I just spent $25 on a song. Gladly.
This heartbreaking work of staggering genius, Gary Jules (cover of Tears For Fears) "Mad World" is not available for (legal) download. And so I had to Amazon it.
Do you know the song?
Say you're en route to Morocco. Say you've been living in a new town -- maybe it's even the Biggest City in America -- for less than a year. You took the dare. You moved in a heartbeat. You rebuilt everything from scratch. And you succeeded.
Say everything's moving quickly. You know: traffic, relationships, work. It's all breakneck. You don't spend as much time as you might like with Sir Hal. You're not reading much. You're all high heels clickity-clackin' down 86th Street like nobody's business. Shit's pretty wack.
God Bless Rocknroll. God Bless the power of one stupid little piano ballad -- played on repeat, of course -- to calm the nerves.
And then -- SNAP! -- you're on a plane. A big one. You wouldn't know you were moving 600 miles per hour were it not for the roar of the engines. If only you had some Xanax. Mmmmm, that and some chablis, or rose, or whatever.
It's all so fast! You step off. You breathe. You look around. Everything looks different. Clearer, even. And you carry with you a ballad ...
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
That people turn in circles
It's a very very mad world
It's a very very mad world
Enlarging your world...
You step off. You exhale. You smile. You arrive ...
You enlarge your world.
Posted by at October 29, 2004 05:17 PMBless you, Mr. Bike. I have been SEARCHING high and low for that song after I saw Donnie Darko. But the link doesn't work properly.....
Posted by: New Blue Shoe at October 29, 2004 08:30 PMAnd I should note, as a former music industry person, I hated to click that link, but sometimes you've just GOT to get that song back into your ears.
Another song like that is Johnette Napolitano's Suicide Note. I still can't bring myself to Amazon it, but I totally feel your pain.
Posted by: New Blue Shoe at October 29, 2004 08:35 PMThat is a beautiful song.
Posted by: janna at October 29, 2004 11:17 PMBen, you should try half dot com for this type of thing. I just checked and they have it new for 14.xx and like new for 8.xx - I pretty much buy all my books and music there.
Posted by: Scott at October 30, 2004 08:01 AMThanks Scott, you're probably right. It was late, I had some beer in me -- my judgement was impaired. But boy was I stoked when it arrived in my office less than 12 hours later! It's been on repeat ever since...
Oh, than and the url's fixed. Der!
Posted by: Benjamin at October 30, 2004 08:34 AM"I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, that the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had"
How can you not be blown away by that song? I might need to go rent Donnie Darko again...
Posted by: Jenny at October 30, 2004 10:53 AMSuch a beautiful cover! I wonder if it's available on ITunes...
Posted by: Cloudy at October 30, 2004 04:29 PMLuckily for fishes, bikes make good friends in new towns.
Posted by: k at October 30, 2004 05:52 PMNow you make me feel guilty. I downloaded that song a week ago (free) by finding it on the Donnie Darko soundtrack.
Posted by: Julie at October 31, 2004 06:50 AMAmazing song. Thank you so much for sharing! I have it on repeat right now!
Posted by: Carrie at October 31, 2004 03:28 PMWhoa.
Two or three years ago, I bought a Best Of Tears for Fears CD.
Just for that song.
I'm terrible about not reading through a whole post and immediately having to comment on something mentioned in the first few sentences so I hope this isn't off the mark; I love that song!
I loved it first as sung by Tears for Fears. I loved it again when Gary Jules sang it once and only once as I flipped through the poor selection of radio stations in my home town. Of course then I didn't know it was Gary Jules, but rather someone who did a pretty great cover and made me feel all kinds of...well I'm not great with words, but next time I hear it I'll be sure to tell you.
Posted by: E. at November 1, 2004 03:24 PM