It might be one of the most covered songs of all time. Originally released by the 1980s rock band Tears for Fears, “Mad World,” when featured in the coming-of-age film, Donnie Darko, and performed by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews, simply became the anthem for a melancholy generation.
Videos by American Songwriter
But what is the backstory of the track and why has it been so impactful as a cover song? For those answers let’s dive into the meaning below.
Bath
Written on guitar by Tears for Fears member, Roland Orzabal, the then-19-year-old musician said he was inspired to write the song both by the new wave band Duran Duran and from his view above a pizza restaurant. Living above the food shop in Bath, England, Orzabal said he would look down on all the people down there, milling about, living their lives.
He saw it all with a bit of disgust. “I should have called it “Bourgeois World,” said the musician in the booklet of the 1999 album, The Hurting: Remastered & Expanded. Further, the artist was inspired by the philosophy of American psychologist Arthur Janov, who worked with dream therapy. Hence the lyric The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had.
The Hurting
“Mad World” was released by Tears for Fears on the band’s 1983 album, The Hurting. And though it was written by Orzabal, it was sung by the band’s bassist Curt Smith, who gave it a more droning, melancholy tone.
“‘Mad World’ was the first single off the finished album,” said Smith in the 1999 liner notes. “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.” The single hit No. 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart and became Tears for Fears’ first hit.
Donnie Darko
Like other emotive songs, “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen) and “Jolene” (Dolly Parton), “Mad World” is one of the most popular songs to cover. The downtrodden feel, the quiet, observant narrator—they’re perfect for emotional singers.
But the most well-known was recorded by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules. The former played piano and the latter sang. And the song, which was recorded in 2001, was used for the soundtrack for the cult coming-of-age film Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The philosophical-psychological film was the perfect home for the sad-sounding song.
The Donnie Darko version did not use synths and guitars, rather it used spare piano lines and a raspy, almost whispered voice. Andrews was responsible for completing the film’s soundtrack (on a low budget, it’s worth noting) and so he did much of the recording work himself. He played a handful of instruments, from ukulele to xylophone and organ.
“Mad World” by Andrews and Jules was recorded in less than two hours. “I think it’s a really beautiful example of a person struggling with the fact that life is mad,” Jules told the BBC of the track’s relate-ability. “Especially when stripped down to just voice, piano, and cello, I honestly think it’s one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and the way it’s stripped down now just pins people.”
He added, “Every so often a song with just vocals, piano, and cello creeps up on you and says something about who you are, where you’re going, which stops you in your tracks.”
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
