Madness (song)

Dom with the names Leaked

Muse song
Name	Madness
Album/single	The 2nd Law (2), Madness (1) » Live at Rome Olympic Stadium CD (9), DVD (12)
Length	4:39
Alternative titles	-
First live performance	13th September 2012
Latest live performance	15th October 2019
Recorded	2011-2012
Writer/composer	Matthew Bellamy
Producer	Muse

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Description

A calm, minimal electronic cross between 'I Want To Break Free' and 'Faith' with arrangements similar to Depeche Mode.

Matt Bellamy describes the song's inspiration: "You've had a fight with your girlfriend and she goes off to her mum's house for the day and you're on your own going: 'What did I say?'" says Matt, describing the song's inspiration. "I'm sure a lot of blokes have that experience in the early stages of relationships where you go, 'Yeah, she's right, isn't she?'"

The "Ma-ma-ma-ma-madness" part of the song, according to matt, was inspired by the sound that babies do, to call their mothers and that Bing inspired him to do it.

Composition

Driven by a pulsing dubstep bass line and stuttering samples, Madness begins as a sparse midtempo number and slowly builds. At its peak, sequenced electronics give way to acoustic instruments as towering harmonies swell around the peak of Matt Bellamy's vocal range. The song is played half a step down for live performances, where Chris Wolstenholme uses a Misa Kitara bass.

Trivia

• By error of Bellamy, Howard, Wolstenholme or Kirk, the name of the song was leaked by a photo on Twitter, until it was deleted.

• Madness started out life in a simpler form. Bellamy has said he laid the sparse foundations for the song, returning later to find "Chris and Dom Howard had put absolutely everything on it."

• On February 3rd, Muse announced that the song will be the soundtrack for the NCAA March Madness Games. Watch NCAA is a college basketball league for America and March Madness is a big event in American Basketball.

• Madness was nominated for the category of Best Rock Song, at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, which took place on the 10th of February, 2013.

• Madness broke the record for most weeks at the #1 spot for Alternative Songs according to Billboard.[1] It was at #1 for 19 weeks, 18 in a row.

Live

As one of the band's biggest hits and chart-toppers around the world, Madness was a staple of The 2nd Law Tour and returned rather often for the Drones Tour. During The 2nd Law Tour the song was performed on nearly every date throughout the entire three year tour, minus a select few. During the first half of 2015 Madness was performed very rarely, although still featured a spot in setlists during a few dates of the festival tour. The majority of 2015 performances, however, come from the Drones World Tour and Drones 360 Tour instead of the festivals and the Psycho Tour dates, where it was often left out.

More here

Lyrics

I, I can't get these memories out of my mind

And some kind of madness Is starting to evolve, mmmm And I, I tried so hard to let you go But some kind of madness Is swallowing me whole, yeah I have finally seen the light And I have finally realised What you mean

Now, I need to know is this real love Or is it just madness Keeping us afloat, mmmm When I look back, at all the crazy fights we had It's like some kind of madness Was taking control, yeah

Now, I have finally seen the light And I have finally realised What you need

Now, I have finally seen the end And I'm not expecting you to care, no That I have finally seen the light And I have finally realised I need your love I need your love

Come to me Just in a dream Come on and rescue me Yes I know I can't be wrong And baby you're too headstrong Our love is madness

Live

In the penultimate verse for the first live play Matt and Chris instead sang, was also sung this way at the MTV EMA's:

And now I have finally reached the end

(Finally reached the end)

References

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