‘Songs From The Big Chair.’

A lyrical analysis of Tears For Fears 1985 album ’Songs from the Big Chair’

Album cover & platinum album from ‘Songs from the Big Chair’ In 1985.

This week we take a look into the band Tears for Fears and their lyrics.

Asking what do they mean to the modern world and what kind of power does the song lyric have?

We will look at the song ’Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ from the 1985 album ‘Songs From The Big Chair ‘ this was recorded in a 12/8 time signature at 112 bpm and was influenced by the song “Waterfront” by Simple Minds.

The song has grown significantly over the years and has reached platinum album status.

It’s lyrics paint a picture of the modern capitalist society we live in, its utilisation has even stemmed to modern movies so they can purvey a capitalist picture.

This was born back in 1985 where the social and political climate aligned with the lyrical content and feelings of the band.

Music video from 1985 song ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ 

The album was a huge political statement of the times they lived in. The song starts with ‘Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back even while we sleep’ here are some images from the music video they recorded in 1984.

Music video frames from 1985 song ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’

They use a lot of images that lend itself towards a capitalist view, showing how brands and corporate views are about profit from a materialist perseverance of needing something they tell us and use advertising, music and movies to get the point across.

The song was originally called ‘Everybody Wants To Go To War’

The band would play it at the end of each studio session, and after playing it every night for some time the lyric changed to ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’

Roland Orzabal lead singer and songwriter discusses that it was also a move away from introspective lyrics leading to looking at things more globally and shifting towards politics.

The lyrics at the start really challenge world views in such a happy melodic way mentioned in his documentary Scenes From The Big Chair recorded in 1985.

Studio promotion photo from 1985 song ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ 

They say “Welcome to your life there’s no turning back, even while we sleep” German philosopher Karl Marx suggests that we are stuck in a capitalist, materialist model of the world, where the reader gets lost in translation with critical theory.

“Our age is in an especial degree, the age of criticism, and to criticism, everything must submit” 

Immanuel Kant (1927)

Roland Orzabal discusses more on this subject in the documentary “Scenes From The Big Chair” looking at how all of the major social issues affecting the country are systemic and damaging in the long term.

I will link the video documentary at the end of this weeks blog!!

Materialism is what they discuss, we cannot run from the type of world we live in, even in modern times where they use this song with the 2018 movie ‘Ready Player One’.

Frames & Posters from 2018 movie ‘Ready Player One’ 

Poster from 2018 movie ‘Ready Player One’ 

They use ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ as its main synced theme tune throughout the movie.

This movie is based upon an 80s type of materialism but set in 2045 in a virtual reality system on a future earth, the world now lives in a capitalistic system, not able to elevate above the materialistic needs of the consumer.

Movie clip from 2018 ‘Ready Player One’ 

Capitalism controlling the minds and money of the populous where they have to pay back debt through virtual reality software, taking this to a new level of control through a capitalistic system and framework.

They use the lyrics of the song to bring out certain montages and storylines throughout the movie, its use highlights the issues created through capitalism.

Poster from 2018 Movie ‘Ready Player One’ 

This is not the world we live in and ‘Ready Player One’ is what we are rapidly heading towards within the next few decades based upon our current systems and this is brought to life with bands like Tears For Fears, from there music and lyrical content.

Karl Marx – German philosopher in 1875

Marx has seen the problems with Capitalism long before they came about, Tears For Fears sang them to the masses and, here we are today still singing them, it’s like music is almost becoming the modern-day sermon, at the feet of Capitalism and the bourgeoisie.

“I can’t stand this indecision, married with a lack of vision, Everybody Wants To Rule The World”  

Tears For Fears ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’

Photo at studios from 1985 album ‘Songs from the Big Chair’

By this point in history we should all be Marxists as Marxism declared and I’m sure everyone can agree in the consensus of Marx’s summary and that the mind of the modern thinker can be changed through a communist society where one can hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming a hunter fisherman, herdsman or critic.

Yet here we sit in academic institutions being the critic in a world that needs people to act on their best behaviour and turn there back on mother nature, as nothing ever lasts forever, as everybody wants to rule the world.

‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ clip from synchronised track in movie ‘Suicide Squad’ in 2016.

Another great film that this track was synchronised to is from ’Suicide Squad’ back in 2016.

This was amazingly done by Lorde!! A must watch for the sheer brilliance of the remaking of the Tears for Fears song ‘Everybody Want’s To Rule The World’ with all of the meaning implied in modern society turned into turmoil and visually stunningly portrayed by the director and actors!!

Clip of Tears for Fears song in 2016 Movie ‘Suicide Squad’ 

Now you might need a cup of tea or something stronger to process these thoughts but until we meet again next time………..

Check out the Tears for Fears 1985 documentary about ‘Songs From The Big Chair!!

At this link!! ‘Scenes From The Big Chair’

Laters!!

Promotional photo from 1985 album ‘Songs from the Big Chair’

Some great books on this subject have helped me to shape this in-depth connection to spirit and the modern world we all seek to find!!

Next week!!

Tune in for a more relaxing solution to our modern destructive ways as I discuss how mindfulness, meditation and relaxation can be the solution to bringing, peace and harmony to our modern world.

I will be premiering my 60-second introduction on mindfulness with a relaxation video from the amazing Doctoryoga!!

Stay tuned in!!

As I take you “To infinity and beyond”

Photo’s of Doctoryoga (2018)

References.

Deligiorgi, K. (2005) Kant and the culture of enlightenment. Ithaca: State University of New York Press.

Guinarte, M. (1985) Scenes From The Big Chair, a documentary on Tears For Fears album, Songs From The Big Chair. m.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiLCZh4gZc

Science & Society, 60(1), pp. 97.
Hoffman, J. (2009) “Karl Marx’s Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy 150 Years Later,” Science & Society, 73(4), pp. 559–561.

Milne, D. (2003) Modern Critical Thought: An Anthology of Theorists: Writing on Theorists. Blackwell.

Peynircioglu, Z. (2006) Songs and Emotions: Are Lyrics and Melodies Equal Partners? Psychology of Music, 34(4), pp. 511-534.

Wolff, R. (2004) A Future for Marxism or A Retreat from Marxism? Science & Society, 68(1), pp. 93-101.