It's a very very...

In the mid eighties there was a band from England. They made several hits on the North American music charts. Most notably Seeds of Love, my first encounter with them. Their name is well known; Tears for Fears. This song, I don't think so much. It was not among their strongest, I don't believe it made it off of the original album. I recall seeing it on no compilations, and in no "best ofs".

Years later, having never enountered this song at all, at least to my memory I was watching the film Donnie Darko. At the end of the film there was a song, singular. Sung by a man with a voice that slayed, it was gentle and achingly beautiful. At first I thought it was Michael Stipe taking a seriously unexpected, but happy, turn left field. I was in fact wrong. The man's name was Gary Jules and the Song was Mad World.

So then at somepoint a few days later I discovered the original artists of this song. I must say, to my ears, Gary makes this song his own. His other work, his own writing is as simple and elegant.

Compare the two, even the videos. Think of the differences in the times they were made. I particularly like the new wave dancing. Interesting how one song can almost become two.