♪ Ⓜᵃｄ𝐧𝔼Ⓢ𝔰 𝕚Ⓝ 𝐌𝕦Ⓢ𝔦𝕔! ♪

To go along with the March Madness Theme, I am closing out the month with 10 of my favorite songs about MADNESS!

NOTE: This was rejected for word count, so I am amending the story to add some selected song lyrics for each selection.

Basket Case by Green Day

Green Day actually had a few pieces in contention, but Basket Case just HAD to be included! It is about anxiety attacks and a feeling that you are going crazy.

“Sometimes I give myself the creeps

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me

It all keeps adding up

I think I’m cracking up

Am I just paranoid?

Or am I just stoned?”

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

This is another tune that absolutely could not be left off this list! We’re all a bit crazy when seen through each other’s eyes.

“I remember when

I remember, I remember when I lost my mind

There was something so pleasant about that place

Even your emotions have an echo in so much space”

Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

Crazy Train is the classic CRAZY song and includes one of the greatest guitar riffs in music history. The song is actually about the madness of the Cold War which plagued the era.

ALL ABOARD!

“Mental wounds not healing

Life’s a bitter shame

I’m going off the rails on a Crazy Train”

Mad World by Gary Jules

It was a difficult choice between this more somber cover or the original Tears for Fears classic. I am a big TFF fan. The songs are like opposite sides of the same coin, but the Gary Jules version truly captures the downbeat, depressive madness of this world and that feeling of being alienated.

We are trapped in a mundane and circular routine, the daily grind of living, and it has sucked the sanity right out of the world. What hope is there of coming to terms with your own sanity when the whole world has gone mad and is running in circles? What does it suggest about life when the dreams in which you’re dying are best you’ve ever had? (Very Freudian)

“And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda 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”

Disturbia by Rihanna

“Disturbia” was co-written by Rihanna’s then-boyfriend and fellow recording artist, Chris Brown. In an interview, Rihanna described the song as being about the general feelings of mental anguish, anxiety and confusion.

“No more gas in the rig

(Can’t even get it started)

Nothing heard, nothing said

(Can’t even speak about it)

All my life on my head

(Don’t want to think about it)

Feels like I’m going insane, yeah.

It’s a thief in the night to come and grab you

It can creep up inside you and consume you

A disease of the mind, it can control you

It’s too close for comfort.”

Crazy on You by Heart

“Crazy on You” was released in 1976 by Heart, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The Vietnam War had recently ended, and, not unlike today, it was a time of great political and civil unrest. According to Nancy Wilson, this was a call to your partner: “I know the world is just insanely crazy here right now. But I just want us to go crazy together. To let it all just fall away so it’s only just you and me here!” (Or cast in today’s terms, let us be one another’s safe space to go crazy.)

“Wild man’s world is cryin’ in pain

What you gonna do when everybody’s insane?

So afraid of one who’s so afraid of you

What you gonna do?

Ooh, crazy on you

Crazy on you

Let me go crazy, crazy on you”

Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez

The phrase “Mad Hatter” is often used to describe an eccentric or erratic person. Mercury poisoning was prevalent in 18th and 19th Century hatmakers due to their prolonged exposure to toxic mercury fumes, leading to the term ‘Mad Hatters Disease’. The ‘Mad Hatter’ is also a character in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 fantasy novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. This song reminds us that it is okay to be comfortable with who you are. Embrace your unique individuality. ALL the best people are crazy!

“I’m peeling the skin off my face

‘Cause I really hate being safe

The normals, they make me afraid

The crazies, they make me feel sane

I’m nuts, baby, I’m mad

The craziest friend that you’ve ever had

. . .

So what if I’m crazy? . . .

All the best people are crazy”

Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill

“Insane in the Membrane” was a gang term used by the Bloods and Crips as an informal insanity plea upon arrest. It was one of the first songs I thought of when I was compiling this list.

Insane in the membrane

Insane in the brain

Insane in the membrane

Insane in the brain

Insane in the membrane

Crazy insane, got no brain

Insane in the membrane

Insane in the brain

Unwell by Matchbox Twenty

In an interview, Matchbox Twenty lead singer, Rob Thomas, said: “Unwell is about having a despondent relationship with yourself. In the end, it’s a positive song, because you come to terms with the fact you’re not crazy” (just a little unwell).

“All day starin’

at the ceilin’ makin’

Friends with shadows on my wall

All night hearing voices tellin’ me

That I should get some sleep

Because tomorrow might be good for somethin’

Hold on, feelin’ like I’m headed for a breakdown

And I don’t know why

But I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell

I know, right now you can’t tell

But stay a while and maybe then you’ll see

A different side of me”

Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel (with Kate Bush)

I will finish this list on a much more serious note. I have played on the theme of Madness for March, but mental health is no laughing matter. If you are struggling with issues in your life, know that you are NOT alone. This is our community; here you are surrounded by friends. PLEASE reach out. You are not alone, nor do you have to face your demons alone. Also, you can always Dial 9-8-8. YOU MATTER! Don’t give up!

“No fight left or so it seems

I am a man whose dreams have all deserted

I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name

But no one wants you when you lose

. . .

Don’t give up

‘Cause you have friends

Don’t give up

You’re not the only one

Don’t give up

No reason to be ashamed

Don’t give up

You still have us

Don’t give up now

We’re proud of who you are

Don’t give up

You know it’s never been easy

Don’t give up

‘Cause I believe there’s a place

There’s a place where we belong”