What song comes to mind if, by chance, you envision criminals vying for supremacy over the entire world? Since Despicable 4 came out, the likelihood that it is Tears For Fears’ catchy song from the mid-1980s, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” has increased dramatically. The song is sung in a jail sequence in the film by Will Ferrell’s Maxime Le Mal and Steve Carell’s Gru. When Despicable 4 opened over the Fourth of July weekend in the US, it topped the box office. “Everyone Wants to Rule the World” is becoming ingrained in the minds of a younger generation.

Let’s begin with the rendition by Tears for Fears. The band performed this version of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” live on SiriusXM in February 2022 in support of their album The Tipping Point. After reaching the top of the charts in their time, singers Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who also writes songs, have both aged admirably. The years melt away when the unbelievably captivating music begins.

The comments demonstrate how deeply people feel about the song and the band. “This song is the definition of a timeless classic, in my opinion, one of the best songs ever,” says Christopher Williams. George Kar proposes that “‘Nothing ever lasts forever’-except the beauty of this song,” paraphrasing the song’s lyrics. “His voice is still so amazing, 37 years later and old but gold,” Spaceman says, referring to Curt Smith. “Dude’s in his 60s and yet he still sings like he’s in his 20s,” says a Jang in agreement.

Orzabal and Smith noted in a 2017 interview that the message of Everybody Wants to Rule the World was still as relevant as it was when they wrote it during the height of the Cold War, but that the focus had switched from the US and Russia to the US and North Korea. Even if Russia is once again making headlines, the largest endorsement for Everybody Wants to Rule The World’s incorporation into Despicable Me 4 reflects its relevance today. Let’s listen to the entertaining cast rendition of Tears For Fears’ hit song:

Veteran actor Steve Carell of Despicable Me claimed that working with Will Ferrell, a fresh member of the group, was almost hard. He said, “Ferell is too funny!”

Tears For Fears was supposed to play at Live Aid in 1985 while they were number one on the charts, but several of the band’s touring members couldn’t make it. As payment, Tears For Fears contributed the gate revenue from a run of concerts. They also dropped a novelty track, “I Ran the World,” in support of Sports Aid, a nonprofit that works to alleviate hunger and is associated with Band-Aid. Everybody Wants to Run the World by Tears for Fears reached number five in the UK when the music video had extensive rotation on MTV.

About the song’s title, Orzabal was met by the late great Joe Strummer in a café in 1988. Orzabal and Smith had previously been in a mod/ska/new wave outfit together. A tiny portion of the success of Everybody Wants to Rule the World was attributed to Strummer. He stated, “You owe me a fiver,” pointing out that the song’s title is a quote from Charlie Don’t Surf by the Clash. Orzabal reached into his pocket and took out the money. Orzabal was aware that the slogan “Charlie Don’t Surf” originated from the film Apocalypse Now!

Would you like to hear Everybody Wants To Run the World one last time? Midge Ure, Frank Bruno, Duncan Goodhew, Bob Geldof, Tessa Sanderson, Jimmy White, Alex Higgins, and Peter Ustinov are also featured in the video. Appreciate this glimpse into the mid-1980s:

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