1
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, Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love this song, and I've put alot fo thought into it.
The first part (lines 1-8) are about a funeral. He is sitting at the funeral, and he sees the familiar faces of friends and relatives. The reference to filling glasses with tears is not talking about drinking glasses, but rather they are crieing and getting tears all over their eye glasses. The blank expressions show that it is a solemn event, and the guy is clearly sad by wanting to hide his sorrows. He wants to be string and hide it, but he feels very strong emotions.
The chorus, about his dreams, reveals the confusion going on in his head. He doesn't know how to feel in his time of despair.
When the song talks about children waiting for the day they're happy, I think he is talking about himself. Either he is a child, or he is comparing himself to a child waiting for his birthday. The "sit and listen" part is , in the child metaphor, about how kids are made to behave. From older person perspective, he feels like he's being told how to feel by the people around him, but really he wants to feel his own way.
I think that the lines about going to school once again bring up the child metaphor. Children literally do go to school and talk to teachers, but I think it really means that "going to school" is returning to life after the loss of a loved one. He feels awkward, and unsure of himself, and people always would offer their condolences and pity him, which actually makes him feel alienated. He doesn't want any special treatment.
"Hell teacher, tell me whats my lesson" means that he could be praying to God, or just looking for guidance in his life after he was torn apart by his sorrows. He wants God, or whoever can help him to "look right through him" and understand how he feels, because, as I said before, he feels alienated.
The sing finishes with another chorus. I find it a bit hard o interpret, but, as I said before, it reveals his confusion and mixed emotions. When the lyrics talking about running in circles, I think it could be referring to the "circle of life", but I'm really not sure.
There'er my thoughts, enjoy!
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 :)<br /> <br /> 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. <br /> '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...<br /> <br /> 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<br /> <br /> 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. <br /> <br /> 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.<br /> <br /> hope this helped :)
I think the part about "Look right through me, look right through me" tells shows that he isn't getting the help he needs for feeling alienated. I think that in simple and casual situations, such as the classroom, he is being ignored, even though this seems to be his time of need. This especially makes sense if you take the funeral interpretation, because I see it as though he has just lost one or both of his parents. While other children wait for their birthdays because they know they will be extra happy and recieve extra attention, I think this person is so low that he is simply waiting for an average day to feel average again. He doesn't need or want extra hype as the other kids do on their birthdays- he just wants to rise from his slump and feel normal again after his loss.
Your being way too literal most of the song is metaphorical and its definatly about existance.
Not exactly my interpretation, but pretty close! Your view of the song is very interesting, and it's just has possible. While sometimes a little literal about the lyrics, it's wise just the same.
That's a very insightful idea on what this song means... I agree with maniacle on what the second verse could mean. <br /> I don't think you're being too literal, and when I first heard this song that it kind of the idea that came to my head.
unless tears for fears [or whoever actually wrote it] themselves ave given a public explanation of the song, it is likely that no one will ever really know exactly what the song means. As for Canadian_Bacon, it may not be what the original writer is trying to say, but it does make a lot of sense. i've been very gray today thinking about my deceased boyfriend, and this song has been stuck in my head. That's why i came to this site to see what others have to say about it. Canadian_Bacon describes how i feel almost to a tee.
i accidently heard this song and cant even remember how i heard it but just automatically liked it. i could never figure out what the hell it was about all i knew or thought was it was definately about something depressing. while i agree with maniacle's 1st version, after reading gogators theory.. i totally think that could be what it means!! my dad died in a car accident 1 month before i turned 13 years old. and how gogators interpretation of the rest of the lyrics is absolutely identical to how i felt at that time in my life!! i can remember when i returned to school i felt that no one understood what i was mentally and emotionally going through. i would look at the other kids and wish i could be like them (not knowing what it feels like to lose a parent suddenly) and be jealous of them because they had both of their parents still. and didnt have to endure all the pain and misery that came along with it. i felt alone and wanted to die literally!! maybe the song doesnt necessarlly mean its about his parent dying but it could definately be about a death of a friend or someone. i dont know but i knew there was something about this song that drew me to it and couldnt put my finger on it exactly or even figure out what the hell it meant but i think i might of got an idea!!!
I don't think this has to do with a funeral at all. This isn't a temporary feeling he's having at the moment of a funereal This is his depressed perception of the world (the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had). So the best dreams of his entire life were about dying. This is a life perception.
@Canadian_Bacon I think the last line is moving on to his fear for the future.
@Canadian_Bacon Wow I never would have thought of that