Hello, and welcome to Hearing Double, where I compare and contrast two unrelated songs of the same title and decide which title does the most justice!
This week, we’re getting a little crazy. The matchup is between “Maniac” by Michael Sembello and “Maniac” by Conan Gray.
Sembello’s song has an interesting history that includes multiple versions of the lyrics. The original version was conceived when songwriter Dennis Matkosky was inspired by a news report of a serial killer. The lyrics of this version are a bit darker, even involving the murder of an innocent cat, but they were meant as more of a joke than a real song.
However, the song became full-fledged after Matkosky and Sembello rented the 1980 film “Maniac” for more inspiration to finish the lyrics. After they had created a real song, the demo came across a producer who wanted to use the song for the film “Flashdance,” with rewritten lyrics to fit the plot of a woman passionate about becoming a professional dancer.
This rewrite leads to the lyrics most of us are familiar with today. The song speaks of a woman who is “on the ice-blue line of insanity” and has “danced into the danger zone/When the dancer becomes the dance.”
Although the song seems to caution the listener about falling into obsession, it also includes more positive lyrics. Sembello sings “It’s a push-shove world, but there’s always a chance/If the hunger stays the night.”
The lyrics written for “Flashdance” certainly acknowledge the difficulty of the world we live in, but it also seems to take a positive view of our “maniac” protagonist, painting her as an inspiring figure who is “struggling, stretching for the peak/Never stopping with her head against the wind.”
The music itself is fast-paced and keeps the listeners on their toes, apt for a song with this title. It’s a good dance song and an even better soundtrack to a dance movie. There’s something almost sinister underlying the music’s tone, reminiscent of the original lyrics, but it ultimately captures the heart-racing feeling of a passion becoming an obsession.
Conan Gray’s “Maniac” takes us away from the more obsessive and passionate version of a maniac and tells us a story of an almost viscerally real relationship issue. Gray said he wrote the song about an ex who would spread rumors that Gray was crazy but would still text him or show up at his shows.
The lyrics tell the story straightforwardly, saying “tell all of your friends that I’m crazy and drive you mad/That I’m such a stalker, a watcher, a psychopath,” then turning around at the end of the chorus and asking “so why do you call me and tell me you want me back?”
Conan Gray is a master at capturing emotion in his songs, and this one is no exception. He perfectly projects the frustration of being painted as the bad guy in a relationship, but he also hints at his own inner conflict with acknowledgement that he will “show up at your place right away/Wipe the tears off of your face.” The chorus also indicates he’s still fielding calls from this person. If they’re such a maniac, maybe it’s time you block them, Conan.
The music underneath these lyrics is rhythmic and punchy, emphasizing all the names Gray’s ex calls him with bitterness. However, the song is ultimately upbeat and great to sing along with in the car, whether or not you have a frustrating ex.
Each song paints a very different picture of the titular maniac, one with cautionary reverence and the other with conflicted ire. Although these are both fantastic songs (and both excellent to check out in the days leading up to Halloween), I believe one song weaves together lyricism and music to truly depict the manic energy that comes with obsession. As much as I love Conan Gray, his song doesn’t measure up to the way Sembello captures the essence of a maniac.
Winner: Michael Sembello