The Insanity of Music ~ 15 Songs to Breakdown To...

Webster's Dictionary defines the word INSANE to mean mentally disordered: exhibiting insanity.

"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of three of your best friends, if they're o.k., then it's you." ~ Rita Mae Brown

Feeling as though you'd like to pull the shades and shroud yourself in black? Are those voices arguing amongst themselves and ignoring your cries to halt? It's totally understandable. The world has seemingly gone off the deep end. Every where you turn, sanity has decided to run amuck and departed for an extended vacation. Faceless people pass you by, their eyes searching the floor for answers and their minds apparently devoid of coherent thought. Alas, groping for solutions and lost in a faraway time.

::sigh:: We've finally reached that bridge to no where.

But, have no fear, there's still the magic of music therapy. Music that will put a psychotic spin on reality for your listening enjoyment. Tunes that allow us to heal through lyrics that paint a colorful and robust picture of our lunacy.

Here are 15 songs that remind us, insanity is not so bad, it's downright therapeutic. Enjoy.

Queen ~ I'm Going Slightly Mad

The legendary Freddie Mercury wrote "I'm going slightly Mad" right before his untimely death while living in London. The video was a satirical take on one's giddy free fall into final madness. Elton John, a long time friend, made a brief appearance in the video playing, of all things, a monkey.

The Who ~ Behind Blue Eyes

Pete Townsend wrote "Behind Blue Eyes" after supposedly being tempted by an over-zealous fan, but chose to deny the advances. "How lonely it is to be powerful." The song seems to elude to the insanity fame brings, along with deep loneliness and the torturous feelings of being misunderstood.

Queen ~ Under Pressure

Queen's Freddie Mercury wrote most of "Under Pressure", although the whole band contributed in some part. It was the first collaboration Queen participated in and it was with the incomparable David Bowie. A song about the enormity of dealing with life's unavoidable pressures and how sometimes we succumb to it's hostile insanity. "Under Pressure" was also featured in the documentary "Maxed Out", which gives a scary overview of our consumer credit crunch and how elected politicians contribute to the funding of these companies and pocket major profits.

Michael and Janet Jackson ~ Scream

Janet Jackson offered her star power and support to her famous big brother Michael in an extravagant and high-priced MTV video. Scream was released in 1995 and lyrically responds to relentless media coverage of Michael Jackson's infamous child molestation trial. Although highly controversial and rarely given airplay, "Scream" can be attached to any current celebrity undergoing the paparazzi frenzy.

The Ramones ~ I Wanna Be Sedated

Joey Ramone wrote a song called "I wanna be sedated" after a nasty accident resulting in burns from extremely hot water, and having to be rushed to the hospital. The Ramones were hardcore, undeniably original and one of the most underrated bands of all time. The song sums up hopeless boredom of anysmalltown, USA and the excruciating need to be relieved with sedation.

Pink Floyd ~ Comfortably Numb

Pink Floyd's, Roger Waters wrote the lyrics for this masterpiece entitled "Comfortably Numb" about an unfortunate bout with hepatitis. In his euphoric state of delirium, Waters was given enough drugs to endure this crazed state comfortably numb.

Ozzy Osbourne ~ Crazy Train

Can't we all just get along? The question of the millennium summed up in six words.... Anger and Religion do not mix. "Crazy Train" showcases the brilliant talent of the late Randy Rhodes, former creator of Quiet Riot fame. The powerhouse guitar solo makes "Crazy Train" exceptionally unique and portrays "crazy" on a whole new level.

Billy Joel ~ You May be Right

Released in 1980. In "You May be Right" Billy Joel acknowledges the fact that he is indeed crazy "thank you very much" and eliminating all suspicion. The video to this song is set in a glass house giving way to rampant hypocrisy and sending the message loud and clear that "those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

The Kinks ~ Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues

Ray Davies and The Kinks were one of the most influential bands to come out of England, perhaps not as successful as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, but incredibly inspiring in their own right. "Acute Schizophrenia Blues" is witty and with lines like "I'm too terrified to walk out my front door. They're demonstrating outside, I think they're gonna start the third world war. And I've been to my local head shrinker, to help classify my disease. He said it's one of the many cases of acute schizophrenia he sees." nails psychosis rather charmingly.

Fiona Apple ~ Paper Bag

Unrequited love can be disappointing and sometimes leads to frustration beyond repair. In "Paper Bag", Fiona Apple weaves a tale of woe from an agonizing revelation that her personal issues may just be too complex to subject another human being, especially a man who's still only a little boy. I love Fiona Apple.

Blind Melon ~ No Rain

"No Rain" comes from the self-titled album released in 1992. The video that goes along with this track is both spellbinding and memorable. Blind Melon's base player explained to Details Magazine how an ex-girlfriend inspired this song. "She had a hard time with depression. I was telling myself that I was writing it about her: how f--ked up she could be, but how intelligent she was and why she was so unhappy and how much she needed me to be happy. And I realized I was writing it about myself at the same time. I needed her just as much. She would sleep even when it was sunny outside and she'd complain that there wouldn't be any rain, because that would give her an excuse to stay in."

Pearl Jam ~ Jeremy

"Jeremy" comes from the album "Ten" and was released in 1991. Inspired by a newspaper clipping describing the events of a revenge-seeking shooting spree of a 16 year-old boy, who ultimately kills himself in the end. The video won "Video of the Year" at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, and sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Evanescence ~ Lithium

Lithium is a mood stabilizer that sometimes wreaks havoc with your soul. As ironic as it may sound, it's sometimes more painful to feel numb, then it is to deal with inner turmoil. Amy Lee's voice is beautifully intricate and perfectly haunting.

Matchbox 20 ~ Unwell

Released from the album "More than you think you are" during 2003, "Unwell" was written by Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox 20. The song explains the torment of questioning one's sanity. The feelings of isolation are universal and relates to everyone on some level.

The Cars ~ Drive

It was 1984 and from the album "Heartbeat City" that the Cars released the song "Drive". The song comes from a place of helplessness of having to watch someone you truly love fall apart at the seams. The downward spiral is as inevitable as it is sometimes necessary. Shot dramatically in black and white and directed by actor Timothy Hutton. The gorgeous Paulina Porizkova, who stars in the video, met and later married lead singer Rick Ocasek in 1989.