One of the most unique bands to ever exist, quintessentially working class british. Long live Madness.

Different era, absolutely class. Wish I could go back to this time of life.

Thank goodness for reggae!!! Without reggae, there wouldn't be Madness. Thanks Jamaica, thanks Britain!!

The two saxophone solos during this record still gives me goosebumps

The sax deserves a like.

understanding the history and social context, madness make me proud to be english and british, them and the whole two tone record label / social movement

This is a bloody good record. 40 years on.

Even after forty years... the opening bars of this iconic seminal song, still make my heart skip a beat. Madness did and still do have something so British and unique and will be forever held as one of the best bands from these Sceptered Isles xxx

Growing up in the early 80’s .. i didn’t realise what such a powerful message this song had

English culture lyricised brilliantly.. I grew up with this.. Madness had the knack of absolutely capturing the circumstances and feeling and culture of the time in the early eighties that still resonates today

My favourite Madness song.. utterly brilliant band that started out of the two tone ska of the late seventies and were one of the biggest hit makers of the eighties. The two saxophone solos just blow you away in this song and it has a morale message. Madness may have come across as the nutty boys making silly videos but they were just a brilliant band behind that, that made unique catchy songs often with social messages of the time and the challenges and prejudices that were in Britain at the time. When we talk about Great British bands Madness seem woefully forgotten and underated.. a huge thanks for the great soundtrack of my teen years and beyond with your music

Madness, quite simply the best band ever.

This is so very british, it's great. The saxophone player is incredible !

This song can bring tears to your eyes. (especially the injustice of the back story) You really feel for the sister.

call me an old bastard but this song just has everything modern music mostly doesnt have

Top of their game, even John Lennon loved them, their music was part of the soundtrack to my youth, cheers Madness!!

The madness ‘absolutely’ album is by far one of the best - reeks real life experiences put into beautiful and meticulously crafted songs that may seem very poppy and swingy on the surface but once you scratch past that it’s pure genius and meaningful lyrics that are relatable and just all round brilliant. Favourite band ever and absolutely brilliant live 10000/10 for the nutty boys

I saw Madness in Bournemouth last December. Suggs told of how this song was written about Lee Thompson's sister dating a black man and how his family practically disowned her. He said how this song was amazing at showing how times have changed aince it was written. I love Madness. Their songs have such a deep meaning but are always so upbeat sounding.

The older these songs get THE BETTER THEY SOUND....PROUD TO BE 1980S GIRL XXXX

Love Madness! Big childhood memories. Big love lads

Madness = Genius. This song is a gem and possibly Lee Thompson's best showcase of his great talent.

This song is NOT about Ireland someone already mentioned what the songs about This song is about the turmoil that engulfed Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson's sister Tracy, after she fell pregnant by a black man. The lyrics expressed the shame felt throughout the family of having a mixed race baby, an attitude sadly still prevalent in early 1980s Britain. Lee Thompson told the BBC "It was just not accepted in those days. She was shunned by a few people in the family. My father tried to talk her into getting it terminated. My sister dug her heels in and I was caught in the middle, wanting everyone to be happy.

44 years on and this record was for me it was how I was made to feel by my old man still know all the word's off by heart

When I heard this song for the first time I did not realise this was about a serious subject within family circles. Priceless now when u realise what it is about

Best Madness song ever!! FACT :)

Madness at their peak absolutely

The best, and for me definitive, Madness song.

Songs with actual words, and that Sax is just mind blowing good.

I was a massive Madness fan when I grew up in the 8T's. Still am. How can you not be?

First band I ever saw at 12. 55 now and still go whenever they're playing near us. Top british band

The soundtrack of walking the streets alone at night, feeling the cold on your shaved head, the echoe of your boots on the empty street.

The song the music, the text, the sax... Hearing it once just ain't enough... Masterpiece

My brother love madness all his life til he passed away suddenly in 2020 aged 46. I grew up listening to them and listen to them even more so now the music is timeless 💜

I saw Madness for the first time at Lindisfarne in September 2022 and they were absolutely magnificent. If you haven't seen them live, DO IT! If you have... DO IT AGAIN!

This remains a very good song, just like most music of Madness, nostalgia of the highest level. 💯👍🏻💯👍🏻💯👍🏻💯👍🏻💯👍🏻

Wish i was around when this was released thank you dad for introducing me to the best era of music

IMO their best song. Shot in my old manor. Used to see them bouncing around often back in the day. Top lads, all.

Suggs has such a soft voice, madness is always incredible by making the interments music look so complicated, yet as they had seven musicians their music was perfectly specialised. Yet If you take a look at each instrument it’s not difficult. And actually each instrument complements each other. Mike and the others were musical geniuses

Jake Burns understood exactly what his genre was and how to throw it in your face. Also,having the drum kit up front while he stood in the back has never been done by any live band.Genius.

The best of Madness's songs

Can we just take a moment to enjoy probably the best ending to a Madness song, possibly any song ever? Glorious! And knocking over the wine glass. Perfect!

Bunch of young guy's hard to believe they were capable of such quality great little band plenty of hits .

i love every song from Madness!!!

J adore , c est une époque où on écoutait du bon ska avec the specials,Bad manners...une époque formidable !!

A big hit in the UK singles charts in November-December 1980.Remember it well.

I love Madness, they are a great band! Today I listened to all my favorite songs from Madness on KZfaq, all I can say is that all the videos are great, I don't think any other video would top them, they are a genius group! I want to learn how to play the saxophone! from watching this song. Too bad they don't issue other songs now, the music today is not as good as the eighties, I'm 48 now and love that era.... you keep listing to those songs and never get bored. This is my favorite song from Madness.

Brilliant record, best by Madness by a mile very very deep lyrics.

It never ages. I frigging love this. I still have the original albums and the man in the mad suit tour. My cousin used to play for Chelsea, so we were privilege to watch them making the blue day video.❤

I'm 51 years old... and have gone back to when I was just 12.All these songs are still brilliant because the lyrics are so easy,fun,and you know the tunes from the first bars.I remember wearing nutty boyz badges,cromby coats and a trilbyMy girl is my favourite song.❤️👍

MADNESS AT THEIR BEST

My very first single bought! What a gem! Another classic from one of the best all time British groups!

Lyrics Received a letter just the other day Don't seem they wanna know you no more They've laid it down given you their score Within the first two lines it bluntly read You're not to come and see us no more Keep away from our door Don't come 'round here no more What on earth did you do that for? Our aunt, she don't wanna know she says "What will the neighbors think, they'll think We don't, that's what they'll think, we don't" But I will, 'cause I know they think I don't Our uncle he don't wanna know he says "We are a disgrace to the human race", he says "How can you show your face When you're a disgrace to the human race?" No commitment, you're an embarrassment Yes, an embarrassment, a living endorsement The intention that you have booked Was an intention that was overlooked They say, "Stay away Don't want you home today Keep away from our door Don't come 'round here no more" Our dad, don't wanna know he says "This is a serious matter Too late to reconsider No one's gonna wanna know ya" Our mum, she don't wanna know, she says "I'm feelin' twice as old", she says "Thought she had a head on her shoulder 'Cause I'm feelin' twice as older I'm feelin' twice as older" You're an embarrassment

Best song by the nutty boys. The 93 people with thumbs down must have their phone upside down, tha nuz

This is one of the best songs of all time

Underrated song, band, attitude.

😩 Sat here listening to this before Rob Forrest's funeral, the guy told me about this song and all the crazy times back in the day!! He had some crazy stories from sound managing with madness an others. God bless you Rob Forrest 💚

I love this whole album. I just get lost in that sax at the end. It takes me right back to school, flight jacket and an arm full of two tone badges.

Another brilliant song from the brilliant madness i love their songs 🤩😊😎🤗❤🎉

This has an almost RnB/Motown soul style to it, incredible.

eighties music and saxophone, the perfect match. it dissapeared in the nineties

Serious subject from the nutty boys and boy didn't they do it really well

Music like this kept folk sane through a an ever more depressing era for the working class youth in Britain

I can’t remember when and where I first heard Madness; I just remember liking them!

Always loved the song but now digging it even more after having just learned what it was about. Well done Nutty Boys!

If you know the backstory to this song you realise haow brilliant it is

46 years on. I have only co-existed with Madness for 14 of those years, and yet they’ve managed to become my number one favourite band.

Absolutely classic band

Thank you for everything i love you from the start.......when i was a little kid 😅Kiss from Belgium ❤

Legends, pure & simple.

Something today's "musicians" should learn, write lyrics that actually mean something & with a relevant point to it, anyone who grew up around the time this was released will know exactly what I mean ✌🏻💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

FANflippingTASTIC Wonderful Madness 💙🖤♥️🖤💙

Late 1970's and 1980's, the best decades ever to be young and alive 🥳🎉🎈👯‍♀️🍾 and this band was a huge part of that for me.

Still as fresh today as it was 41+ years ago

0% bad 0% swearing 100% perfection

I can’t believe it, I’m 48yo m, heard this song a million times and it’s the first time I’ve shed a tear 😢 to it, crazy times!

Madness' best songs, Embarrassment, You Said, Sign of the Times, Missing You, In the Rain.

How has this only been watched 300k times! What a classic. Grew up with these tunes.

One of the first singles i ever bought, just brilliant.

I don’t know anyone who didn’t like madness , I still do and always will !

This should be used against those that willingly give the BBC licence fees :)

A cutting-edge brilliant piece of work.

That brass section is the bollocks. Later in tunes like "Tomorrow is Just Another Day" the brilliant brass motifs were rendered tinny by specious production.

I love that all their videos look like they were filmed in their basement or in the street when traffic cleared, and they drew straws to determine which member of the band had to hold the camera and couldn't be in that shot.

Outstanding social comment; and superb tight musicianship. Suggs posing correctly, singing SUPERBLY, with no pretentious USA accent. For a short period of time, they were unsurpassable. This their best I believe. Love the ending; it's so unexpectedly surprising ....then.....!

Gotta be one of their best tunes

First single I ever bought, aged 11. I think i did very well! Thank you Madness.

Saw then years back at a gig years back with Our Daughters Wedding and Tenpole Tudor supporting.

What a band!

As 'goofy as the general public perceived them as, they wrote bloody good songs!! Really and truly!

Outstanding song…..

I wasn't into Madness much as a teen in the 80s, but they are a really good band - the music, the words, the saxophone...

The only Madness song I bought as a kid

Lee Thompson has the best sax solo's in the world!

The song is so-so, they recorded many far superior tunes, but the video is fantastic; pure art. The collected Madness videos deserve to be recognised as something special - Chapl8n, Keaton, Madness - there is a genuine connection, the combination of music AND video is what the band will be remembered by; whoever made them deserves to be recognised for their immense talent

Lee Thompson is the writer and with him on the saxophone 🎷as well brings out the Madness in Madness and that's what i call genius in itself and from Lee to Suggs and the rest of em as well they've got personality written all over them and that's one of the things what i think makes the band stand out they've all got great character about themselves 👏

Magnificent now and then

Boris and his Government come to mind. As well as the great bands name. Madness. This is Great as they just grate.

They never made a bad record. They are the Greatest 🤩

this is their best song

My favourite madness song brilliant