Everybody Wants to Rule the World

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“Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” cover
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album Songs from the Big Chair
B-side "Pharaohs"
Released March 18, 1985
Format 7", 10", 12"
Recorded 1984
Genre New Wave
Length 4:13
Label Mercury Records
Writer(s) Roland Orzabal
Ian Stanley
Chris Hughes
Producer Chris Hughes
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 second 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.

The single was released on a wide variety of formats in the UK, including a standard 7", a 7" double pack, 2 separate 12" versions, and a 10" single.

Contents

[edit] Background

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 40 chart hit: "Waterfront", by Simple Minds[citation needed].

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.

—Roland Orzabal

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.

Originally the song was called Everybody Wants To Go To War[citation needed], but was rewritten to Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

[edit] Meanings

The concept is quite serious - it's about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes.

—Curt Smith

[edit] Song versions

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.

[edit] B-side

"Pharaohs" is an instrumental that served as the B-side to the "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" single. The only voice heard is a recording of a BBC Radio announcer 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.

—Chris Hughes

[edit] Music video

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 3000 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.

[edit] Track listings

[edit] 7": Mercury / IDEA9 (UK)

  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:10)
  2. "Pharaohs" (3:42)

[edit] 2x7": Mercury / IDEA99 (UK)

  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:10)
  2. "Pharaohs" (3:42)
  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Urban Mix]" (5:52)
  2. "Interview Excerpt" (7:30)

[edit] 10": Mercury / IDEA910 (UK)

  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:10)
  2. "Pharaohs" (3:42)

[edit] 12": Mercury / IDEA912 (UK)

  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Extended Version]" (5:40)
  2. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:10)
  3. "Pharaohs" (3:42)

[edit] 12": Mercury / IDER912 (UK)

  1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Urban Mix]" (5:52)
  2. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Instrumental]" (4:26)

[edit] Popular culture

A unique extended edit of the song was featured at the end of the 1985 film Real Genius. It has since been included on a number of other film soundtracks, including:

The song appears 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..

The song also appears in the videogame, World in Conflict as the main theme of the game. [1][2]

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)
  • Malcom in the Middle episode Lois battles Jamie
  • The song has recently been used in promotional clips for the XM Radio program "Life's Work with Lisa Belkin" heard on the Take Five channel. The program deals with women trying to balance career and family. On the clip, the line from the song "Welcome to your life" is used.

It also appears on Sky High.

[edit] Cover versions

"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.
  • Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Emmerson Nogueira, on his 2003 album Versao Acustica, Vol. 3.
  • Filipino light jazz artist Isha, on her 2004 album Time and Again.
  • 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 singer Patti Smith on her April 2007 album Twelve.
  • American Jazz trio The Bad Plus on their 2007 release "Prog."
  • American rock band Paperback Hero covered the song on their Self Titled Album.
  • American hip-hop artist Nas used a sample on the song Rule from his Stillmatic album.
  • American rock legend Don Henley performs the song live during his 2007 tour.
  • CBS Records artist Will Dailey, as the promotional/advertising song for Kid Nation.
  • American indie pop-rock group Clare and the Reasons during their performance at the Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell, London, on December 6th 2007.

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 - June 22, 1985		 Succeeded by
"Heaven" by Bryan Adams

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Gametrailers.com - World in Conflict - Ruling the World Trailer HD
  2. ^ Gametrailers.com - World in Conflict - Developer Walkthrough Pt. 1 HD
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