It's a very, very Mad World

It's a bright, sunny day and I'm inside listening to Adam Lambert's studio version of "Mad World" on repeat. It's a hauntingly beautiful version of the song and I just feel like listening to it right now. No other reason in particular. Maybe it's because The Twins lost today, who knows.

I've always been a fan of Tears for Fears, but it wasn't until I heard the Michael Andrews/Gary Jules version of "Mad World" in one of my favorite movies, Donnie Darko (2005 Director's Cut is best), that the simple, melancholy lyrics and melody really gripped me. It's a genius song and a genius movie with a genius soundtrack (Like most people I tend to be overly generous in my use of the word "genius", but in this case it's fitting). Being 7 years old when the song was originally released, there was no way I could fully comprehend or feel Orzabal's lyrics. Now that I'm 34 with a mountain of life experience behind me, they cut like a warm knife through butter.

In my teenage years I wrote songs on the piano in very much the same vein without even realizing just how similar the melodies and lyrics were. I now see "Mad World" as the epitome of what I've been trying to create for years. It's as if Orzabal looked through time and saw inside me, saw what I was trying to do, and with the creation of his divine masterpiece proclaimed, "This is how it's done.". Maybe he saw some hidden places inside all of us. Just brilliant. Then Michael Andrews teamed with Gary Jules to come up with an even more stunning version of the song for Donnie Darko. Oh, and then this kid named Adam Lambert came along with a unique vocal performance that managed to take the song to even more vulnerable and touching depths. How can a seemingly simple song be so incredibly poignant? Just call me Salieri at this point. I was clearly absent the day God was passing out all the genius genes because I didn't get any, but that's okay, I'm thoroughly enjoying the products of other people's.

Here are both Adam's American Idol version and the version from the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Go ahead and put them on repeat, it's good therapy. Scroll down for lyrics.

FYI...Links tend to break over time so if the audio files don't play you can just go to playlist.com and listen to these songs there. It's a free music search engine that streams audio content from all over the web. I use it all the time. And no, I don't get a kick-back for saying that. I'd need to have a heck of a lot more hits on my blog for that to happen.

Mad World
by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And 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 kind of funny
I find it kind of 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

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to 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 kind of funny
I find it kind of 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