Saturday Night Classics — Everybody Wants to Rule the World

 

From the Tears for Fears LP Songs from the Big Chair, it was a big hit in 1985, reaching Number 1 on most charts. It’s a great “driving” song, as made clear by scenes from the music video.

The first few lines raise your expectations:

Welcome to your life
There’s no turning back

But the rest of the lyrics are pretty much nonsensical; most sound like they were just looking for words that rhyme. There are probably a lot of “hidden meaning” essays on the song, but I didn’t research them.

So glad we’ve almost made it
So sad they had to fade it

I can’t stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision

Just let them flow and imagine you’re behind the wheel with the top down on an open highway somewhere.

Published in Music
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There are 9 comments.

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  1. Kevin Schulte Member
    Kevin Schulte
    @KevinSchulte

    Always loved this song . Great voices lots of talent !

    • #1
  2. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    It was the 80s. Don’t put more work into the lyrics than the lyricist did.

    • #2
  3. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    It was also used as the theme song for Dennis Miller’s tv show.

    • #3
  4. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    After a break-up and 30+ years apart, they got together a couple years ago and provided a very good live studio version.

    • #4
  5. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    OldPhil: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

    Intro to Dennis Miller’s show on HBO for however many years it ran.  He probably put all of the band members’ children through college or something, with the royalties.

    • #5
  6. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    It was also used as the theme song for Dennis Miller’s tv show.

    Also the closing credits of the movie Real Genius, IIRC.

     

    Edit:  I do RC

     

    https://youtu.be/asq_JScr9BI

    • #6
  7. CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill
    @CarolJoy

    Great selection, Oldphil.

    If any music lovers here are jones-ing for some new “Tears for Fears,” the seventh album was released last year titled “The Tipping Point.”

    All I can say is the song writing  talent is every bit as entertaining, haunting and remarkable as it was decades ago.

    • #7
  8. Buckpasser Inactive
    Buckpasser
    @Buckpasser

    Loved Curt Smith on “Psych”.

    • #8
  9. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Kudos to OldPhil for doing this without a reminder from me because OldHoyacon was drinking wine by a lake and forgot to send him one.

    • #9
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