MAD WORLD

"MAD WORLD" is a song by the British band TEARS FOR FEARS which was written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, The song which was included on the band's debut album "The Hurting" was Tears For Fears' very first International Hit, reaching the Top 40 in several countries between 1982 and 1983. It also reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. "MAD WORLD" by TEARS FOR FEARS was first introduced here in MANILA by WXB102 back in 1983. Definitely, a very popular song for PINOY NEW WAVERS back in the 80s. It invaded both the Radio airwaves and of course the Television via Music Video Shows. YUP!! The weird and cool dance moves of Roland Orzabal in the Music Video of Mad World also became an instant hit here in MANILA back on those days. I remember my friends and I used to dance it on soiree parties. Ha Ha Ha!! Synchronized dancing I may say. He He He!! We also used to make the intro sound of the song by making clicking sounds on our mouth using our tongues. Try it guys!! You'll have the Mad World music on your oral cavity. He He He!! Those were the good old days indeed!

Here's what ROLAND and CURT have to say with "MAD WORLD":


"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”!"

"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."

—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."

"It’s very much a voyeur’s song. It’s looking out at a mad world from the eyes of a teenager."

—Curt Smith

Here's the Music Video of the original MAD WORLD by TEARS FOR FEARS uploaded by "NualaDieFee" on YouTube. YUP!! I included the lyrics for you to sing along with too. So start dancing guys and watch the great and very unique MAD WORLD Dance Moves of Roland Orzabal. Wheeew!! It brings back memories of the good old days when life was really simple. That's the 80s......A GREAT DECADE!!





Lyrics | Tears For Fears Lyrics | Mad World Lyrics


After 20 years, "MAD WORLD" would then get a second round of chart success and this time around It's the cover version by MICHAEL ANDREWS and GARY JULES for the 2001 DONNIE DARKO film. The release was a runaway success which became the CHRISTMAS #1 U.K. single back in 2003, a feat Tears for Fears themselves never accomplished.This version had massive airplay here in MANILA after It was featured on the "SMALLVILLE" TV series. YUP!! You can hear the "Mad World" version of Andrews and Jules in almost any FM radio stations for the new generation to listen to when it made it into the Philippine radio airwaves. It was very popular for the PINOY youngsters especially those music enthusiasts. While the original Tears For Fears version featured various synthesizers and percussion, the Andrews/Jules cover version was very different in a way since the beat became much slower and the music score was stripped down. So instead of a full musical backing, it only used 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 DONNIE DARKO film soundtrack, but an increasing cult following because of the movie's DVD release prompted Andrews and Jules to issue the song as a single. The Music Video of the Andrew/Jules version is also quite interesting and has a unique concept which was directed by Michel Gondry and is also very popular on YouTube with its most posting garnering over 21 million views as of this month April 2010. Wheeew!! Talking about popularity!! I wonder If the DANCING INMATES of The Cebu City Jail will do a dance music video of this song? Will It also make that same number of view hits. He He He!! "MAD WORLD" also experienced another resurgence in popularity after a version of it similar to the Andrews/Jules arrangement was performed by Adam Lambert on American Idol Season 8. A recording of this performance was subsequently released as a digital single and reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2009.

Here's the Music Video of the MAD WORLD rendition of Michael Andrews and Gary Jules shared by "orijimi" on YouTube.



So I guess "MAD WORLD" definitely deserves to be here on my little blog "The Doctor Is In". Actually, there were lots of renditions of MAD WORLD but I just featured the two most popular ones. I just can't wait to hear this song on the TEARS FOR FEARS Live In Manila Concert on MAY 2, 2010. Hmmmp? That's roughly two weeks from now. Btw, Everybody is already feeling the MAY 2010 Election Fever here in the Philippines and by JUNE 2010 hopefully we finally have a new President. We are really living in a mad world if you'll be conscious on what's going on around you nowadays. Personally, I still like the original MAD WORLD done by TEARS FOR FEARS. I just don't take the slower version since It gets a little boring.

I'll leave you with the "SPIRAL TRIBE" version of MAD WORLD by TEARS FOR FEARS. I have featured the SPIRAL TRIBE CDs here in my blog before and this remix version makes the song longer and you could also hear some portion of New Order's "Thieves Like Us". I hope you enjoyed again another trip down memory lane!! THANKS AGAIN guys for dropping by!!





All around me are familar faces,
Worn out places. worn our faces.
...It's a very very MAD WORLD!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD