Gary Jules – Mad World lyrics

The first stanza starts off explaining what the protagonist notices about the people around him every day. He finds their lifestyle monotonous and hectic. They act like machines programmed with a daily routine that they must follow, no matter what. At the end of the day, they are all exhausted but nothing significant is achieved, yet, they surrender themselves to such lifestyle everyday to fit into the bleak and hopeless society they have to live in. In doing so, they repress all their feelings and emotions and their faces seem apathetic. The character despises what he sees and desperately wants to break free. Thus, he does not want to see the same old -tomorrow" that is no different than yesterday or today. The chorus reveals how ironic the protagonist feels about such a society where all the longing for satisfaction and hopes for change and happiness are meaningless because nothing such as -true happiness" or -ultimate satisfaction" really exists. He feels sad because he does not find any other escape except death. The lines -the dreams in which i'm dying" and -are the best I ever had" refer to his only way out. However, at the same time, he also finds it funny because people are aware that all their struggle and chase for satisfaction and happiness is leading them to vanity but they keep on surrendering themselves to their -daily races" in which they -run in circles. " finally, he calls such a world -very, very mad world. "
The third stanza takes us back to the protagonist's childhood. He tells us how authority figures like teachers train children to practice and help them accustom to the monotonous and hectic lifestyle. The children wait for special occasions like birthdays to feel happy because they need to train hard to learn to live apathetically like their seniors, when they grow up. The protagonist also recalls how secluded he felt when he went to school. He used to learn his lessons silently without socializing himself.

My meaning of this song is that the world has gone insane. They try the same things over and over again, wanting different results, attempting to force different results. The insanity gets to you and once you realize it all, you realize the world has gone mad. How people look for the happiness in all the same places in their everyday lives, but are too stubborn to look elsewhere. How people are too selfish, to worry about other people, to busy thinking about advancing themselves, when not thinking about putting there hand down to pull you out, so you too can build your staircase. Most are too stubborn to realize this truth, to busy on focusing on optimism, a false truth. Once you realize that this world is not as good as you think, that everyone has evil somewhere inside them, you'll know that is world truly is a Mad World.

Borrowed my son's car and when I started it this song started playing from a CD he had in. I froze in sadness thinking this is my son. He's been battling depression for over 10 years and he's never been able to describe to me how he feels but now I think I know and now the world has become mad to me because I feel my son is up against something so big that I can't possible help him tho' he's had counselling, therapy and has tried several meds. Hearing this song has torn me beyond something I can't even describe.

This song is basically about the world of today where routine and structure form requirements of day to day living. It recognizes a person who isn't necessarily suicidal (as some people think!) it is about a person who wishes to live life to its fullest not simply because he or she should but because he or she wishes to :) the person feels the present world is filled with robots (known on earth as ppl), who need to hold responsibility in order to be "bright and early", children who's birthdays are the only days they "feel good", children who are required to "sit and listen" (possibly hinting at the unheard voices of the weaker man as well as other beings on earth).
Mad world tells us of humans under a remote control they themselves have constructed.

'this was a hit for tears for fears in 1983 and then hit the charts again twenty years later in 2003 with a version done by gary jules.
The lyrics are written from the viewpoint of a troubled teenager, looking out on a 'mad world' and struggling with thoughts of suicide. Written by roland orzabal, he said, '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. It came to me 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! '
The bulk of the song comments on how he sees the world, with people rushing around going about their everyday business yet never really seeming to get anywhere. A more personal verse focuses on how he's feeling and his growing sense of not fitting in to the world. This may have been drawn from orzabal's own, well documented, troubled childhood which has inspired many of his lyrics.
The most haunting line in the song lets us in on his suicidal thoughts with, 'the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had, ' sending a chilling message. The 2003 cover version was used in the soundtrack of the psychological thriller 'donnie darko'. '