The Reason Why David Crosby Once Called Bob Dylan “Crazy as a Fruit Fly”
via groovemonzter / YouTube
Two Icons with Unusual Reputations
David Crosby and Bob Dylan were both known for their strong personalities and unique place in music history. Crosby, who had one of rock’s most controversial stories, still found Dylan to be more unusual than most. Dylan, often seen as mysterious and hard to read, kept people guessing about who he really was.
In the public eye, Dylan was a legend but also somewhat of a mystery. Many didn’t know what was true or not when it came to his past. That sense of confusion even affected his fellow musicians. David Crosby, despite being wild himself, once said that Dylan was both “crazy” and “weird.” Crosby knew talent when he saw it, but even he seemed amazed by Dylan’s personality.
View this post on Instagram
Respect Mixed with Confusion
Crosby and Dylan both rose to fame during the 1960s. While they came from different scenes, they had mutual respect for each other’s work. Crosby admired Dylan’s creativity and intelligence, but still couldn’t ignore how strange he thought he was.
Speaking to Stereogum, Crosby said, “He’s friendly, but he’s not out front. He doesn’t let you in. You’ll say, ‘Bob, where do you live?’ And he’ll say, ‘Well, you’re looking at a man that has no home.’ He’d be telling you about life instead of telling you he lived in Malibu.” Crosby added, “He’s not an easy guy. To this day, he’s not an easy guy. He doesn’t welcome you in with open arms and show you who Bob is.”
View this post on Instagram
Fruit Flies and Great Songwriting
Later, in an interview with the LA Times, Crosby was even more direct. He said Dylan was “crazy as a f—ing fruit fly.” Though harsh, Crosby meant that Dylan’s art was what mattered most. “You look at an artist and you have to look at their art. Their art speaks for them better than they do,” he said. “That’s where you see who they are.”
Even if Dylan seemed strange to many, including Crosby, no one could deny his talent. His unusual personality was part of what made him stand out. For Crosby, Dylan may have been “crazy,” but that didn’t take away from his music—it may have added to it.
