Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

Overview

Key: D major · Chords used: 9 · Sections: 29

Form: Intro → Intro → A Section → A Section → B Section → Intro → A Section → B Section → Interlude → C Section → C Section → B Section → Intro → Intro ×3 → D Section → D Section → Intro → Intro ×3 → B Section ×2 → Intro ×2 → B Section → Vamp → Vamp

Where these chords come from: a chord chart of this song written by a musician and shared on the iReal Pro forums, archived in the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). It's one musician's reading of the song, not a transcription checked against the recording. This page shows that chart as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.

Section by section

Intro 1

• A/D – G/D (×2)
  V (bass D) – IV⁶₄

Intro 2

Same chords as Intro 1.

A Section 1

• A/D – G/D (×2)
  V (bass D) – IV⁶₄

A Section 2

Same chords as A Section 1.

B Section 1

• Em – F♯m – G – F♯m – Em – F♯m – G – A
  ii – iii – IV – iii – ii – iii – IV – V

Intro 3

Same chords as Intro 1.

A Section 3

Same chords as A Section 1.

B Section 2

Same chords as B Section 1.

Interlude

• G – D – A
  IV – I – V

C Section 1

• G – D – A
  IV – I – V

C Section 2

Same chords as C Section 1.

B Section 3

Same chords as B Section 1.

Intro 4

• G – D – A
  IV – I – V

Intro 5

Same chords as Intro 4.

Intro 6

Same chords as Intro 4.

Intro 7

Same chords as Intro 4.

D Section 1

• Bm7 – D/C
  vi7 – I (bass C)

D Section 2

• Bm7 – D/C – G – A
  vi7 – I (bass C) – IV – V

Intro 8

• A/D – G/D
  V (bass D) – IV⁶₄

Intro 9

Same chords as Intro 8.

Intro 10

Same chords as Intro 8.

Intro 11

Same chords as Intro 8.

B Section 4

Same chords as B Section 1.

B Section 5

Same chords as B Section 1.

Intro 12

Same chords as Intro 4.

Intro 13

Same chords as Intro 4.

B Section 6

Same chords as B Section 1.

Vamp 1

• A/D – G/D
  V (bass D) – IV⁶₄

Vamp 2

Same chords as Vamp 1.

Chord vocabulary

Chord	Roman numeral	Role	Heard in
A/D	V (bass D)	In the key	Intro, A Section, Vamp
G/D	IV⁶₄	In the key	Intro, A Section, Vamp
Em	ii	In the key	B Section
F♯m	iii	In the key	B Section
G	IV	In the key	B Section, Interlude, C Section, Intro, D Section
A	V	In the key	B Section, Interlude, C Section, Intro, D Section
D	I	Home chord (tonic)	Interlude, C Section, Intro
Bm7	vi7	In the key	D Section
D/C	I (bass C)	Secondary dominant (V/IV)	D Section

Harmonic highlights

• D/C acts as V/IV: it resolves to G.

Sources & accuracy

• Chords: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (credited “Tears For Fears”, style Rock Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer confirmed from the Billboard year-end charts.
• Section names: from the chart's own markings: section names written on the chart (Intro, Verse, Chorus…) are kept, and rehearsal letters are shown as “A Section”, “B Section” and so on (the B of an AABA song is called the Bridge).
• Cross-check: the iReal Pro forum charts archived in ChoCo (de Berardinis et al., 2023). Community chord chart “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (credited “Tears For Fears”, style Rock Shuffle) from the forum file linked here, CC BY 4.0 via ChoCo. Performer confirmed from the Billboard year-end charts. A separately posted chart of the same song; its chords match this page's closely when both are read in the same key (similarity 82%).
• Chord charts are often written in a key that suits a particular singer or band, so this may not be the key of the original recording.
• The chart's D.S./D.C./coda jumps have been written out in playing order.
• Verified: two community charts of this song, posted in different forum threads, agree on its harmony. They're still charts, not transcriptions checked against the recording.
• Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.