I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – my spiritual journey with U2
Larry I'll Go Crazy
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight was my favorite song off No Line on the Horizon when it first came out and during the 360 2009 tour, but then Get on Your Boots surpassed it during the 360 2011 tour. It was always just a fun song to me, with great lyrics. In 2009, it was my favorite part of the 360 show – whenever Larry walks around the catwalk is my favorite part.
But more than just a fun Larry walking around the catwalk song, I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight has a pretty strong message – one that I am struggling with right now. I think Crazy is about having a difficult time starting your journey -“It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain as you start out the climb.” Specifically for me at this point in my life I interpret this as someone who has committed themself on a spiritual journey, but is finding it difficult getting started because of their sinning. A more direct spiritual reference in Crazy is the lyric “Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?” This was most likely inspired by 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” If we truly know God’s love, then we would never be scared and would be able to deal with the crazy moments in our lives.
She’s a rainbow and she loves the peaceful life
Knows I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
There’s a part of me in the chaos that’s quiet
And there’s a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
A change of heart comes slow
It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me, or are you doubting
We’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won’t listen to your boys and girls
Cos the sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but a change of heart comes slow
It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
Listen for me, I’ll be shouting
We’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But you now I’ll go crazy if I don?t go crazy tonight
Baby, baby, baby, I know I’m not alone
It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As we start out the climb
Listen for me, I’ll be shouting
Shouting to the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we’ll go crazy
You know we’ll go crazy if we don’t go crazy tonight
Oh oh
Slowly now
“It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain as you start out the climb.”
On the Road With U2 
Another of my favorites from No Line. 🙂
It’s not a hill it’s a mountain is one of my favorite lines from this song. It says to me that calling yourself a Christian is relatively easy (just a hill), but actually living a Christian life is a huge challenge. I am also reminded of the special status certain mountains have in Sacred Scripture. It is Mount Sinai that Moses climbs to receive the Ten Commandments; King David built his city on Mount Zion; and Jesus’ arrest happens on the Mount of Olives.
Most significant for me, is one of the Judaic name for God, El Shaddai, which means God of the Mountain. When I reflect on that name I sense that in our life journey, God is not just our goal, God is the mountain we climb. So with each step, God is there challenging and supporting us at the same time.
I also like the admission that we need a break some times, We need to go crazy once in a while to avoid getting burned out. I love that one of the accusations hurled against Jesus was that he was a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus apparently would have loved this song from No Line as much as we do. 🙂