Tears For Fears Singer Performs 'Mad World' From Home With His Daughter And It's Just Lovely

Apr 15, 2020

Get ready for a lovely dose of 1980s nostalgia via Tears for Fears. This legendary rock outlet from the United Kingdom is directly responsible for helping unleash the dramatic synth-laden sounds of an entire generation.

The group’s bass-playing star, Curt Smith, recently appeared in a heartwarming clip showcasing his little girl’s big musical talents. If you have come down with a case of the blues, then this cute father-daughter rendition of Mad World will work wonders for your mood.

Against the backdrop of today’s widespread isolation, Curt and Diva’s charmingly sweet acoustic throwback to “The Second British Invasion” is a welcome surprise for holed-up listeners everywhere. The endearing footage was posted to YouTube by Smith’s close friend, Tony Burch, who is a well-known philanthropist and fashion design expert.

In just a week, this clip has already exceeded one million views. With impeccable instrumental skills and uncanny harmonization abilities, Diva wins the hearts of audiences worldwide. This adorable tape proves her undeniable prowess as an up-and-coming artist.

As a contemporary group like Eurythmics and Culture Club, Tears for Fears played a pivotal role in delivering new wave music to the masses. At the time of its mainstream release, Mad World was unlike anything that preceded it in the annals of pop culture history. As a result, this enchantingly melancholic 1982 track led to the group’s big break. Naturally, international stardom soon followed.

The world indeed feels very mad right now, so there’s no better time to remember this haunting retro tune. Of course, this isn’t the first time that Tears for Fears’ iconic track has witnessed a modern resurgence.

In addition to the original well-received recording, Mad World also garnered plenty of attention thanks to the compelling soundtrack of 2001’s Donnie Darko, which featured an intriguing version by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, according to Song Facts. The emotional down-tempo cover served to cement this tune’s status as a permanent cult classic.

According to Daily Mail, while reminiscing on the writing of Mad World, songwriter and Tears for Fears co-founder Roland Orbazal explained the masterpiece’s origins by writing:

"That came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad – I should have called it ‘Bourgeois World’”

The members of Tears for Fears also clarified a widespread misconception about the song’s lyrics. Despite being commonly reported as “illogical world,” “enlarging your world” or “raunchy young world,” the words being sung are actually “Halargian world," according to The Guardian. 

Apparently, the planet of Halarge was a private sci-fi invention by another bandmate, and Curt threw in the reference unexpectedly. Amazingly, the obscure interplanetary concept made the cut, and its mysteriously indiscernible nature only enhanced the never-ending hype.

What do you think about Curt Smith and his daughter's acoustic interpretation of Mad World? Let us know and pass this on to your music-loving friends and family members.