Not That Crazy
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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I built a ship with my own hands to take us to the moon,
I took a pen in my own hand and wrote you a hundred tunes.
Now I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.

I pretended you were Jesus you were just dying to save me.
I stood beneath your window with my ukulele.
I made a yard a playground just in case we had a baby.
Now I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.
I treated you like radium.
I treated you like God.

You were my glass menagerie
Did you not find that odd.
I dwelt within and went without and broke my virgin flesh.

I performed acts of devotion as if you were Ganesh,




But now I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.
I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields' song "Not That Crazy" is an unrequited love song with a humorous twist. The singer built a ship with their own hands to take them and their love interest to the moon and wrote 100 love songs for them. They even pretended their love interest was Jesus who was dying to save them. They went to extreme lengths like making a playground in their yard in case they had a baby. The singer treated their love interest like a deity, comparing them to Radium and God, even as their love went unrequited.


The lyrics are a commentary on the singer's unhealthy attachment to their love interest. The line "I'm crazy for you but not that crazy" suggests that the singer is aware of their actions being unreasonable. The reference to Ganesh, a Hindu deity, furthers the idea that the singer may be crossing boundaries in their love devotion. Overall, the song is a satirical take on the lengths some people go to in the pursuit of love.


Line by Line Meaning

I built a ship with my own hands to take us to the moon,
I put all my effort into creating something that would take us to great heights.


I took a pen in my own hand and wrote you a hundred tunes.
I poured my heart out on paper and made something beautiful just for you.


Now I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.
I'm infatuated with you, but not to the point where I'll do anything irrational.


I pretended you were Jesus you were just dying to save me.
I idolized you, but you were not the savior I thought you were.


I stood beneath your window with my ukulele.
I tried to serenade you, hoping you'd notice me and my affection.


I made a yard a playground just in case we had a baby.
I prepared for a future with you, creating a space for our potential family.


I treated you like radium.
I saw you as something dangerous, but also valuable and rare.


I treated you like God.
I worshipped you and held you in the highest regard.


You were my glass menagerie,
You were something fragile and beautiful, like a collection of glass figurines.


Did you not find that odd.
Looking back, I realized that my behavior towards you was unusual and maybe even unsettling.


I dwelt within and went without and broke my virgin flesh.
I gave you everything, physically and emotionally, despite the pain and suffering it caused me.


I performed acts of devotion as if you were Ganesh,
I saw you as a deity and went to great lengths to show my devotion.


But now I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.
Even though I still have feelings for you, I won't be blinded by them and lose sight of reality.


I'm crazy for you but not that crazy.
I still care for you deeply, but I won't let my emotions consume me completely.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@senecatheyounger6922

That's a pretty cool picture of your grandparents.

@TheSwinePrincess

That picture really fits this song in a weird way. It makes me wonder how those two people met and what their story is.

@iosonodade

i like your grandpa's questioning eyebrows

@jenniferhess4828

Justin, this picture shows up all the time in my suggested videos and I love seeing it. This photo was actually taken at my other grandparents house. My parents had just gotten engaged and so my Moms parents invited my Dad's parents over for dinner. My Grandpa Edwards took this photo of them.

@alteach75

I love this song

@Wallflower1922

This is neat (: thanks for posting!

@justinpurser2939

they were neighbors. he would pick on her by throwing pinecones at her. she would throw them right back

@busbyclayton

your grandma looks like hillary clinton but your grandpa doesn't look like bill

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