I will readily admit that I am a child of the 80’s. I grew up listening to 80’s music whether it was metal (though I didn’t truly listen to them until the 90’s), rap all the way to synthpop and new wave which became quite popular during the decade with groups such as Depeche Mode, INXS, Duran Duran and The Cure. One band which I listened to quite a bit during the mid-80’s was the British new wave band Tears For Fears. It’s from this band that the latest “Song of the Day” comes from: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”.
The song is actually an 80’s classic that has stood the test of time and musical taste. While many scoff and ridicule most of the pop songs which blew up during the 80’s this particular song from Tears For Fears was never one of them. While the song does have a foundation in the synthpop sound of the time the song itself doesn’t really sound like most of the 80’s pop music. The lyrics are socially aware without being too preachy. In fact, if one was to listen to the song now it’s original message of limitless optimism in the future for everyone actually sounds a bit selfish in today’s social climate.
The song has been covered quite a bit by many singers and bands of different stripes from such groups as The Dresden Dolls, Clare & The Reasons and Dru Hill right up to the pop punk band Care Bares on Fire whose cover was used during the end credits for Season 5, Episode 9 of True Blood which used the song’s title as the episode title. I’m not a huge fan of that particular cover which made me decide to choose the original version as the latest “Song of the Day” to point out that the original may be old, but it will always be the best.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Welcome to your life
There’s no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you acting on your best behavior
Turn your back on Mother Nature
Everybody wants to rule the world
It’s my own design
It’s my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most
Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
There’s a room where the light won’t find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I’ll be right behind you
So glad we’ve almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world
I can’t stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you’ll never never never never need it
One headline why believe it?
Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
Through the Shattered Lens 
yes, good song
tears and fears: two things i deal with every day…
LikeLike
Tears Fro fears have some good tunes. I like how the video for Sowing the Seeds of Love is full of Illuminati symbols.
LikeLike
If you compare what was on the charts back in the 1980s to what is on the charts today, there really is no comparison.
“The lyrics are socially aware without being too preachy.”
More likely that they are socially aware without being dangerous. That’s one thing that we are missing these days: the angry pop rock song that didn’t attempt to disguise its message. These sorts of works still cropped up in the early 1990s, but were soon replaced by the sheer idiocy of what passes for popular “music” these days.
So much music these days seems to celebrate nothing but boundless greed–say what you might about the so-called decadent 1980s, but I’d say that society is taught to be far more selfish these days. Indeed, it seems as if just about everybody does want to rule the world.
LikeLike
Really depends on one’s moral upbringing in determining how these songs’ lyrics come across now as to when they first made the radio airwaves.
I will agree that most pop music nowadays don’t have the so-called societal messages songs the 80’s had, but then those were the times. Then again if one was to look outside the mainstream pop music the message is still there. Plus, pop music nowadays covers more genres than they did during the 80’s and not all the genres pop music covers now passes for sheer idiocy as you call it. Some very good metal that has become part of pop culture carry the societal messages music in the past pushed on it’s listeners.
Just like with any form of entertainment I never subscribe to the notion that the current generation is nothing but commercialism and pandering to the lowest common denominator. The 80’s had the same problems but lacked the instant ability of the internet to spread the notion of greed and “Me-first-attitude” that you seem to attribute to today’s society.
I tend to not let my politics color my articles, but to say that today’s generation is crass and commercialized would probably get a resounding jeer from the the groups the comprises the Occupy Movement whether they be resurgent socialist student groups, anarchists to equal opportunity groups. Today’s generation just seem to get the bad rap because everything is so readily available and the dream of instant gratification that was just theory during the 80’s have become reality.
As to Tears for Fears song being socially aware without being dangerous some would say that’s the best way to get their message to a wider audience. I tend to believe that Tears for Fears music was just as helpful in forming the social consciousness of the 80’s generation as more “dangerous” bands and artist. There’s room for both. That truism is true then and it’s true now. Like anything that’s based on one’s personal opinion one doesn’t have to be confrontational to make their point. Sometimes being civilized and respectful of the person whose work is being criticized will also be constructive.
LikeLike
“…I never subscribe to the notion that the current generation is nothing but commercialism and pandering to the lowest common denominator. The 80′s had the same problems but lacked the instant ability of the internet to spread the notion of greed and “Me-first-attitude” that you seem to attribute to today’s society.”
That’s something I’ve never understood: why is there this belief that the INTERNET is THE medium that is more “instant” than all others? Are people kidding me? Television, radio, magazines, and you forget, BILLBOARDS: all far more accessible, in-your-face and “instant” than the Net. Turn on your television set, listen to the radio, walk into the newsagency…hell, leave my house and walk a few minutes–BILLBOARDS!– and you’ll get bombarded by messages of greed and commercialism much quicker than you shall by the Net, which is more of an “information elective”.
The Net has made people more insular in many ways, but you’ll never convince me that the 1980s lacked the “instant ability” to “spread the me-first-attitude” just because the Internet wasn’t in every home from Argentina to Amsterdam.
I remember about 15 years ago, all these “experts” were predicting the death of the magazine, the newspaper, the book, what have you, all because of the Net. Same as the “death” of free-to-air TV, the vinyl record, et al. It hasn’t happened, but I digress.
The Occupy People can jeer all they want. I’ve found that most “hardcore activists” are absolutely useless. A lot of those Occupiers are an absolute embarrassment. And I don’t believe that “today” has a monopoly on socially regressive attitudes–it’s been around since Adam wore diapers. But I would say that the problem is getting progressively worse, and one cannot blame the Internet for that. The newspapers, magazine, billboards, TV, et al have more than enough messages that celebrate avarice to warp all those impressionable minds out there.
Of course there is still a lot of socially aware music out there, but as with movies, there is a definite push by the powers-that-be to dumb things down in the mainstream circle, and push the more cerebral outside the bounds of general accessibility. In the 1970s we had “Network” and “The Candidate”–extremely intelligent movies that were satirical and laugh-out-loud funny without being idiotic. Now we have that Will Feral with “Anchorman” and “The Campaign”.
LikeLike
“Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back”
The first line describes what it is like to join an elite society and everything that is required of it. You made your choice there is no going back. You are forever enlightened and there is no going back to being ignorant and nieve (which some people would prefer to go back to if they had the choice), but it’s too late, they have already made their decision.
“Even while we sleep, we will find you…”
There are ways to unlock your subconscious and when you sleep at night (stage 4 / REM) you can awaken “another body” that can communicate with others (that are similar) that are programmed to do the same. Everyone that is a part of this design is basically tracked, hence even while we sleep, we will find you.
“Turn your back on Mother Nature”
There is instruction to follow human desires over the spirit of Mother Nature. A classic case of “Man vs God” where humans choose power & materialism over nature/spirit.
This is a great song, and one of my personal favorites from the 80s. This song was written for the elite, it is their theme song “Everybody wants to rule the world”
LikeLike