"Ideas as Opiates" is a song that originally served as the B-side to the "Mad World" single, and was later re-recorded for inclusion on The Hurting. A later remix by noted British music producer Afterlife was featured on the 2005 reissue of the Tears for Fears greatest hits collection Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92). This mix is very similar to the album version, with the most notable differences being the additional echo added to the intro and middle sections and the subtraction of a subtle keyboard part from the bridge. The song had only one remix on its initial release, the World Remix that was featured on a 7" double-single. The 7" version of "Mad World" is the same mix of the song found on The Hurting. The song was influenced by the theories of Arthur Janov, author of The Primal Scream, and the lyric "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" suggests that dreams of intense experiences such as death will be the best at releasing tension. Smith clarified the actual lyric in 2010: Template:Quote Template:QuoteĬurt Smith's ad lib in the song's final chorus resulted in a mondegreen. The band then opted to re-record "Mad World" with producers Ross Cullum and Chris Hughes, a former drummer with Adam and the Ants. "Mad World" was intended to be the B-side for the band's second single " Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)", but their record company stated that "Mad World" could be a single in its own right. After a few false starts with Orzabal on vocals, he suggested Smith sing it and "suddenly it sounded fabulous". "Mad World" was originally written on acoustic guitar when Orzabal was 19 after being inspired to write a new wave song in the vein of Duran Duran's " Girls on Film".
8 Michael Andrews and Gary Jules version.