Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)

"Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)"
Single by Pam Tillis
from the album Sweetheart's Dance
B-side	"Ancient History"[1]
Released	November 7, 1994
Genre	Country
Length	2:50
Label	Arista Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Jess Leary Pam Tillis
Producer(s)	Pam Tillis Steve Fishell
Pam Tillis singles chronology
"When You Walk in the Room" (1994) "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)" (1994) "I Was Blown Away" (1995)

"Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in November 1994 as the third single from the album, Sweetheart's Dance. She co-wrote the song with Jess Leary, and co-produced it with Steve Fishell. The song is Tillis' only number-one single on the Billboard country charts and earned her a second nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

Background and writing

Tillis said the idea for the song came when she was watching the talk show Geraldo and saw a guest with a tattoo reading "mi vida loca", which is Spanish for "my crazy life". She presented the idea to co-writer Jess Leary, who came up with a "Tex-Mex/salsa kind of groove". Leary was initially unsure if the song's title would present difficulty to radio programmers.^[2]

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the song has a "south-of-the-border Bo Diddley feel."^[3]

Music video

The music video was directed by Roger Pistole and premiered in late 1994.

Personnel

Compiled from album liner notes.^[4]

• Dan Dugmore — acoustic guitar
• John Barlow Jarvis — accordion
• John Jorgenson — electric guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar solo
• Greg Leisz — steel guitar
• Suzi Ragsdale — background vocals
• Milton Sledge — drums
• Harry Stinson — percussion
• Pam Tillis — lead vocals, background vocals
• Biff Watson — acoustic guitar
• Willie Weeks — bass guitar

Chart positions

"Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)" debuted at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of November 19, 1994.

Chart (1994–1995)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1995)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7]	41
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8]	36

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
2. "Opportunity knocks for Jess Leary". The Times Tribune. December 26, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
3. Billboard, November 19, 1994
4. Sweetheart's Dance (CD booklet). Pam Tillis. Arista Records. 1994. 18758.
5. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 7788." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. February 13, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
6. "Pam Tillis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
7. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
8. "Best of 1995: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.