Upbeat and energetic, creating a jarring contrast with the lyrics.
While "Sad" is from his earlier work, its themes laid the groundwork for his 2021 special, Inside . Tracks like "All Eyes on Me" (which won a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media ) explore similar territory—the intersection of mental health, performance, and the commodification of "sadness" in the internet age. Bo Burnham Sad
The song shifts when Bo describes watching an old man get hit by a train because he didn't warn him; he admits he just thought, "Oooh, this is gonna be sad," and then enjoyed the spectacle. The "Inside" Connection Upbeat and energetic, creating a jarring contrast with
The core joke of "Sad" is the subversion of empathy. Bo presents a series of tragic images—from "a depressed onion cutting itself" to "a homeless man named Rich"—and uses them as punchlines. By the end, he reveals himself as a "genius" not for feeling empathy, but for successfully turning suffering into a catchy song for profit. Key: C Major (the "simplest" and most common key in pop). The song shifts when Bo describes watching an
"I saw a flyer for a lost dog and the dog didn't have any legs" or "a giraffe with a short neck".