Hazard (song)

"Hazard" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter Richard Marx. The song is about a woman named Mary who mysteriously disappears and a social pariah who is accused of orchestrating Mary's disappearance, despite claiming to be innocent. The song's music video follows this plot. "Hazard" was released as the second single from Marx's third studio album, Rush Street (1991), on January 28, 1992, in the United States.

"Hazard"
Single by Richard Marx
from the album Rush Street
B-side
  • "Big Boy Now"
  • "Thunder and Lightning"
  • "Ride with the Idol"
ReleasedJanuary 28, 1992 (1992-01-28)
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length
  • 5:17 (album version)
  • 4:48 (edit)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Richard Marx
Producer(s)Richard Marx
Richard Marx singles chronology
"Keep Coming Back"
(1991)		 "Hazard"
(1992)		 "Take This Heart"
(1992)

In April 1992, "Hazard" peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and shortly thereafter topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, becoming Marx's third number-one single on that chart.[2] Internationally, "Hazard" reached No. 1 in Australia, the top three in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and the top 10 in New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.

Song overview

"Hazard" tells the story of a relationship of some kind between the narrator and a woman named Mary. Mary disappears in suspicious circumstances, and the narrator, already shunned by many in the small village where he has lived since the age of seven ("That boy's not right"), is immediately considered the main suspect. However, the narrator maintains his innocence throughout the song, and the matter of culpability is left open to the listener's interpretation.

Liking the lyric "this old Nebraska town", Richard Marx wrote to the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, asking for a list of Nebraska towns with two syllables, finding Hazard ideal for its double meaning. (The lyrics refer to a river; the real Hazard does not possess one, although there is a muddy creek.) Locals invited Marx to be Grand Marshal at Sherman County's Fourth of July parade in 1993, which he accepted.

Marx considered it a "stupid song that no one would pay attention to" and only recorded it to prove his wife wrong, who had told him it was going to be a huge hit song.[3]

Music video

Overview

The music video for "Hazard", directed by Michael Haussman,[4] reveals additional video cues and other details that led viewers to speculate about the question of the protagonist's innocence while still following the song's lyrics and ultimately leaving the outcome open to interpretation. The narrator also refers to the state of Nebraska, United States, and specifically a village in that state called Hazard. "Mary" is played by actress Renee Parent.[5] The Sheriff is played by actor Robert Conrad.[6]

Video synopsis

The music video opens with the protagonist cutting his hair by the side of a creek. Suddenly the ghost of a woman is seen hovering over the creek. Several older men are seen teasing the protagonist as a child with his mother in the background. Mary is depicted as having features very similar to those of the protagonist's mother. The town's sheriff is shown taking photographs of the couple and following one or both of them in his vehicle.

The protagonist goes to see Mary but catches her making love to an unidentified person as the police car arrives. He remembers a time in his childhood when he sees his mother committing adultery. In present time, the protagonist flees the scene, leaving his scarf behind.

Mary is at the river, with a look of surprise on her face, then she appears to be lying in water. The next morning several people assist in arresting the male character in connection with her disappearance.

While in the interrogation room, the protagonist is shown a white cloth, which the sheriff identifies as the item used to strangle Mary. He then denies that he and Mary were romantically involved. He remembers himself as a child seeing his father leave his mother for another woman. He remembers running out of a burning house.

Locals are shown vandalizing the male character's home, breaking its windows and setting fire. He cannot be proved guilty so the sheriff drops him off at his ruined home. A woman walking by covers her young son's eyes. The protagonist leaves town by hitchhiking. He remembers the girl saying to him: "You know, everyone thinks I should be afraid of you. But I'm not."

Track listings

Personnel
  • Richard Marx – lead and backing vocals
  • Michael Egizi – keyboards, programming
  • Bruce Gaitsch – acoustic guitar
  • Chris Trujillo – percussion

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] Platinum 70,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 28, 1992 CD Capitol [39]
Japan March 11, 1992 Mini-CD [40]
United Kingdom March 30, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD1
  • cassette
 [41]
April 13, 1992 CD2 [42]

References
  1. "Richard Marx, now and forever". Inquirer Entertainment. Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 160.
  3. "Richard Marx Story Behind the Song Hazzard CVE Live!". YouTube.
  4. Richard Marx: Hazard IMDb.com
  5. Renee Parent IMDb.com
  6. Robert Conrad IMDB.com
  7. Hazard (US & Canadian cassette single sleeve). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. 4KM-44796.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Hazard (Australasian cassette single sleeve). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. 2046394.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Hazard (US CD single liner notes). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. C2-15807.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Hazard (European CD single liner notes). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. 20 4639 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Hazard (Australasian CD single liner notes). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. 2047302.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. Hazard (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. CL 654, 20 4758 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. Hazard (UK cassette single sleeve). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. TCCL 654, 20 4758 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. Hazard (UK CD1 liner notes). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. CDCLS 654, 20 4758 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Hazard (UK CD2 liner notes). Richard Marx. Capitol Records. 1992. CDCL 654, 20 4759 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. "Richard Marx – Hazard". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7741." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  18. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2110." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 29. July 18, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  20. "Richard Marx – Hazard" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hazard". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  22. "Richard Marx – Hazard" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  23. "Richard Marx – Hazard". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  24. "Richard Marx – Hazard". VG-lista. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  25. "Richard Marx – Hazard". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  26. "Richard Marx – Hazard". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  28. "Richard Marx Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  29. "Richard Marx Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  30. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1992". ARIA. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  31. "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. December 19, 1992. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  32. "The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  33. "1992 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  34. "End of Year Charts 1992". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  35. "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
  36. "Billboard Top 100 – 1992". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  37. "1992 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 52. December 26, 1992. p. YE-38. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  38. "British single certifications – Richard Marx – Hazard". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  39. "Hazard". Amazon. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  40. "ハザード | リチャード・マークス" [Hazard | Richard Marx] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  41. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. March 28, 1992. p. 21. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  42. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. April 11, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
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