Mad World

This article is about the Tears for Fears song. For other uses, see Mad World (disambiguation).

"Mad World"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album The Hurting
B-side	"Ideas As Opiates"
Released	20 September 1982
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	1982
Genre	Synthpop New Wave
Length	3:32
Label	Phonogram Records Mercury
Writer(s)	Roland Orzabal
Producer	Chris Hughes Ross Cullum
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)" (1982) "Mad World" (1982) "Change" (1983)
Music sample "Mad World"

"Mad World" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. Both "Mad World" and its B-side, "Ideas As Opiates", would turn up on the band's debut LP The Hurting the following year. The song would eventually become Tears for Fears' first international hit, reaching the Top 40 in several countries between 1982 and 1983.

Nearly two decades later, the song made a popular resurgence when it was covered in a much slower, ballad-like style by composers Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the soundtrack to the movie Donnie Darko. This version reached #1 in the UK in December 2003, and became an international hit.

Background

"Mad World" began life as the intended B-side for Tears for Fears' second single "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)". The band instead decided it may be something people would like to hear on the radio and held back its release, waiting to issue the song as a single in its own right after re-recording it with Chris Hughes, a former drummer with Adam and the Ants.^[1]

That came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad – I should have called it "Bourgeois World"!^[2]

—Roland Orzabal

"Mad World" was the first single off the finished album. The intention was to gain attention from it and we'd hopefully build up a little following. We had no idea that it would become a hit. Nor did the record company.^[2]

—Curt Smith

The melody is reminiscent of the song "Matthew and Son" by Cat Stevens.

Meanings

Lyrically the song is pretty loose. It throws together a lot of different images to paint a picture without saying anything specific about the world.^[2]

—Roland Orzabal

It's very much a voyeur's song. It's looking out at a mad world from the eyes of a teenager.^[2]

—Curt Smith

Song versions

The 7" version of "Mad World" is the same mix of the song found on The Hurting. The song had only one remix on its initial release, the "World Remix" that was featured on the 7" double-single. This mix is very similar to the album version, with the most notable differences being the additional echo added to the intro and middle sections and the subtraction of a subtle keyboard part from the bridge. A later remix by noted British music producer Afterlife was featured on the 2005 reissue of the Tears for Fears greatest hits collection Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92).

B-side

"Ideas As Opiates" is a song that originally served as the B-side to the "Mad World" single. It would later be re-recorded for inclusion on The Hurting. The song takes its name from a chapter title in Arthur Janov's book Prisoners of Pain and features lyrics related to the concept of primal therapy. The song is musically sparse, featuring just a piano, drum machine, and saxophone. An alternative version of this song titled "Saxophones As Opiates" was included as a B-side on the 12" single and is mostly instrumental.

That's the chapter from Janov, and it's really a reference to people's mindsets, the way that the ego can suppress so much nasty information about oneself – the gentle way that the mind can fool oneself into thinking everything is great.^[2]

—Roland Orzabal

It really was all about that kind of thing – the psychological answer to religion being the opiate of the masses, whereas we thought ideas were, more than anything else.^[2]

—Curt Smith

Music video

Curt Smith in the "Mad World" music video

The promotional clip for "Mad World", filmed in late summer 1982, was Tears for Fears' first music video. It features a gloomy looking Curt Smith staring out a window, while Roland Orzabal performs a bizarre dance outside on a lakeside jetty. This dance was later parodied in The Cure's "Let's Go To Bed" video. The clip was directed by Clive Richardson who was notable for his work at that time with Depeche Mode.

Track listings

7": Mercury / IDEA3 (United Kingdom) / 812 213-7 (United States)

1. "Mad World" (3:32)
2. "Ideas As Opiates" (3:54)

7": Mercury / IDEA3 (Ireland) / 6059 568 (Australia, Europe) / TOS 1411 (South Africa)

1. "Mad World [World Remix]" (3:30)
2. "Ideas As Opiates" (3:54)

7" Double Pack: Mercury / IDEA33 (United Kingdom)

1. "Mad World" (3:32)
2. "Mad World [World Remix]" (3:30)
3. "Suffer The Children [Remix]" (4:15)
4. "Ideas As Opiates" (3:54)

12": Mercury / IDEA312 (United Kingdom) / 6400 677 (Europe)

1. "Mad World" (3:32)
2. "Ideas As Opiates" (3:54)
3. "Saxophones As Opiates" (3:54)

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1982	UK Singles Chart	#3
1983	Australian Singles Chart	#5
1983	German Singles Chart	#21
1982	Irish Singles Chart	#6
1983	New Zealand Singles Chart[3]	#25
1983	South African Singles Chart	#2
1983	Swiss Singles Chart	#10

Covers

"Mad World"
Single by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules
from the album Donnie Darko (Original Soundtrack) and Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets
B-side	"No Poetry"
Released	2001 15 December 2003
Format	CD
Recorded	2000
Genre	Piano rock Soft rock
Length	3:06
Label	Sanctuary

"Mad World" would achieve a second round of success beginning almost twenty years later, after it was covered by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the film Donnie Darko (2001). While the Tears for Fears version featured various synthesizers and percussion, the Andrews/Jules version was stripped down; instead of a full musical backing, it used only a set of piano chords, a cello, and modest use of a vocoder on the chorus. Their version was originally released on CD in 2002 on the film's soundtrack, but an increasing cult following spawned by the movie's DVD release finally prompted Jules and Andrews to issue the song as a proper single. The release was a success in late 2003, becoming the Number One single over the Christmas holiday in the UK, a feat Tears for Fears themselves never accomplished. The music video, directed by Michel Gondry, has since been very popular on YouTube, with its most popular posting garnering over 39.5 million views as of October 10th, 2011 (see this link.). It is included on the DVD compilation Michel Gondry 2: More Videos (Before and After DVD 1). The song was later included in the commercial to the videogame Gears of War.^[4]

The song experienced another resurgence in popularity after a version of it similar to the Andrews/Jules arrangement was performed by Adam Lambert on Season 8 of American Idol. A recording of this performance was subsequently released as a digital single and reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009.

It is also featured on Alex Parks' debut album, Introduction, released on 24 November 2003.

On the V2 compilation album, Acoustic 3, the song features. It also features on Acoustic 04 and Now That's What I Call Music! 56 (UK series).

Susan Boyle covered this slower version on her third studio album Someone To Watch Over Me released in 2011.

Track listings

CD1: Sanctuary / SANXD250 (United Kingdom) "Mad World" (3:06) "No Poetry" (3:59) "Mad World [Alternate Version]" (3:37)

CD2: Sanctuary / SANXD250X (United Kingdom) "Mad World [Grayed Out Mix]" (6:45) "The Artifact & Living" (2:26) "Mad World [Video]" (3:20)

Chart positions

Chart (2003/2004/2007/2009/2010)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	1
USA Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks	30
Australian Singles Chart	28
Austrian Singles Chart	13
Belgium Flanders Singles Chart	23
Canadian Digital Singles Chart	1
Danish Singles Chart	6
Dutch Singles Chart	4
French Digital Singles Chart[5]	11
German Singles Chart	3
Irish Singles Chart	2
Portuguese Singles Chart[6]	1
Swedish Singles Chart	10
Swiss Singles Chart	53
New Zealand Singles Chart	37

Year-end

End of year chart (2004)	Position
German Singles Chart [7]	14

Chart (2000–2009)	Peak position
UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade	53[8]

Chart positions for Adam Lambert's version

Chart (2009)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100	10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	19
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	30

Popular culture

• In late 2006, a condensed version of the Andrews/Jules cover of "Mad World" was featured in the award-winning commercial for the video game Gears of War.^[9]
• In addition to its usage in numerous advertisements and fan-made YouTube videos, the Andrews/Jules cover has also become a popular choice for background music in television dramas, having appeared in the following series among others: Being Human (U.S.), Brothers & Sisters, Cold Case, CSI, Dead Like Me, Smallville, The OC, and The Mentalist. The Lambert version has appeared in ER, FlashForward, General Hospital, and House. Curt Smith sang this song on the television show Psych.
• It is used on Broadway as the closing number in Butley starring Nathan Lane (2006).
• The Andrews/Jules version was used in the July 28, 2010, episode of So You Think You Can Dance by choreographer Stacey Tookey in a routine about homelessness, performed by Billy Bell and Ade Obayomi.
• The 2011 game Gears of War 3 contains a distinct instrumental cover of Gary Jules' version.
• UFC fighter Chris Leben used the Gary Jules version as his walkout theme at UFC 138.

Other versions and covers

In addition to the Andrews/Jules version, "Mad World" has been recorded over the years by the following artists:

• French artist Nicola Sirkis, frontman of the new wave band Indochine, on his solo album Dans La Lune... (1992)
• American industrial rock band Kill Switch...Klick, on the Cleopatra Records compilation New Wave Goes To Hell (1998)
• German DJ Pulsedriver's popular remix of Nu Romantix's cover, on the compilation album Dos Or Die Fresh Cuts (2001)
• American alternative rock band Finch, on their EP Rolling Stone Acoustic Session (2002)
• British singer-songwriter Alex Parks, on her debut album, Introduction (2003)
• American industrial act Brainclaw, (2004)
• American metalcore band Evergreen Terrace, on their album Writer's Block (2004)
• German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen, on their live DVD Rock am Ring 2004 (2004)
• Polish gothic rock band Closterkeller, on their EP Reghina (2004)
• Australian art rock band The Red Paintings, on their EP Walls (2005)
• German DJ Jan Wayne, on his single "Mad World" (2005)
• American singer-songwriter Sara Hickman, on her double album Motherlode (2006)
• Canadian rock bassist Ken Tizzard, on his album Quiet Storey House... An Introduction (2006)
• German a cappella group Wise Guys, on their album Radio (2006)
• Australian Idol (season 5) contestant Ben McKenzie (2007)
• American dark cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls featuring Trash McSweeney, on their live DVD Live at the Roundhouse (2007)
• Canadian folk-singer Tara MacLean, on her EP Signs of Life (2007) and her album Wake (2008)
• German vocal band Gregorian, on their album Masters of Chant Chapter VI (2007)
• Italian dark wave band SPECTRA*paris, a side project of Kirlian Camera, on their album Dead Models Society (2007)
• Israeli actress/singer Melanie Peres, on the soundtrack to the movie Lost Islands (2008)
• Norwegian singer Erlend Bratland, on his debut album True Colors (2008)
• Swedish blackened death metal band Zonaria, on their second album The Cancer Empire (2008)
• Australian Idol (season 7) contestant Nathan Brake (2009)
• Italian singer-songwriter Elisa, on her sixth album Heart (2009)
• Adam Lambert (as a contestant) during American Idol in 2009 and an acoustic rendition on his Acoustic Live! EP
• British DJ Andy Hunter released a remix of "Mad World" as a single
• American operatic soprano Renée Fleming, on her 2010 album Dark Hope
• 2010 UK X Factor contestant Aiden Grimshaw during the first live show.
• Danish producer Michael Parsberg featuring Safri Duo and Isam B (2010)
• German indie rock band Blackmail (band), released as free download on their website (2006)
• Italian singer Marco Mengoni ,on his live album Re matto live (2010)
• Managing editor of Boing Boing, Rob Beschizza along with Heather Beschizza created a chip tunes version in 2011 Classic Arcade Game Deaths
• American pianist Louis Durra, in an instrumental trio version released on "Mad World EP" and "Arrogant Doormats" (2011).
• Contestants from The Glee Project, a musical reality show, performed "Mad World" in the third episode (2011).
• Late Taiwanese singer Ah Sang (阿桑) did covered the song for Mandarin version, on her second and final album Loneliness in Singing (寂寞在唱歌) (2005).
• Drum and bugle corps The Cavaliers played it in their 2010 show, "Mad World".

Samples and quotations

• Prozak samples the song on the track "American Princess", from the Strange Music compilation Strictly Strange 08 (2008).
• British dubstep artist The Bug, with vocalist Warrior Queen, included the song "Insane" on the album London Zoo (2008). The song ends with a quote from Mad World.
• The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps featured the track in their 2nd place 2010 show, also entitled "Mad World".
• Orbital sampled the song on "The Moebius", the first song on their debut album.

Notes

1. ^ ""Mad World"". Songfacts.com. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4381. Retrieved 9 April 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Cranna, Ian (1999). In The Hurting: Remastered & Expanded [CD booklet]. London: Mercury Records.
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Bissell, Tom. Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. p. 56. http://books.google.com/books?id=Tu_c4Ls9JkcC&pg=PA56. 
5. ^ "French Digital Singles Chart". SNEP. Lescharts. 2010-05-01. http://lescharts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=si&year=2010&date=20100501. 
6. ^ Billboard
7. ^ http://www.mtv.de/charts/Single_Jahrescharts_2004
8. ^ Radio 1 Official Chart of the Decade, as broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday 29th December 2009, presented by Nihal
9. ^ Ross Miller (2006). "Mad World: Gears ad propels song to #1 on iTunes". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/mad-world-gears-ad-propels-song-to-1-on-itunes/. Retrieved 27 February 2010. 

External links

• Boston Globe article on the Andrews/Jules cover

Preceded by "Changes" by Ozzy Osbourne & Kelly Osbourne

UK Number One single (Andrews/Jules version) December 21, 2003 – January 11, 2004

Succeeded by "All This Time" by Michelle McManus

Preceded by "Sound of the Underground" by Girls Aloud

Christmas Number 1 2003

Succeeded by "Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid 20