The Adicts are an English Punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk. They began … Read Full Bio ↴The Adicts are an English Punk rock band from Ipswich, Suffolk. They began life as the Afterbirth & The Pinz, in their hometown of Ipswich in late 1975. Popular in the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts at that time.
They soon changed their name to The Adicts and became known for their distinctive Clockwork Orange 'Droog' image, which, along with their urgent, uptempo music and light-hearted lyrics, helped set them very much apart from the rest of the genre. Temporary 1980s name changes to ADX and FUN ADICTS, for a children's TV appearance, also occurred.

Their song "Viva La Revolution" was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground.

The band still has all its original members, uncommon for a band with such longevity.

The music of The Adicts proves that punk music is a very broad genre, often featuring extra instruments and sound clips such as carousel music (How Sad), violin played by Derick Cook (Joker in the Pack), gongs and keyboard percussion by Anthony Boyd (Chinese Takeaway), and even completely different songs like the switch to Gain To Lose's Tune #24 at the end of G.I.R.L..

The look of the majority of the bandmates is that of the Droogs from the Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange based on the book by Anthony Burgess. All white with black combat boots and black bowler hats. The band says that the look appealed to them because of the teenage angst associated with A Clockwork Orange. Singer "Monkey" wears full joker make-up and his clothes are wild, patterned suits, flared trousers, colorful dress shirts, and other such things. His favorites seem to be checkerboard patterns, or polkadots. And of course, there's the obligatory bowler hat and gloves. Along with the look come stage antics involving streamers, confetti, playing cards, joker hats, toy instruments, and glitter just to name a few things.

members:
Keith 'Monkey' Warren - Vocals.
Mel (Spider)Ellis - Bass
Pete Dee Davison - Guitar
Michael 'Kid Dee' Davison - Drums
John 'Scruff' Ellis (Mel’s brother) - Guitar
Dan Gratziani - Violin,Piano,Mandolin

MAD
The Adicts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You say black I say white you turn left I go right
You get high I get low you live fast I stay slow
Stop. wait a minute, stop! your driving me
Insanity runs in the family the side of my father
Please come for tea just ask for me
I'm the madhatter you get up I go down
You say square I say round you don't stay I don't go
If I care I you so what! wait a minute, so what

So what, so what
Your driving me insanity
Runs in the family
Side of my father please come to tea just ask for me
I'm the madhatter insanity
Runs in the family

Runs in the family side of my father
Please come to tea sit next to me I'm the madhatter

Overall Meaning

The Adicts's song "MAD" is a quirky interpretation of the push and pull between two contrasting personalities, one of whom is seemingly more conservative and grounded, while the other is more rebellious and carefree. The lyrics reflect the disconnect between two people who seem completely incompatible, with each person going their own way and the other person struggling to keep up. The chorus highlights the confusion and frustration that arises from this clash of personalities, with the repeated refrain of "stop, wait a minute, your driving me insane" acting as a breaking point for those moments when the relationship becomes too much to handle.

The singer suggests that insanity runs in the family, and invites the other person to come to tea and meet their madhatter - a reference to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the singer's own psyche. The line "you get up I go down" adds a layer of complexity, hinting at the possibility of a love-hate relationship between the two people. The song is ultimately a commentary on the futility of trying to reconcile two extremely different people, and the inevitable chaos that ensues when they try to coexist.

Line by Line Meaning

You say black I say white you turn left I go right
We have opposite opinions and actions.

You get high I get low you live fast I stay slow
We have different attitudes towards life.

Stop. wait a minute, stop! your driving me
Your behavior is causing me to feel overwhelmed.

Insanity runs in the family the side of my father
Mental illness is a genetic trait of my family.

Please come for tea just ask for me
You are welcome to visit me.

I'm the madhatter you get up I go down
I am unpredictable and unstable.

You say square I say round you don't stay I don't go
We have conflicting opinions and behaviors.

If I care I you so what! wait a minute, so what
I don't care about your opinion or feelings.

So what, so what
I am indifferent to your actions.

Your driving me insanity
Your behavior is causing me to go crazy.

Runs in the family
Mental illness is a common trait in my family.