Gary Jules attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California. Some of his early projects/bands were The Ivory Knights, Our Town Pansies, Woodenfish and The Origin.
Jules started off his solo recording career with the debut Greetings from the Side. Originally released by A & M, this album slipped through the cracks due to neglect on the label's part, and Jules was dropped. In 2001, together with friend Michael Andrews, Gary Jules recorded Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets. It was from this album that the remake of Tears for Fears' Mad World was subsequently used by Michael Andrews for Donnie Darko.
In December 2003, two years after Donnie Darko was released, Mad World finally reached the charts and became the Christmas Number One in the UK. In early 2004, the song surfaced in the US and Canada.
His most recent album, simply titled Gary Jules was released in 2006. The song Falling Awake from this album was recently used in the season 3 episode Six Days: Part Two of Grey's Anatomy.
Jules' Andrews' arrangement of "Mad World", was recently used in a trailer for the Gears of War for the XBOX 360, it was also used in a few episodes of CSI, Without a Trace, in some episodes of Dead Like Me, in an episode of Jericho, and an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Official Site: http://www.garyjules.com/
Mad World
Gary Jules Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
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 kinda funny, I find it kinda 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 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 kinda funny, I find it kinda 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, world
Enlarge your world
Mad world
The lyrics of Gary Jules's Mad World describe a society in which people are stuck in a cycle of existence without any hope for the future. The mundane routines we are all bound to follow, along with the unseen sadness beneath the surface, are constantly present. The "familiar faces" and "worn-out places" illustrate the repetition of everyday life, and how people spend their days racing around, only to end up "going nowhere." The contrast between the "happy birthday" and "children waiting to feel good" is the starkness of the real world.
Moreover, the line "Their tears are filling up their glasses, no expression, no expression" portrays how our emotions may be bottled up, only manifesting themselves in the tears that fill our wine glasses. The chorus hook of the song, "Mad world," reflects how the world seems to have gone wrong and is insane. Meanwhile, the second verse depicts the struggles of youth. The line "No one knew me, no one knew me, hello teacher tell me what's my lesson, look right through me, look right through me" portrays how the education system sometimes forgets students and their individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
All around me are familiar faces
I'm surrounded by people I know and recognize
Worn out places, worn out faces
The places and people around me seem tired and exhausted
Bright and early for their daily races
People start their daily routine with enthusiasm
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their enthusiasm doesn't lead to any meaningful accomplishments
Their tears are filling up their glasses
People are sad and crying a lot
No expression, no expression
Despite their sadness, people are emotionally numb
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
I wish to hide from the world and numb my own emotions
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
I feel like there is no hope for the future
And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad
I have mixed emotions about the situation
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
My dreams of death and escape seem better than reality
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
I struggle to express my emotions and cope with my situation
When people run in circles it's a very very mad world mad world
Society and people seem stuck in a cycle of meaningless routine
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Kids are waiting to experience happiness
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Birthdays are expected to be happy but often aren't
Made to feel the way that every child should
Children are treated unfairly and forced into societal expectations
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Kids are told to be quiet and obedient
Went to school and I was very nervous
Going to school was a scary experience for me
No one knew me, no one knew me
I felt like a stranger among my peers
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
I'm lost and seeking guidance from authority figures
Look right through me, look right through me
Teachers don't see or understand me
Mad world, world
The world is chaotic and nonsensical
Enlarge your world
Try to broaden your perspective and find hope outside of the current situation
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ROLAND ORZABAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind