Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. A contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, influenced by the (songwriting) greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, Crowell played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".
He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of famous singer/guitarist Johnny Cash) from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. Six years after the breakdown of his marriage to Rosanne he married Claudia Church.
Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."
As Crowell's popularity in mainstream country faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001 he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product. Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005. Crowell considers these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.
2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a group that existed briefly in the 1970s with Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc.
In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.
Topsy Turvy
Rodney Crowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Momma's in the bedroom nearly all cried out
Daddy thinks that whiskey makes him big and smart
Momma thinks that daddy's got a concrete heart
I wish I had a brother or a sister whom to I could turn
Bustin' out the windows with a baseball bat
Daddy's gone crazy as a bunkhouse rat
I cross my heart and tell myself I hope they die
I wish I had a nickel now for every time a cuss word flew
Mad house all topsy turvy
A ship of fools with scurvy
I don't like a thing about the way we live
Momma's on the pavement with a broken arm
Tellin' everybody that he meant no harm
Talk about denial with a great big D
You can try to fool the neighbors but you can't fool me
I wish some kind of millionaire would come adopt me on the spot
Mad house all topsy turvy
A ship of fools with scurvy
I don't like a thing about the way we live
Police knock on our door
They've seen it all before
Why don't you use restraint
We've had a few complaints
Now all the other women up and down the block
Are tuning out the static with a front door lock
They greet us in the morning with a wave and grin
But you know they're only waiting til lthe roof caves in
I don't even know if we can make it through another day
Mad house all topsy turvy
A ship of fools with scurvy
I don't like a thing about the way we live
I don't like a thing about the way we live
I don't like a thing about the way we live
I don't like nothing
I don't like a thing about the way we live
I don't like nothing
I don't like a thing about the way we live
I don't like nothing
The lyrics to Rodney Crowell's song Topsy Turvy paint a bleak picture of domestic abuse and dysfunction. The first verse describes a father who turns to alcohol to feel powerful and a mother who feels trapped and helpless. The singer expresses a wish for siblings to lean on in their chaotic household.
In the second verse, the situation escalates to physical violence, with the father smashing windows and the mother sporting a black eye. The singer bleakly wishes for cash to tally up the amount of curse words that fly around their house. Despite this turmoil, the singer doesn't want to see their parents imprisoned, instead fantasizing about being taken in by a millionaire.
The chorus of "Mad house all topsy turvy, a ship of fools with scurvy..." reinforces the idea that their home is in chaos and dysfunction. The final verse alludes to the family's reputation on the block, with other women trying to avoid their drama, and the police making frequent visits.
Overall, "Topsy Turvy" is a searingly honest look at the dark reality of dysfunctional households and the impact they have on children.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy's in the kitchen fryin' sauerkraut
Father is cooking sauerkraut in the kitchen.
Momma's in the bedroom nearly all cried out
Mother is nearly exhausted and crying in the bedroom.
Daddy thinks that whiskey makes him big and smart
Father believes that drinking whiskey makes him powerful and intelligent.
Momma thinks that daddy's got a concrete heart
Mother thinks that her husband is heartless and has no understanding.
I wish I had a brother or a sister whom to I could turn
The artist wishes for a sibling to turn to for support.
Bustin' out the windows with a baseball bat
Father is breaking windows with a baseball bat in a fit of rage.
Daddy's gone crazy as a bunkhouse rat
Father is acting insane, like a rat in a bunkhouse.
Momma's on the sofa with a big black eye
Mother is sitting on the couch with a big black injury on her eye.
I cross my heart and tell myself I hope they die
The artist privately wishes for their parents' deaths.
I wish I had a nickel now for every time a cuss word flew
The artist wishes they had money for every time their parents cursed.
Mad house all topsy turvy
The family is living in a mad and confusing household.
A ship of fools with scurvy
The family is like a ship full of unwise and unhealthy people.
I don't like a thing about the way we live
The singer dislikes everything about their current living situation.
Momma's on the pavement with a broken arm
Mother is on the ground with an injured arm.
Tellin' everybody that he meant no harm
Mother is claiming that Father didn't mean to harm her.
Talk about denial with a great big D
Mother is in a state of denial, represented by a big D.
You can try to fool the neighbors but you can't fool me
The artist sees through their parents' facade and knows the truth.
I wish some kind of millionaire would come adopt me on the spot
The singer wishes to be adopted by a wealthy person immediately.
Police knock on our door
The police show up at the family's home.
They've seen it all before
The police have dealt with this family before.
Why don't you use restraint
The police advise the family to use restraint and self-control.
We've had a few complaints
The police have received complaints about the family's behavior.
Now all the other women up and down the block
Other women in the neighborhood are aware of the family's troubles.
Are tuning out the static with a front door lock
The other women are ignoring the commotion and locking their doors for safety.
They greet us in the morning with a wave and grin
The neighbors greet the family cordially, but only to be polite.
But you know they're only waiting til lthe roof caves in
The neighbors are actually waiting for the family's situation to reach rock bottom.
I don't even know if we can make it through another day
The singer is unsure if their family can survive another day under these conditions.
I don't like nothing
The artist dislikes everything about their current situation.
Contributed by Brooklyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.