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All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head, I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world, mad world
Children waiting for the day, they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher, tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world, mad world
Enlarge your world
Mad world
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head, I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world, mad world
Children waiting for the day, they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher, tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world, mad world
Enlarge your world
Mad world
Lyrics submitted by Emilia-san, edited by paryafarrokhi, sjihaat, JojoBearBinx
Mad World Lyrics as written by Roland Orzabal
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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wow i never considered the first verse in the way you did, as a funeral. great interpretation! you've completely changed my mind about that verse :)
the only place i reckon you got it wrong was in the second verse, about the child. I think the first four lines of that verse really tell it all. 'Made to feel the way that every child should' really sums it up. The first part of that verse really says that every child (read: every person) should be able to feel safe and happy and wanted (happy birthday: on your birthday you are the centre of attention). 'Children waiting for the day they feel good' could be read as people waiting...
the second half of that verse is a bit harder to work out. i think you may have gotten it right, but it might mean that he longs for his childhood (the good times), when the biggest obstacles were things like your first day of school, or trying to do well in class etc
so maybe the first half of that verse is using childhood as a general metaphor for life, and the second half is referring directly to the artist's longing for childhood to return, because adult life is too difficult.
the chorus is pretty hard to decipher, but i guess it does reflect his alienation as you say; how he finds it 'hard to take' or to understand adult life, therefore causing a longing for childhood.
hope this helped :)