C'est La Vie

Album: Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "C'est La Vie" explores themes of life, death, and the absurdity of it all. Over an eerie space-ska backing, Madness frontman Suggs reflects on the perils of everyday life. He uses the French phrase "C'est La Vie" to convey the message that life is full of ups and downs, and that we should just accept it for what it is.
  • Madness keyboard player Mike Barson wrote the song. It's "about these crazy times we're living in, and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be a part of all this madness," he explained. "But of course, I'm a member of a group called Madness. Perhaps we should have called ourselves 'Sanity.'"
  • Madness teased "C'est La Vie" on September 27, 2023, with a dramatic reading of the song by actress Helen Mirren. They released the track the next day as the first single from Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie.
  • Madness recorded Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie in an industrial unit in Cricklewood, London. The principle "Let Madness be Madness" spurred the creation of the record.
  • Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie marks Madness' first foray into self-producing, collaborating with engineer and mixer Matt Galsbey (Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Alt-J). The only exception was "In My Street," which was produced by the longtime Madness production team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley.
  • Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is Madness' 13th album and their third UK #1. Their two previous studio albums to reach the top spot were the greatest hits compilations Complete Madness in 1982 and Divine Madness in 1992.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.