Centuries ago, the word “crazy” meant “broken, full of cracks or flaws,” and it’s still used that way in ceramics. It brings to mind Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with streaks of gold, which is about finding beauty in an object’s history, its flaws and imperfections, and ultimately, accepting change. As we ourselves get older, broken and mended in different ways, we can sometimes appear crazy in a conventional sense if we come to realize that the rules and regulations of society are not the ultimate meaning of the universe, or of goodness. But that’s the gold.

"Crazy," written and performed by Seal (Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel), 1990.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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