TEARS FOR FEARS – Start of the Breakdown (live) | Rockpalast (1983)

The Hurting is the debut studio album by British new wave band Tears for Fears, released on 7 March 1983 by Mercury Records distributed by Phonogram Inc. The album peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart in its second week of release and was certified Gold by the BPI within three weeks of release. The album also entered the Top 40 in several other countries including Canada, Germany, and Australia. It was certified Platinum in the UK in January 1985.

The Hurting is a loose concept album focusing on themes of child abuse, psychological trauma and depression. Despite its dark subject matter, the album was a huge commercial success. It contains Tears for Fears’ first three hit singles – “Mad World”, “Change”, and “Pale Shelter” – all of which reached the top five in the UK and the Top 40 internationally. It also contains a new version of the band’s first single, “Suffer the Children”, which had originally been released in 1981, while the album version of “Pale Shelter” is also a new recording. The album initially received mixed reviews but attracted retrospective critical acclaim.

The songs were written by Roland Orzabal inspired by his own childhood traumas and the primal theories by Arthur Janov. Most of the songs were heavily inspired by the writings of Janov. “Ideas as Opiates” was named after a chapter in his 1980 book “Prisoners of Pain”, which also was a direct influence on the song “The Prisoner”. Musical influences included Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Joy Division.

Rockpalast (Rock Palace) was a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).

Scratch the ice Let the telephone ring Sense of time is a powerful thing And we love to laugh Love to cry Half alive We love to Go slow when we’re dancing for rain Dry skin flakes where there’s ice in the vein And we love to cry Half alive

Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown?

Scratch the earth Dig the burial ground Sense of time would be easily found Ten out of ten For the ones who defend Pretend too Breakdown is a final demand We stand firm with our head in our hands As we love to to cry Half alive

Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? Break, break down Break, break

I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you Is this the start of the breakdown? I can’t understand you