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10 Musical Connections about Madness and Mental Illness

Whether it be a song about delusional paranoia, the name of a Band, or musicians/singers who have experienced schizophrenia, or even Quadrophenia (Who that then?) here we have musical connections with a mis-functioning organ above the neck. And don’t forget, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t out to get you!  Look in the mirror- is that twitch just you trying to do a Billy Idol sneer, or imitating a Cliff Richard mannerism, or… are you becoming possessed by a malevolent muse?  Where appropriate I’ve included a medical definition to help any aspiring practitioners in the field.

1. Paranoid (Black Sabbath)

 “Finished with my woman coz she couldn’t help me with my mind” opens Black Sabbath’s best-selling single. What does he expect? Is he dating a Shrink? The lyrics are sometimes attributed to Ozzy’s mental fragility in the early Sabbath years, although early versions of the song had quite different lyrics. Recorded inside 20 minutes as a filler for the Paranoid Album, this became the song that first exposed heavy metal to Top of the Pops. Not ‘arf Pop Pickers!

Paranoia refers to the perception or suspicion that others have hostile or aggressive motives in interacting with them (for example, "they are out to get me”)

2. Split (The Groundhogs)

Tony TS McPhee moved from blues player to master of the wah-wah pedal via this album, side one of which charted his series of panic attacks in May 1970. Some astonishing sounds exude from Tony’s Stratocaster, while his lyrics dance darkly around his “split” from reality and into the Panic Room in the mind. Nice album sleeve too.

Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep.

3. Madness

The nutty boys themselves: Mad as in madcap rather than total loonies. Still going strong, and remembered fondly for their One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers, Our House,  House of Fun and a lot more besides. As far as we know there are no Certified (Section 3 of the Mental Health Act) members of the Band!

4. Syd Barratt (Pink Floyd)

Depending on which story you believe, Pink Floyd’s whimsical and talented poet/visionary slowly descended into the abyss, or he had one mega-bad LSD acid trip that flipped the switch.  Pink Floyd drifted from pop psychedelia to ambient rock, while still acknowledging the debt owed to Syd in songs like “Wish you Were here”.  Syd died in 2006. Floyd with Syd had a number of hits including See Emily Play, and Arnold Lane (here on the video).

Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences, as well as for its key role in 1960s counterculture. According to most medical sites, it is not addictive.

5. Velvet Acid Christ

Bryan Erickson should be much better known than he has, as he has a prolific output, and has perfected the art of combining snippets from obscure (and sometimes well-known) films, and television series, with his electronica.  Some of his songs and lyrics are so unbelievable dark, you won’t be surprised top know he has had to battle his demons. The name for his Band comes from- yes, you’ve guessed it, a bad acid trip where one emerged uttering those words… He now is a born-again vegan and renounced drugs, yet his music is as compelling and as dark as ever.

Here’s a happy little ditty with video from the film Se7en:

6. Ian Curtis (Joy Division)

The talented frontman for the influential Joy Division suffered from epilepsy and depression, and committed suicide on 18 May 1980, on the eve of Joy Division's first North American tour, resulting in the band's dissolution and the subsequent formation of New Order.

Curtis hanged himself with the kitchen washing line in his house in Macclesfield, near Manchester.

Seizure (Epilepsy)

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized.

7. 19^th Nervous Breakdown (Rolling Stones)

While Paint it Black was probably a darker song from this early period of the Stones, the title of 19^th Nervous Breakdown would seem to signal that all is now well in the cranium department, but it’s actually about a spoilt brat who can’t appreciate the good things in life. Tsk Tsk!

8. Nick Drake

A much lauded English folk singer who overdosed on antidepressants aged 26. He suffered from depression and insomnia. His legacy is haunting and one wonders where his talent would have taken him musically had he lived longer…

Insomnia is difficulty in falling or staying asleep, the absence of restful sleep, or poor quality of sleep.

9. Can You See The Real Me (The Who)

A seminal track from the Quadrophenia rock opera, the lyrics say it all- it’s about someone well-frazzled and trying to turn to different people to help. But for me it’s the bass in this song which is mad mad mad. It’s like a lead instrument, all over the place- beautiful.  The Ox (John Entwistle) claimed that he was just mucking around when he played the bass licks here, not thinking it would ever end up in the final recording. Thank heaven it did!

Schizophrenia is a devastating brain disorder-the most chronic and disabling of the severe mental illnesses.

10. Kraftwerk (Tour de France)

Two of the members of Kraftwerk, the pioneering German electronic popsters from Dusseldorf began to get so into cycling that it became totally obsessive and they neglected their music for years. Ralf Hutter explained that he saw cycling as more than a mere leisure pursuit, and something closer to a political statement:  “No, it’s not for holiday. It is the man machine. It’s me, the man machine on the bicycle. Holidays are an alienation, a consumption concept. To relax ourselves, we ride the bicycle, it’s enough. We are liberated from holidays.”. Ok thanks for that Ralphy- what ever happened to the lorry driving on the Autobahn, or a trip on the Trans Europe Express then? Too fast? Get a grip that’s not passion it’s obsession!

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that may result in repetitive behaviours.