Everybody Wants to Rule the World / Pharaohs

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Added to 'Songs from the Big Chair' at the absolute last minute, the song features a distinctive, galloping shuffle drum beat and shimmering guitar arpeggios. Sung by bassist Curt Smith rather than primary vocalist Roland Orzabal, the lyrics address Cold War paranoia, surveillance, and the corrupting nature of political power. Its immaculate production made it a defining, ubiquitous hit of the mid-1980s.