Songfacts®:

• This was released as Faith No More's first single from their fourth album, Angel Dust. It became their sole #1 hit on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.
  
  In spite of this song's chart success, bassist Billy Gould told us that Angel Dust was ultimately deemed a "commercial failure": "Angel Dust was considered our commercial failure. At least by the media and record industry; but not with the fans."
• Frontman Mike Patton has said the song is "kind of about Madonna." He explained: "I think it was a particular time where I was being bombarded with her image on TV and in magazines and her whole schtick kind of speaks to me in that way. Like she's going through some sort of problem. It seems she's getting a bit desperate." In our 2012 interview with Billy Gould, he said the lyrics apply "even more to her today."
• Patton has denied that the song is about having a midlife crisis, as he did not know what one would feel like. Instead, he says, "it's more about creating false emotion, being emotional, dwelling on your emotions and in a sense inventing them." (Source of above 2 quotes Faith No More FAQ)
• Disturbed covered this on their 2011 b-sides album The Lost Children. Guitarist Dan Donegan told Noisecreep: "'Midlife Crisis' is our cover and tribute to Faith No More. We're big fans, and it was something we did a while ago and had it on back burner. We put it out since we are fans."
• The video was directed by Kevin Kerslake. It featured a disturbing shot of a man being physically stretched by four horses, which was banned from broadcast before the watershed. This was not the first Faith No More video to spark controversy!