After the release of their debut album Enter in 1997, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Their next albums The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007) debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.
The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The album advanced the band's exploration of new musical genres and features guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single "Paradise (What About Us?)"; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. The band had extensive airplay on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom with one of the songs from the album, "Whole World Is Watching" featuring Pirner.
Their latest studio album, Resist, was released in February 2019 and incorporates influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Temptation
Studio albums
Enter (1997)
Mother Earth (2000)
The Silent Force (2004)
The Heart of Everything (2007)
The Unforgiving (2011)
Hydra (2014)
Resist (2019)
Bleed Out (2023)
Mad World
Within Temptation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bowing down our heads to love and greed
I wonder
Can't deny, it's in my head
A world in flames, the blood we shed
Walls are falling down on us
And break away from the dark
Caught in this wicked game
We know that nothing stays the same
'Cause we're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
Trying to hold on to all we know
But one day turn around and let it go
Restless
Can't deny the dreams we had
Are glowing sparks, the fire ain't dead
Walls are falling down on us
We wanna scream our pain
And break away from the dark
Caught in this wicked game
We know that nothing stays the same
'Cause we're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We hate, we love, we're fighting
This world is tearing us apart
And piece by piece we're crumbling
We're crumbling
We wanna scream our pain
And break away from the dark
Caught in this wicked game
We know that nothing stays the same
'Cause we're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
We're living in a mad world
The first verse of Within Temptation's "Mad World" discusses the struggle between one's inner desires and their responsibilities to society. The lead singer, Sharon den Adel, acknowledges that she has a "restless part" and an innate desire for love and luxury, but she questions whether or not this is right. The second half of the verse speaks to the violence and chaos happening in the world- the shared responsibility for the bloodshed, and the inevitability of death. The chorus then speaks to the desire to break away from the darkness and pain in the world- to scream and escape the wicked game that is life. The repetition of "we're living in a mad world" emphasizes the idea that the world is a crazy and unpredictable place, and the only certainty is that nothing will stay the same.
The second verse speaks to the constant tension between holding on to what one knows and being brave enough to let go and explore new possibilities. The reference to "glowing sparks" speaks to the potential for something new and exciting to emerge. The final chorus reiterates the pain and struggle of living in this mad world, the internal and external fighting that's tearing people apart, and ultimately the crumbling of society.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the state of the world and the human condition. It acknowledges the pain and chaos but also the potential for something new if we're willing to let go of what we know and explore new possibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't control the restless part of me
I am unable to contain my restless nature
Bowing down our heads to love and greed
We are submitting to the desires for love and material wealth
I wonder
I am curious and uncertain
Can't deny, it's in my head
I cannot refute that it is in my mind
A world in flames, the blood we shed
Our world is consumed by conflict and violence
Walls are falling down on us
We are being crushed by our problems
We wanna scream our pain
We desire to express the agony we feel
And break away from the dark
We seek to escape the dark and negative aspects of our lives
Caught in this wicked game
We are trapped in a cruel and heartless game
We know that nothing stays the same
We acknowledge that change is inevitable
'Cause we're living in a mad world
We are living in a chaotic and irrational world
Trying to hold on to all we know
We are attempting to maintain familiarity and stability
But one day turn around and let it go
However, one day we will inevitably need to let go and move on
Restless
We are unsettled and uneasy
Can't deny the dreams we had
We cannot ignore our aspirations
Are glowing sparks, the fire ain't dead
Our dreams still have potential despite obstacles and setbacks
We hate, we love, we're fighting
We experience a range of emotions and are constantly battling
This world is tearing us apart
The world is causing emotional and physical harm to us
And piece by piece we're crumbling
We are gradually falling apart
We're crumbling
We are disintegrating and breaking down
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: Daniel Bjorn Gibson, Robert Westerholt, Sharon J. Adel Den
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wtofficial
We've released a brand new song called 'Entertain You'. Go listen to it on Spotify: https://bit.ly/WTEntertainYou
Or watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e0xpemwYe-o
We can't wait to hear what you think!
@eddies838
Sharon, don't ever change! Don't sell out! Too many in rock/metal have fallen in that trap. I know of one that did and broke my heart.
@user-po3he7fw3x
С
@olexvol9249
sold for a lot of money to those who want to create this miserable clip of envy of the successful of this world, those to whom they are drawn, to those who created the conditions for their own realization as a person, the desire for freedom and independence - the basis from which every person on earth is born, those who are trying to save this Peace !
@user-dk5mb5zl8q
A perfect description of how the people are feeling today . Perfect song .
@user-lf6td5se5e
Очень красивый человек, здоровья ей и близким её,долгих л ет на земле, Спасибо большое ей😢🖤😶👍👌
@ukaszkandzia9616
Wielki szacunek , za tekst melodie i video 💓
@j.cfre2836
Within temptation the best band of the world ❤
@xovicyansen8903
SORRY it s ENSIFERUM bruh !
@yumu5460
xovic yansen there is this concept called opinion exists.