Mad World
Pentatonix Lyrics


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All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

The tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head, I wanna to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
That 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
And 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 kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
That 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
(All around me are familiar faces)
Mad world, mad world

And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
That 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pentatonix's "Mad World" express a sense of despair and hopelessness about the world around us. The song describes a world full of familiar faces, places, and actions that seem to be repetitive and unfulfilling. The daily races that people participate in lead to nowhere, and everyone seems to hide their emotions and suffer in silence. The tears filling up their glasses indicate the pain and sadness that people experience, but their expressions remain unchanged as they try to cope with their struggles. The singer wants to escape from this reality and drown their sorrows, but there seems to be no hope for the future as there is no tomorrow.


The second verse of the song focuses on the struggles of children who are waiting to feel good and experience the joy that every child should have. The singer himself was once in their position when he was nervous about going to school and being unknown to everyone. He asks his teacher to guide him and tell him what his lesson is, but he feels invisible as the teacher looks right through him.


The chorus of the song expresses the singer's mixed feelings about this mad world. He finds it funny and sad that his best dreams are about dying, and it's hard for him to tell others what he feels. He observes people running in circles, which is a metaphor for their futile efforts to achieve happiness and success in life.


Overall, "Mad World" is a sad song that highlights the troubles and hopelessness of modern society. It's a reminder that despite the happy facades that people often put up, there is a lot of pain and suffering that needs to be addressed.


Line by Line Meaning

All around me are familiar faces
People I know and recognize are all around me


Worn out places, worn out faces
The people and places have become dull and lifeless with time


Bright and early for the daily races
People wake up early to start their daily routines


Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their routines lack direction or purpose


The tears are filling up their glasses
People are crying and their glasses are being filled with tears


No expression, no expression
They're not showing any emotion


Hide my head, I wanna to drown my sorrow
I want to escape my pain and sadness


No tomorrow, no tomorrow
There is no hope for the future


And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
I have mixed feelings about what I see and experience


That dreams in which I'm dying, are the best I've ever had
The dreams in which I die are better than my reality


I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
It's difficult for me to express and accept what's happening


When people run in circles it's a very, very mad world, mad world
When people repeat the same things over and over, it's a chaotic world filled with madness


Children waiting for the day they feel good
Kids hope for a happy and positive future


Happy birthday, happy birthday
They wait for special occasions to feel happy


And to feel the way that every child should
To feel loved, cared for, and protected, like every child deserves


Sit and listen, sit and listen
They want people to pay attention to them and their needs


Went to school and I was very nervous
The person was anxious and apprehensive about going to school


No one knew me, no one knew me
They felt invisible and unknown


Hello teacher, tell me what's my lesson
Asking the teacher to teach them something new


Look right through me, look right through me
The teacher doesn't notice or care about them


Mad world, mad world
The world is full of craziness and chaos




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Roland Orzabal

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Lenke

These Matt and Mitch harmonies are awesome

Alden Domino

Where have you heard it?

pistonfists

@Alden Domino It came out earlier for Patreon people and we had 12 hours to listen to it before everyone else. It's great, you'll love it :)

Mae

Aiden Domino there is a unlisted audio only version on youtube. You can find it if you search it

Dina Emilia

AGREE

alex

yap

35 More Replies...

Denny Soinski

This is the best that it gets for acapella groups. Pentatonix is in a class all by themselves. Stunning!

Major Umbra

Pentatonix has yet to fail to amaze me. Sometimes they really do blur the line of voice and instrument, so much, the mix of harmony and complexity, just staggers my auditory system. I will always be a fan of this great group.

Dada Joseph Miracle

I really wish they could teach me how to edit music 🎶❤

skullguyonline

I have to say, nothing beats harmonic human voices. Truthful and pure. What a delightful take on a "sad" song... but this is what these guys do, and well they do it to. Thanks for a great vocal experience.

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