated to someone who doesn't reciprocate his feelings.
In the chorus, the singer begs his love interest to leave the light on and to be his "angel". He refers to himself as a "crazy boy," which portrays his desperation and the longing he feels for the person he loves. The second verse indicates that the singer has previously attempted to establish contact with his love interest, but they haven't responded. He expresses a desire to "tear down the wall" that keeps them apart and even leaves flowers outside their door in an attempt to remind them of his love.
The bridge highlights the singer's loneliness and how he's constantly yearning for his love interest. He notes that being without them feels empty and that he longs to hold them in his arms again. The final chorus repeats the sentiments of the first, with the singer asking his love interest to be his angel and promising to be their crazy boy.
Line by Line Meaning
I slip through the alley
I sneak around unnoticed, trying to find my way to you.
Underneath the stair
I'm hiding in an area that's not usually noticed by anyone else.
There's a door I knock on once
There's a door that I approach, hoping you'll be there to answer it.
Hoping that you'll be there
I'm really hoping that you are at home and will come to the door.
Down on the corner
On the street corner, I can see all my friends standing around.
Are all my friends
All my friends are hanging out on the corner.
They think that I'm just a big fool
My friends think I'm a silly person for waiting around for you all the time.
They don't understand
My friends don't comprehend why I'm doing these things.
Leave the light on
Please keep a light burning so I know that you are waiting for me.
I'll be over
I'll be coming to see you soon.
You'll be my angel
You will be my light in the darkness, making me feel loved and complete.
I'll be your crazy boy
I'll be the guy that's always there for you, no matter what anyone says.
You've got my number
You know how to reach me when you need me.
But you never call
I feel like I'm always waiting for your call or message, but it never comes.
What can I do to make you
I'm desperate to find a way to connect with you and tear down the wall between us.
Tear down the wall?
I want to break down any barriers that are keeping us apart and make our relationship stronger.
I'll leave you flowers
I'll do little things to show you how much I care about you and how much you mean to me.
Outside your door
I'll leave the flowers as a surprise outside your house.
Just one more thing to remind you
I'm doing this to remind you how much I love you and just how much you mean to me.
I love you so
I love you more than anything in the world.
All my lonely nights without you
I feel really sad and alone when I'm not with you.
Felt my empty arms around you
I missed you so much that it feels like my arms are empty without you in them.
Am I crazy, or can I get you closer to me?
I'm not sure if I'm crazy for loving you so much, but I just want to be closer to you.
I'll be your crazy boy
I'll never give up on you or our love, and I'll always be there for you no matter how crazy it may seem.
Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.