Song covers have managed to become a normal, everyday part of music. There’s a wide range of covers, from different genres, to different styles, and all kinds of voices and instruments.

People are always singing or humming songs they happen to like, but some people take it to the next level to record it and put it on YouTube or another social media.

To some people, the cover is better than the actual song. Some songs are better known for some of their covers, rather than the original song itself.

A perfect example of this is the song ‘Mad World,’ more often known by its cover artist, Gary Jules.

Gary Jules, however, is not the original artist of ‘Mad World,’ as opposed to very popular belief.

I had an entire conversation about it once, explaining that the band that originally sang ‘Mad World’ was Tears For Fears, and it was created as a very quick paced song, unlike its better known, slow counterpart.

In fact, just typing in ‘Mad World’ on a YouTube search bar is likely to bring up the Gary Jules version first.

Granted, Tears For Fears is an older band, one that parents in their forties probably listened to when they were teenagers. Nonetheless, this is only one of many examples of covers.

This leads to the song. It’s another one by Tears For Fears, and one that many teenagers nowadays could find themselves relating to. By the name of ‘Shout,’ it’s an awfully long song, but every minute of it is worth listening to.

Shout

Shout

Let it all out

These are things I can do without

Come On

I’m talking to you

Come on

From the very beginning, the song is thrown into a catchy tune and goes right into what could be considered the chorus.

The first few lines already explains something that so many people wish they could do – shout. Some people hold back what they think or want to say so they won’t come off as mean or disagreeable.

This occurs quite often in a teenager-parent relationship as well, when the kid will hold back what they want to say, no matter what.

They hold their tongue, even though all they want to do is let it all out.

People don’t want to be criticized or told they can’t do something.

It knocks them down to somewhere that it proves twice as hard to crawl back from.

Nobody chooses to be depressed or lack confidence. That’s something everybody can do without.

In violent times

You shouldn’t have to sell your soul

In black and white

They really really ought to know

Those one track minds

That took you for a working boy

Kiss them goodbye

You shouldn’t have to jump for joy

Desperate times call for desperate measure is something that a lot of people tend to go by.

When times get rough – violent – people tend to act rashly, out of desperation – selling their soul, in this context.

But nobody should have to – really, nobody should have to get to that point to begin with.

Seeing the world in black and white could easily be the equivalent of “going through the motions.”

Though it isn’t nearly as bad nowadays, there are still very narrow minded people who don’t take others into consideration.

We see examples of those in school bullies, who likely are hurting, themselves.

So kiss them all goodbye, and shout.