Fine Young Cannibals, She Drives Me Crazy | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 43^rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 43^rd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “She Drives Me Crazy”, performed by Fine Young Cannibals. 

“Won’t you ever set me free? / This waiting ‘round’s killing me.” Of course it is, you Fine Young Cannibals! “She Drives Me Crazy” appears as the opener from The Raw & The Cooked, the 1988 album by the English pop band.  The song to beat from the no. 1 peaking album on the Billboard 200 is the no. 1 peaking Billboard Hot 100 hit. “She Drives Me Crazy” is infectious and incredibly memorable; it’s a pop song that you don’t forget!

“She Drives Me Crazy” features quintessential 1980s, boxy-sounding drum programming (David Steele).  Sigh, something about those drums! Additionally, there are slick keys (Steele), electric guitar (Andy Cox), and an anchoring bass line (Steele, again!). Fabulous riffs appear throughout “She Drives Me Crazy.” It is an incredibly rhythmic joint. Also, earning high marks on this pop culture staple is the fact that it’s exuberant – set in a major key. Roland Gift delivers smooth lead vocals, sung in falsetto in many instances. Of course, The centerpiece of this classic is the chorus – this is what you all came for with this song!  Gift sings, “She drives me crazy / Like no one else / She drives me crazy / And I can’t help myself.” Word! It should be noted that Gift does also use chest voice, specifically in the second iteration of the chorus. “She Drives Me Crazy” doesn’t require extensive analysis; this crazy awesome joint speaks for itself!

Fine Young Cannibals // The Raw & The Cooked // London // 1988

Fine Young Cannibals, She Drives Me Crazy: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 43 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; London; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom via Pixabay]