Everybody Wants to Rule the World

See also: Everybody Wants to Run the World

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album Songs from the Big Chair
B-side	"Pharaohs"
Released	18 March 1985
Format	7", 10", 12"
Recorded	1984
Genre	New Wave, synthpop
Length	4:13 (album/single version) 5:43 (12" version) 6:06 (urban mix)
Label	Phonogram Records 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)
Music sample "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.

It was the band's ninth single release in the United Kingdom (the third from their second LP: Songs from the Big Chair) and seventh UK Top 40 chart hit, peaking at number two in April 1985. In the U.S., it was the lead single from the album and gave the band their first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit on 8 June 1985, remaining there for two weeks. It also reached number-one on both the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance Singles Sales charts in the U.S. 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.^{[citation needed]}

In 1986, the song won "Best Single" at the Brit Awards. Band member and co-writer Roland Orzabal argued that the song deserved to win the Ivor Novello International Hit of the Year award, claiming that the winner - "19" by Paul Hardcastle - was not an actual song, but only a "dialogue collage."

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 "borrowed" from another UK Top 40 chart hit: "Waterfront", by Simple Minds who were recording their album Sparkle in the Rain in the studio next door.^{[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.

Meanings

“	The concept is quite serious – it's about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes.[citation needed]	”
	— Curt Smith

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. A version labeled as the 7" version is included on the 2006 remaster of "Songs from the Big Chair", but is actually the album version (a mistake; the album's liner notes show the track as "Everybody Wants to Run the World", but this song was not included).

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 fund-raising campaign, once again reaching the UK Top 5 in the process.

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 BBC Radio announcer Brian Perkins reading the Shipping Forecast for the sea lanes around the United Kingdom (see below). The title of the song is a play on the name of the Faroe Islands ("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. "Pharaohs" is also included on the Groove Armada 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

"Pharaohs" shipping forecast read by Brian Perkins (BBC Radio 4, c. 1984):

"There are warnings of gales in Viking, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Fisher, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Finisterre, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faroes and Southeast Iceland.
The general synopsis at one eight double-O: low just north of Viking, nine double-seven, moving steadily east-northeast.
Low 300 miles south of Iceland. Atlantic low forming, moving steadily northeast.
A ridge of high pressure has swayed between North and South Utsire. The area forecast for the next twenty-four hours. Viking, Forties, Cromarty, Forth."

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.

Track listings

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

7": Mercury / IDEA9 (UK)

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

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]" (6:06)
2. "Interview Excerpt" (7:30)

10": Mercury / IDEA910 (UK)

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

12": Mercury / IDEA912 (UK)

1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Extended Version]" (5:43)
2. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:10)
3. "Pharaohs" (3:42)

12": Mercury / IDER912 (UK)

1. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Urban Mix]" (6:06)
2. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Instrumental]" (4:26)

Cover versions

Tears for Fears bassist Curt Smith included a solo acoustic version of the song on his 2000 EP Aeroplane.

In addition, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has been covered by the following artists:

• Alpha Rev has covered the song during their live conerts.
• American singer Gloria Gaynor, on her 1986 album The Power Of Gloria Gaynor.
• British guitarist Hank Marvin, on his 1992 album Into the Light.
• American smooth jazz act Fattburger, on their 1996 album All Natural Ingredients.
• 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.
• 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.
• American rock singer Patti Smith on her April 2007 album Twelve.
• American jazz trio The Bad Plus on their 2007 release Prog.
• American indie pop-rock group Clare & the Reasons on the re-release of their album The Movie.
• A Swedish language version, titled "Alla vill ha hela världen," appears on the 2009 album En hand i himlen by Jonathan Johansson.
• American finger-style guitarist Andy McKee on his 2010 album, Joyland
• The dark cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls insert a musical quotation of it, with different but similar lyrics, in their song "My Alcoholic Friends" from their 2006 album Yes, Virginia....
• In 2010, Australian actor/singer Jason Donovan recorded a cover version of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" for his 80s covers album "Soundtrack of the 80s".
• American R&B group Dru Hill on their 2010 album InDRUpendance Day.
• New Zealand R&B singer J.Williams released a cover called "Want to Rule the World" in 2011
• American pop punk group Relient K recorded a cover of the song for inclusion on their 2011 EP, Is for Karaoke.
• American R&B singer Kevin Cossom released a cover called "Rule the World" on his mixtape, By Any Means. on March 2011.
• American country pop singer Jaron and the Long Road to Love played the song on his YouTube channel.

Live cover performances

• Star Search winner and Season 7 American Idol runner-up, David Archuleta performed a cover of the song on his "The Other Side Of Down Asian Tour".

• American indie pop-rock group Clare & the Reasons covered the song during their performance at the Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell, London, on December 6, 2007, and on BBC2's The Culture Show on July 15, 2008. The studio version appears on the re-release of their album The Movie.

• American rock singer Don Henley performed the song live during his 2007 tour and during his 2009 tour in Hollywood, Florida. He also performed the song live in Orlando, Florida at Sapphire on May 13, 2009, at the Amway 50th Anniversary concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 7, 2009 and at the State Farm National Agency Convention at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 30, 2011.

• American rock group Alpha Rev started covering the song in 2008 and it has become a staple of their live performances.

• Season 8 American Idol winner Kris Allen performed a cover of the song at promotional radio events and during his 2010 tour. He also began performing a mashup of the song with Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" in Temecula, California on November 20, 2010.

• American rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists performed a cover of the song for The A.V. Club's Undercover series.

• Nigel Hall - Portland, ME solo artists and sometimes member of Rustic Overtones and Soulive. It was often performed during the Royal Family Ball in early 2010 with Neal Evans of Soulive on bass/keys, Eric Krasno of Soulive on guitar, and Adam Deitch of the John Scofield Trio on drums.

• Nas performed a rap version of the song.

Sampling

• American hip-hop artist Nas used a sample in his song "Rule" from his 2001 Stillmatic album.
• Sampled by Outkast for their song "Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)" from their album Aquemini.

In other media

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:

• Real Genius (1985) Closing Credits
• The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
• Peter's Friends (1992)
• Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)
• Click (2006)
• World in Conflict (2008 video game)
• Saints Row 2 (2008 video game)
• Watchmen (2009)
• Middle Men (film) (2010)

The song appeared in the soundtrack for the 1990 Disney film The Rescuers Down Under. 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.^{[citation needed]} It can also be heard in the film Watchmen as a Musak version without vocals, in a scene featuring billionaire/philanthropist Adrian Veidt, formerly the superhero Ozymandias.

The song also appears in the video game World in Conflict as the main theme of the game. The song is used in several scenes and the end credits as part of the single-player campaign's narrative. Set in an alternate time-line in which World War III began in June 1989, the song can be heard on a radio during the Soviet Union's invasion of Seattle, inside a US Army vehicle during a mission set in Southern France, and in the closing titles.

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:

• USA Network Television Series Psych Season 5, Shawn 2.0 (Sept. 1, 2010) Highlighted with an acoustic performance by guest star Curt Smith as himself.
• 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)
• Malcolm 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.
• The Will Dailey cover appeared on the TV promo for Kid Nation.
• Cold Case season one episode Greed
• Featured twice in The Wire.

• ER Season 4, Episode 12, The bar scene where Elizabeth Corday and Peter Benton plays Dart

The song appears on the games, Karaoke Revolution Party, Rock Band 3 and is also listenable in the in-game radio of Saints Row 2. It also has a 1800's-style remix in the game Bioshock Infinite, as heard in a gameplay trailer.

The first two verses are heard in the Powerpuff Girls episode "The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!" sung by Mojo Jojo (voice of Roger L. Jackson).

The song was used in the beginning and during the credits of Mike Tollin's ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about the USFL.

A clip of the song played during the trailer for the TBS series "Glory Daze".

The song was used at the end of the Southland (TV series) episode "Legacy".

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	2
Australian Singles Chart	2
Austrian Singles Chart	19
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)	2
Canadian Singles Chart	1
France Singles Chart	18
German Singles Chart	11
Netherlands Singles Chart	2
Irish Singles Chart	2
New Zealand Single Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	1
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks	2
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks	2

References

Notes

External links

• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" video on YouTube
• Cover version by Clare and the Reasons
• Review at Allmusic.com
• Curt Smith discusses Everybody Wants To Rule The World - RetroRewind interview

Preceded by "Fresh" by Kool & the Gang	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single May 11, 1985 – May 18, 1985	Succeeded by "Do You Wanna Get Away" by Shannon
Preceded by "Everything She Wants" by Wham!	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single June 8, 1985 – June 15, 1985	Succeeded by "Heaven" by Bryan Adams
Preceded by "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds	Canadian RPM number-one single June 8, 1985	Succeeded by "Everything She Wants" by Wham!