British ’80s New Wave musical group Tears for Fears are perhaps best known for their hit songs “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” which remain karaoke and oldies radio favorites to this day. But a few years before that, their breakthrough single was a track called “Mad World.” Nearly twenty years after it was first released, a slowed down cover of “Mad World” was featured in the cult film Donnie Darko, performed by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules. This brought the song to a whole new generation of fans.
Now, via BoingBoing, we’ve learned that during his Coronavirus quarantine, Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith has performed his classic song once more, only this time with his young daughter, Diva. Given that she appears to have inherited her dad’s musical prowess, it seems that he certainly gave her an appropriate name. Considering our current circumstances, there is no more appropriate song than “Mad World” for the two of them to perform together.
The video was posted on the YouTube channel of fashion designer and philanthropist Tory Burch, who is personal friends with Smith. She wrote “It’s hard to imagine a song that seems more relevant right now. I am so happy to share a new beautiful version by my dear friend Curt Smith of @Tears For Fears Youtube with his daughter Diva recorded for us from their quarantine life in LA.”
The version they sing together in the video is perhaps a bit more similar in tone to the Michael Andrews and Gary Jules version from Donnie Darko. It is certainly different from the original version that Smith performed with his musical partner Roland Orzabal back in the day. But for better or worse, the melancholy tone really does fit the time we are living in, doesn’t it? Hopefully, we get a proper (yet socially distanced) Tears for Fears jam session/reunion on YouTube as well during all of this! Just puttin’ it out there Curt and Roland.
Featured Image: Tory Burch / YouTube
