1) a British ba… Read Full Bio ↴At least four artists exist by this name on last.fm:
1) a British band
2) an American rapper
3) a Brazilian death metal group
4) a Mongolian rock band
1) Madness is a British pop and ska band from Camden Town, London, England that was formed in 1976. As of 2012, the group has continued to perform with their most recognised lineup of seven members, although that has varied slightly over the years. Known for their cheeky humour and musical eclecticism, the band members called a "dysfunctional family", the group was one of most prominent artists in the late-70s 2 Tone ska movement. As their career progressed, Madness moved closer toward conventional pop music and has become one of the most successful British bands of all time.
The guys achieved most of their success in the 80s, often picking up new wave fans who enjoyed the band's eclectic sound. Madness, in fact, spent exactly 214 weeks on the U.K. singles charts from 1980-89, thereby sharing the record for most weeks spent by a group in said charts with UB40. Examples of some of their most popular songs include 1979's "One Step Beyond", 1982's "Our House", and 1984's "Keep Moving".
Formation
The core of the band formed as "The North London Invaders" in 1976. This outfit included Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso) on keyboards and vocals, Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone and vocals. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar. Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist "Dikron". This six-piece lineup lasted until part way through 1977, when Graham McPherson (better known as Suggs) took over the lead vocals after seeing the band perform in a friend's garden. Smyth, who was poor on bass guitar, was replaced by Gavin Rogers, an acquaintance of Barson. McPherson was kicked out of the band for too often choosing to watch football instead of rehearsing. As well, Thompson left the band after Barson criticised his saxophone playing.
By 1978, the band had allowed McPherson to return, after filling in temporarily for Hasler (who had taken over vocals when McPherson was removed). Thompson returned after patching things up with Barson, and Daniel Woodgate (Woody) and Mark Bedford (Bedders) also joined the band, on drums and bass guitar respectively. After briefly changing their name to Morris and the Minors, the band renamed itself as Madness; paying homage to one of their favourite songs by ska/reggae artist Prince Buster. The band remained a sextet until late 1979, when Chas Smash rejoined and officially became the seventh member of Madness as a backing vocalist and trumpet player.
Early success
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts at #16. A performance of "The Prince" on popular UK music show Top of the Pops helped Madness gain public recognition. Madness then toured with fellow 2 Tone bands The Specials and The Selecter, before recording their debut album, One Step Beyond..., which was released by Stiff Records. The album included a re-recording of "The Prince" and the band's second and third singles: "One Step Beyond" and "My Girl". The title song was a cover of the B-side of the 1960s Prince Buster hit "Al Capone". One Step Beyond... stayed in the British charts for over a year, peaking at #2. After the release of "My Girl", the band felt that they had exhausted the material from One Step Beyond..., and did not want to release any more singles from the album. However, Dave Robinson, head of Stiff Records, disagreed. Eventually, a compromise was made, and the band decided to release an EP featuring one album track and three new tracks. The result was the Work Rest and Play EP, which was headlined by the song "Night Boat to Cairo", from the One Step Beyond album. The EP reached #6 in the UK singles chart.
The following year, the band's second album, Absolutely reached #2 in the UK album charts. Absolutely spawned some of the band's biggest hits, most notably "Baggy Trousers"; which peaked at #3 in the UK singles chart. "Embarrassment" reached #4 in the charts, and the instrumental song "Return of the Los Palmas 7" climbed to #7.
Change of direction
In 1981, the band's third studio album, 7 reached #5 in the UK album charts and contained three hit singles. In an article in 1979, Chris Foreman explained that the band's music would move with the times, and change styles as time goes on. This was shown to be the case, as unlike the two ska-filled, fast-paced albums that preceded it, 7 was somewhat of a change in direction. Suggs' vocal performance changed significantly, and his strong Cockney accent from the previous albums had been watered down. The album strayed from the ska-influenced sound of One Step Beyond... and Absolutely, and moved towards a more conventional and mature pop sound; a trend that continued with subsequent albums. Near the end of 1981, Madness released one of their most recognised songs; a remake of Labi Siffre's 1971 hit "It Must Be Love". The song climbed to #4 in the UK and entered the US charts at #33. In 1982, Madness released their only #1 hit to date, "House of Fun"; as well as their fourth studio album The Rise & Fall. The album contained their most internationally successful single to date, "Our House", which reached #5 in the UK music charts and # 7 in the US charts. In 1983, their single "Wings of a Dove" peaked at #2 in the UK charts. Their following album, Keep Moving, peaked at #6 in the UK album charts, and several singles from that album reached the top 20 in the UK music charts.
Decline and breakup
In October 1983, the band's founder, keyboardist and prominent songwriter Mike Barson decided to leave the band, partly because he had relocated to Amsterdam, Netherlands. He officially left the band in June 1984, following the release of "One Better Day". The six remaining members left Stiff Records and formed their own label, Zarjazz Records, which was sub-label of Virgin Records. In 1985, the label released the band's sixth album, Mad Not Mad. Barson's keyboard parts were filled by synthesisers, and in later years, frontman Suggs described the production as "polished turd". The album reached #16 in the UK charts, which was the band's lowest position on the album charts to date. Despite the poor chart showing, the album was listed as #55 in NME's All Time 100 Albums. The singles for the album fared even worse, with "Yesterday's Men" peaking at #18 in the UK charts. The subsequent singles, "Uncle Sam" and "Sweetest Girl", failed to make the top 20, which was a first for Madness singles.
The band then attempted to record a new album, and 11 demo tracks were recorded. However, musical differences arose between band members, and in September 1986, the band announced that they were to split. Barson rejoined the band for a farewell single, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", but did not appear in the music video. The band officially split following the release of the single, which reached a high of #18 in the UK. In 1988, four members of the band — Suggs, Chas Smash, Lee Thompson and Chris Foreman — created a new band, using the name The Madness. After one self-titled album and two singles that failed to make the the top 40, the band split.
Reunions and The Dangermen
In early 1992, "It Must Be Love" was re-released and reached #6 in the UK singles chart. Following that, the singles compilation Divine Madness was released and peaked at #1 in the album charts. Madness then announced plans for a reunion concert, Madstock!, which was held at Finsbury Park, London on August 8 and 9 of that year. The original lineup reunited, performing together for the first time since Mike Barson left the band in 1984. Over 75,000 fans attended the weekend festival, and during "One Step Beyond", the crowd danced so much they caused an earth tremor which measured over 4 on the richter scale. A subsequent live album was released, and the associated single, "The Harder They Come" (a cover of Jimmy Cliff's 1973 song) reached #44 in the UK.
The band continued to reunite for annual UK Christmas season tours and held three more Madstock! festivals; in 1994, 1996 and 1998. In 1999, Madness released their first studio album since 1986, entitled Wonderful. The album reached #17 in the UK album charts, and the lead single, "Lovestruck", gave the band their first new top 10 hit in the UK since 1983. Neither of the two subsequent singles from the album, "Johnny The Horse" and "Drip Fed Fred", entered the top 40 of the UK charts.
From October 28, 2002 to August 16, 2003, a musical based on Madness songs, Our House, ran at the Cambridge Theatre in west London. Madness played a role in the executive production of the show, and Suggs played a role in the production for a period of time, playing the central character's father. It won an Olivier Award for best new musical of 2003, and the performance was released on DVD on November 1, 2004. There was also a previous musical based on Madness songs, One Step Beyond!, written by Alan Gilbey. The musical had a brief run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1993.
In 2004, the band played a series of low-key concerts as The Dangermen, performing covers of classic reggae and ska songs. A lot of the songs were those played by the band when they were first forming, and the band performed the songs as a celebration of their 25 year anniversary. This led to the release of the album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1 in August 2005. However, during the sessions which produced the album, the band's guitarist Chris Foreman announced his departure. Foreman left the band in mid 2005, citing "the petty, time consuming bollocks that goes on in the band" in a statement announcing his decision to leave. The band completed the album without him, and on release, it peaked at #11 in the UK album charts, which was the band's highest studio album chart position in 21 years. Although two singles were released, neither was a major success in the UK. The more successful of the two, "Shame & Scandal", reached #38. Despite the poor chart showing, the single reached #12 in France.
In late 2006, this six remaining members of Madness began working on their first original album in seven years. However, for Madness' 2006 Christmas season tour, Foreman rejoined the band. In March 2007, the single "Sorry" was released from the band's upcoming album, peaking in the UK charts at #23. The single included a version featuring UK hip hop artists Sway DaSafo and Baby Blue. Both artists were included on the music video which accompanied the hip-hop version of the song, but not on the original music video. Both music videos were also without Chris Foreman, despite the fact that he was a band member at the time of release.
The new Madness song "NW5 (I Would Give You Everything)" and a re-recorded version of "It Must Be Love" were featured in the German film Neues vom Wixxer. The two songs were released in Germany as a double A-Side, and both of them were turned into music videos. While promoting "Sorry", Sway DaSafo confirmed in an interview with NME that he will perform in the recording of Madness' updated version of their song "Baggy Trousers", entitled "Baggy Jeans". The updated song will be featured on Madness' upcoming studio album, and also released as a single. DaSafo predicted the song will be a "huge smash gaurenteed", although the date of release is not yet known.
Lyrical themes
Although Madness were seen by many as somewhat of a humorous band with catchy, bouncy songs, they sometimes tackled, what were at the time, controversial issues in their lyrics. "Embarrassment" (from the "Absolutely" album) was written by Lee Thompson, and reflected the unfolding turmoil following the news that his teenage sister had become pregnant and was carrying a black man's child. The band discussed animal testing in the song "Tomorrow's Dream". The band criticized the National Health Service in "Mrs. Hutchinson"; which told the story of a woman who, after several misdiagnoses and mistreatment, became terminally ill. The story was based on the experiences of Mike Barson's mother. Madness' final single prior to disbanding, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train", commented on apartheid in South Africa.
Skinhead controversy
Early in their career, Madness were linked to skinheads; members of a British working class subculture that the media often stereotyped as racist (although the clear majority of skinheads were anti-racist). Not only were Madness, along with other 2 Tone bands, popular with skinheads, but it was said that the band members themselves were associated with the subculture. The band's relationship with the skinheads varied at times. Mike Barson was particularly displeased with the band's skinhead following, often finding it disappointing that so many were present at performances. Prior to becoming a full member of the band, Chas Smash had been involved in fights with skinheads at performances. In one particular incident on November 18, 1979, Madness were supported by "Red Beans and Rice", who featured a black lead singer, and the band were prevented from completing the performance due to the racist chants from certain members of the skinhead filled audience. Suggs later came on stage to show his displeasure at their behaviour, but this didn't stop much of the audience from Nazi saluting at the end of the show.
In a 1979 NME interview, Madness member Chas Smash was quoted as saying "We don't care if people are in the NF as long as they're having a good time." This added to speculation that Madness was a racist band supporting the fascist group National Front, although the band members denied those allegations. Numerous fans felt upset that Chas Smash's views were mispresented by the media, with yellow journalists just looking for a story in their eyes. Smash responded to the NME article in the song "Don't Quote Me On That". Eventually, band members denied their skinhead roots, which disappointed much of their skinhead fan base. The issue faded as the years went by and the far-right skinhead groups failed completely in winning converts, their particular fringe shrinking massively while in the meantime Madness' international popularity grew.
Awards
The band's first notable musical award came in 1983 when they won an "Ivor Novello Award" for Best Song for the international hit "Our House". They received another "Ivor Novello Award" 17 years later for an "Outstanding Song Collection". In 2005, they were awarded the Mojo Magazine "Hall Of Fame" award, notably for being 'an artist's artist'. As of 2007, a campaign is taking place by fans of Madness for the band to be awarded a Brit award. Many fans and critics feel they have been overlooked over their past 30 years in the music industry.
Website
madness.co.uk
2) Madness is also the name of a hip-hop artist from Florida in the U.S. He has competed in many Grindtime Rap Battle events, and the rapper work is featured on the release 'Fresh Coast Perishables Volume One' as well as in his own underground albums.
3) Madness is a Brazilian death metal band.
4) Madness is a Mongolian rock band.
Frag mich nicht
Madness Lyrics
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Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich hab wegen 'ner Frau vier Jahre lang auf Partys gekackt
Traf dann eine, die immer da für mich war und alles tat
Doch das alles spielt keine Rolle, wenn der Beat
Läuft, rotz' ich dir mieseste Steez in die Tonne
Und komm mir nicht mit Beef, ich kann euch MCs nicht für voll nehmen
Doch gehts um die Familie, fliegen die Mollys (so sorry!)
Ich bin ein Netter, doch auf der Bühne ein Schandmaul
Und dass du 'n Mic in der Hand hast sieht falsch aus
Mach mal lieber Selfies, fotografier dein Essen
Lass dir wieder was stechen, deine Fresse beim Fressen
Hol dir die Likes, poste die Nikes, folge dem Zeit-
Geist, stell dich tot, und pose dabei, hah!
Und dein Diss beleidigt nicht mich oder andere
Sondern verachtet Rap als Handwerk im Ganzen - Punkass!
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach', doch gib mir
'N bisschen Zeit, und ich kack dir zwei Parts in der Nacht
Hab mein Arsch auf die Karte gebracht und arbeit' ihn mir ab
Außer Zeit hab ich nichts zu verlieren, doch warte nicht ab
Grad kommt mein erster Shit rum, ich entfern' mich von Missgunst
Und konzentrier' mich lieber darauf, wie pervers er Gesicht bumst
Geb' kein Fick auf den Weg, weil nur 'n Blick auf die Richtung
Meilenweit entfernt von allem ander'n und dreh' mich nicht um!
Und Arbeit ist zwar Babylon, doch ich kenn Marco schon
Seit Jahren von - ich kenn Marco seit 'ner Zeit, in der ich noch
Nicht mal Labern konnt', und wenn es hart kommt, schreib' ich mit ihm
'Nen Schlagersong, mit dem wir unwahrgenommen in die Charts kommen
Von wegen nicht aus'm Arsch kommen, hustlen um klarzukommen
Doch gib mir das Mic stocknüchtern oder stark benommen
Und ich lass dein neues Album aussehen, als wär's in die Jahr gekommen
Denn wenn du fronten willst, dann trägst du 'nen Schaden davon, Bitch!
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Das ist für die Frankfurter-Jungs
Das ist für die Hamburger-Jungs
Das ist für die Mannheimer-Jungs
Die Stuttgarter-Jungs und alle drumrum
Das ist für die Kölner-Jungs
Das ist für die Darmstädter-Jungs
Das ist für die Wiener-Jungs
Berliner-jungs, das ist im Prinzip für uns, hah!
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
The lyrics of Mädness's song "Frag mich nicht" convey a sense of detachment and rebellion against societal expectations. The singer rejects the conventional notion of success and the pressure to conform to societal norms. He resents being asked about his current activities, symbolizing a rejection of the idea that one's worth is determined by what they do. Instead, he asserts his individuality and embraces his unique path, drifting through different cities and environments, and finding solace in his friendships and connections with his people.
The song also touches on themes of relationships and personal growth. The singer reflects on a past experience where he had been partying aimlessly for four years, until he met someone who was always there for him. However, he still struggled to find fulfillment, highlighting the complexity of personal connections and the challenges of finding genuine happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Don't ask me what I'm currently doing
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
I am somewhere in some city
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
From metropolis to the most remote town
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
My people are everywhere, what's happening? What's happening, y'all?
Ich hab wegen 'ner Frau vier Jahre lang auf Partys gekackt
I skipped parties for four years because of a woman
Traf dann eine, die immer da für mich war und alles tat
Then I met someone who was always there for me and did everything
Doch auch damit kam ich am Ende des Tages nicht klar (what up?)
But even with that, I couldn't handle it at the end of the day (what up?)
Doch das alles spielt keine Rolle, wenn der Beat
But none of that matters when the beat
Läuft, rotz' ich dir mieseste Steez in die Tonne
Runs, I spit the sickest flow in the garbage
Und komm mir nicht mit Beef, ich kann euch MCs nicht für voll nehmen
And don't come at me with beef, I can't take you MCs seriously
Doch gehts um die Familie, fliegen die Mollys (so sorry!)
But when it comes to family, the Mollys fly (so sorry!)
Ich bin ein Netter, doch auf der Bühne ein Schandmaul
I'm a nice guy, but on stage, I'm foul-mouthed
Und dass du 'n Mic in der Hand hast sieht falsch aus
And it looks wrong for you to have a mic in your hand
Mach mal lieber Selfies, fotografier dein Essen
Better take selfies, photograph your food
Lass dir wieder was stechen, deine Fresse beim Fressen
Get another tattoo, your face while eating
Hol dir die Likes, poste die Nikes, folge dem Zeit-
Get the likes, post the Nikes, follow the trend-
Geist, stell dich tot, und pose dabei, hah!
Spirit, play dead, and pose, hah!
Und dein Diss beleidigt nicht mich oder andere
And your diss doesn't offend me or others
Sondern verachtet Rap als Handwerk im Ganzen - Punkass!
But rather despises rap as a craft as a whole - punk ass!
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Don't ask me what I'm currently doing
Doch gib mir 'N bisschen Zeit, und ich kack dir zwei Parts in der Nacht
But give me a little time, and I'll drop two verses on you in the night
Hab mein Arsch auf die Karte gebracht und arbeit' ihn mir ab
I've put my ass on the line and worked it off
Außer Zeit hab ich nichts zu verlieren, doch warte nicht ab
I have nothing to lose except time, but don't wait
Grad kommt mein erster Shit rum, ich entfern' mich von Missgunst
Just as my first shit is gaining popularity, I distance myself from envy
Und konzentrier' mich lieber darauf, wie pervers er Gesicht bumst
And focus on how sick it fucks up people's faces
Geb' kein Fick auf den Weg, weil nur 'n Blick auf die Richtung
I don't give a fuck about the path, because just a glance in the direction
Meilenweit entfernt von allem ander'n und dreh' mich nicht um!
Miles away from everything else, and I won't turn back!
Und Arbeit ist zwar Babylon, doch ich kenn Marco schon
And work may be Babylon, but I've known Marco since
Seit Jahren von - ich kenn Marco seit 'ner Zeit, in der ich noch
Years ago - I've known Marco since a time when I
Nicht mal Labern konnt', und wenn es hart kommt, schreib' ich mit ihm
Couldn't even talk, and when things get tough, I write with him
'Nen Schlagersong, mit dem wir unwahrgenommen in die Charts kommen
A hit song with which we'll unnoticed climb the charts
Von wegen nicht aus'm Arsch kommen, hustlen um klarzukommen
None of that 'not coming from the ass,' hustling to get by
Doch gib mir das Mic stocknüchtern oder stark benommen
But give me the mic, sober or heavily intoxicated
Und ich lass dein neues Album aussehen, als wär's in die Jahr gekommen
And I'll make your new album look like it's from last year
Denn wenn du fronten willst, dann trägst du 'nen Schaden davon, Bitch!
Because if you want to front, you'll suffer the consequences, bitch!
Das ist für die Frankfurter-Jungs
This is for the Frankfurt boys
Das ist für die Hamburger-Jungs
This is for the Hamburg boys
Das ist für die Mannheimer-Jungs
This is for the Mannheim boys
Die Stuttgarter-Jungs und alle drumrum
The Stuttgart boys and everyone around
Das ist für die Kölner-Jungs
This is for the Cologne boys
Das ist für die Darmstädter-Jungs
This is for the Darmstadt boys
Das ist für die Wiener-Jungs
This is for the Vienna boys
Berliner-jungs, das ist im Prinzip für uns, hah!
Berlin boys, this is basically for us, hah!
Frag mich nicht, was ich gerade so mach'
Don't ask me what I'm currently doing
Ich bin irgendwo in irgend'ner Stadt
I am somewhere in some city
Von Metropole ins entlegenste Kaff
From metropolis to the most remote town
Meine Leute überall, was geht ab? Was geht ab y'all?
My people are everywhere, what's happening? What's happening, y'all?
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Fabian Doell, Marco Doell, Markus Weicker, Yassin Taibi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind