My Gen X Playlist: Mad World – Tears for Fears

I recently wrote about Hal Eldor’s five minute rule here. I’ve been trying to use this rule, but I still go longer than five minutes. That’s OK, though. I’m seeing improvement. The thought that there is a cut off time limit seems to help. That’s better than letting things drag on. Time to move on.

Tears for Fears released Mad World in 1982. People often misinterpreted the song lyrics.

This song is about a depressed young person who feels out of place in this world. He sees life as being empty, and looks for ways to escape the pain. The line, “The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had” suggests thoughts of suicide, but according to Roland Orzabal, who wrote the lyrics, it relates to the psychologist Arthur Janov’s idea that our most dramatic dreams release the most tension. So, the guy in the song isn’t necessarily looking to die – he wakes up from morbid, lucid dreams feeling better.

– songfacts

I’m not sure morbid lucid dreams helps when I’m stuck inside my head. But falling asleep does help. Sometimes I just need a gap of time between these episodes for them to subside in my brain. I usually listen to a podcast to distract myself and drift off to sleep. It always seems better in the morning. Thank goodness for podcasts.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

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
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world
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
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world
Mad world

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
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad world
Mad world
Halargian world
Mad world