Starting as a trumpet player and studying music theory, Kalkbrenner later switched to electronic music. In 1999 he released his first tracks under the name of Paul dB+. As a live act, he performs using Ableton Live in combination with midi controllers and hardware synthesizers.
In 2008 he composed the sountrack for the German movie Berlin Calling in which he also is the leading actor. The theme song Sky and Sand, featuring his brother Fritz Kalkbrenner ended up in various European charts.
More information and music on Paul’s MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/paulkalkbrenner
A short chronology:
1985-90
* lessons in trumpet and music theory
1992/93
* first performances at an east berlin youth club
1994/95
* dj at walfisch, exit/kitchen, vereinsheim, praxis dr. mc coy, halle weissensee
1996
* buys his first production equipment
1997/98
* editor, operator and producer at the german tv stations ard, zdf, rtl, premiere
2000
* plays all over the world
2008
* filmproject "BERLIN CALLING"
Mad World
Paul Kalkbrenner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
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, 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
And I 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, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your 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, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Enlarging your world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
"Mad World" by Paul Kalkbrenner is a cover of the 1982 song by Tears for Fears. The song itself is a commentary on the world and the effects it has on individuals. The lyrics - "All around me are familiar faces, worn out places, worn out faces" - suggest that the world has lost its vibrancy and become monotonous. The second verse speaks of a child's innocence and their hope for the future. However, the bridge between the two verses suggests that the world has crushed those hopes and dreams.
The line "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" refers to the fact that individuals may find comfort in their dreams or fantasies because their reality is unbearable. This is a sad commentary on the current state of the world. The final line, "enlarging your world" implies that there is hope for the future and that we can transcend the negative aspects of our world.
Line by Line Meaning
All around me are familiar faces
Everywhere I look, I see people I know, familiar and common.
Worn out places, worn out faces
The places and people I see are tired and exhausted, lacking vitality and energy.
Bright and early for the daily races
People are up and active early in the morning, going through routine and mundane activities.
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Despite all the effort and activity, people are not making any real progress or accomplishing anything meaningful.
Their tears are filling up their glasses
People are sad and crying, to the point where their glasses are full of tears.
No expression, no expression
Despite the sadness, people are displaying no emotion, as if they have become numb to their pain.
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow
I am so overwhelmed by sadness that I want to hide away and forget it all by drowning my sorrows.
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
There is no future, no hope, no expectation of things getting better.
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had
Even my dreams, which should be a respite from reality, are dark and depressing, filled with thoughts of death and suffering.
When people run in circles it's a very, very
People are stuck in cyclical patterns, doing the same things over and over again to no avail, and this is depressing and maddening.
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Even children are not happy or fulfilled, and they are waiting for some future day when they might feel better.
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Even on a day meant for celebration and joy, people are still sad and unfulfilled.
Went to school and I was very nervous
School, a place of learning and growth, elicits only anxiety and nervousness in me because I feel out of place and unknown.
No one knew me, no one knew me
Despite being surrounded by others, I feel alone and unknown, like nobody knows or understands me.
Hello teacher tell me, what's my lesson?
Even in a place of learning and growth, I am unsure of what I am supposed to be learning and doing, and I need guidance.
Look right through me, look right through me
Despite my need for guidance and recognition, people are still not seeing me or acknowledging my presence.
Enlarging your world, mad world
Despite all the sadness and despair, there is still an opportunity to enlarge your world and see beyond the madness of the world.
Mad world, mad world
The world is mad, full of sadness and despair, and it feels like there is no escape.
Contributed by Adalyn F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.