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Everybody Wants to Rule the World
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | ||
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| Single by Tears for Fears | ||
| from the album Songs from the Big Chair | ||
| B-side(s) | "Pharaohs" | |
| Released | March 18, 1985 | |
| Format | 7", 10", 12" | |
| Recorded | 1984 | |
| Genre | New Wave | |
| Length | 4:10 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Roland Orzabal Ian Stanley Chris Hughes |
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| Producer(s) | Chris Hughes | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Tears for Fears singles chronology | ||
| "Shout" (1984) |
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (1985) |
"Head Over Heels" (1985) |
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song originally written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley and Chris Hughes of the British band Tears for Fears. It was the band's ninth single release in the United Kingdom (the third taken from their sophomore LP Songs from the Big Chair) and seventh UK Top 25 chart hit, peaking at #2 in April 1985. In the USA, it was the lead single from the album and gave the band their first ever Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit on June 8, 1985, remaining there for two weeks. The song has since become the pinnacle of Tears for Fears' chart success, its endurance allowing it to accumulate over two million radio broadcasts by 1994, according to BMI.
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Ironically, considering the song's overwhelming success, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was somewhat of an afterthought during the recording of Songs from the Big Chair. According to Roland Orzabal, he initially regarded the song as a lightweight that would not fit with the rest of the album. It was producer Chris Hughes who convinced him to try recording it, in a calculated effort to cross over into American chart success. Orzabal would later reveal in a radio interview that the beat from the song was stolen from another UK Top 25 chart hit: "Waterfront", by Simple Minds.
As was the case with the three hit singles from Tears for Fears' debut LP The Hurting, the song featured bassist Curt Smith on lead vocals. The guitar solo at the end of the song was recorded in one take by session guitarist Neil Taylor.
It was written and recorded in two weeks and was the final track to be added to the Songs from the Big Chair album. The shuffle beat was alien to our normal way of doing things. It was jolly rather than square and rigid in the manner of 'Shout', but it continued the process of becoming more extrovert.
The concept is quite serious - it's about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes.
For such a popular song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has seen relatively few remixes. Extended, instrumental, and "urban mix" versions were done by producer Chris Hughes for inclusion on the single's various 12" releases. The only other remix of note was one done by electronica act The Chosen Few, included on the 2004 reissue of the greatest hits compilation Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92). No official radio edits or alternate 7" versions of the song have been issued.
The song was later partially re-recorded with a new lyric and released as "Everybody Wants To Run The World" for the 1986 Sport Aid fundraising campaign.
"Pharaohs" is an instrumental that served as the b-side to the "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" single. The only lyric is a recording of a BBC Radio voice reading the shipping forecast for the sea lanes around the United Kingdom. The title of the song is a play on the word "Faroes", one of the places referenced in the forecast. This is one of the few songs in the Tears for Fears catalogue on which founding member Curt Smith shares a writing credit. The song has since been included in the b-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunatic as well as the remastered and deluxe edition reissues of Songs from the Big Chair. A remix by British electronica act Groove Armada is included on their 2000 compilation album Back to Mine.
No matter how horrifying the conditions may really be, the voice reading the shipping forecast is deliberately calm and relaxed. Recorded at the Wool Hall for the b-side of 'Everybody' in a calm and relaxed way.
The promotional clip for "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", filmed in early 1985, was the third Tears for Fears clip directed by famed music video producer Nigel Dick. It features Curt Smith driving an antique Austin-Healey sports car around various Southern California locales, including Salton Sea and Cabazon. Interspersed with these clips are shots of the full band performing the song in a London studio. Along with the clip for "Shout", the "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" video had a big hand in helping break Tears for Fears in America, due to its heavy amount of play on music video pioneer MTV.
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The song was featured prominently in the 1985 film Real Genius. It has since been included on a number of other film soundtracks, including:
- Felix the Cat (1991)
- Peter's Friends (1992)
- Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
- Click (2006)
The song also appeared in the initial trailer for the blockbuster 1996 film Independence Day, but was dropped from the final soundtrack in favor of "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by the band R.E.M..
On the small screen, the song is perhaps best remembered for the eight seasons it served as the opening theme for the talk show Dennis Miller Live. Other appearances include:
- TNT original movie Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
- TV series NUMB3RS, Episode #224 (2006).
- TV promo for The West Wing
- TV commercials for the phone service 10-10-987 (2004)
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has been covered by the following artists:
- British guitarist Hank Marvin, on his 1992 album Into the Light.
- American smooth jazz act Fattburger, on their 1996 album All Natural Ingredients.
- American singer Gloria Gaynor, on her 1997 compilation Greatest Hits.
- British entertainer Shane Richie, on his 1998 album The Album.
- Jamaican reggae artist Ken Boothe, on the 2001 compilation album The Reggae Rocks: The Tide Is High - A Tribute to Rock 'N' Roll.
- Brazillian multi-instrumentalist Emmerson Nogueira, on his 2003 album Versao Acustica, Vol. 3.
- American alternative rock duo JamisonParker, on the 2005 compilation album Punk Goes 80's.
- British singer-songwriter Christian Burns, on the soundtrack to the 2005 film Sky High.
- The Starlite Singers in the three-disc boxset Forever 80s.
- American rock and roll singer Patti Smith on her April 2007 album twelve.
In addition, Tears for Fears bassist Curt Smith included a solo acoustic version of the song on his 2000 EP Aeroplane.
In 2001, the song was sampled by American rapper Nas on the track "Rule", from his album Stillmatic.
| Preceded by "Everything She Wants" by Wham! |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single June 8, 1985 |
Succeeded by "Heaven" by Bryan Adams |
| Tears for Fears |
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| Roland Orzabal · Curt Smith
Studio albums: The Hurting · Songs from the Big Chair · The Seeds of Love · Elemental · Raoul and the Kings of Spain · Everybody Loves a Happy Ending Compilations: Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92) · Saturnine Martial & Lunatic Live albums: Secret World Singles: Suffer the Children · Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love) · Mad World · Change · Pale Shelter · The Way You Are · Mothers Talk · Shout · Everybody Wants to Rule the World · Head Over Heels · I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording) · Everybody Wants to Run the World · Sowing the Seeds of Love · Woman in Chains · Advice for the Young at Heart · Famous Last Words · Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) · Break It Down Again · Cold · Goodnight Song · Elemental · Raoul and the Kings of Spain · Gods Mistake · Secrets · Falling Down · Closest Thing to Heaven · Everybody Loves a Happy Ending / Call Me Mellow · Secret World |