You know that feeling when you see a dusty desert landscape and immediately hear a synth-pop riff? That’s the power of the Tears for Fears rule the world video, a four-minute clip that basically defined the aesthetic of 1985. It’s strange. It’s visually sparse. Honestly, it shouldn't work as well as it does. Most 80s music videos are cluttered with neon lights, bad hairspray, and literal interpretations of lyrics, but director Nigel Dick decided to go in a completely different direction for "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
The video follows Curt Smith driving a vintage Austin-Healey 3000 through Southern California. That's basically the "plot."
But there’s a tension in the simplicity. While the song sounds like a breezy, upbeat anthem, the lyrics are actually quite dark, dealing with themes of power, corruption, and the fleeting nature of control. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were never just "pop stars"; they were guys obsessed with Arthur Janov’s Primal Scream therapy and the heavy psychological weight of existence. When you watch the video, you’re seeing that duality play out in real-time. It’s sunshine and fast cars on the surface, but there’s a sense of isolation that feels incredibly modern.
The California Desert and the Austin-Healey
The choice of location for the Tears for Fears rule the world video wasn't accidental. They shot primarily in the Santa Ynez Valley and around the Cabazon Dinosaurs. You’ve probably seen those giant stone creatures in Pee-wee's Big Adventure, but in this music video, they feel less like a tourist trap and more like relics of a lost civilization.
It’s about the road.
Curt Smith looks incredibly relaxed behind the wheel, but the editing keeps cutting away to these jittery, almost nervous shots of dancers and kids. This creates a rhythm that mimics the "shuffle" beat of the song. Most people don’t realize that the iconic drum beat was actually inspired by simple, driving rock rhythms, yet it feels uniquely electronic. The video captures that "driving" sensation perfectly. It’s a road movie compressed into the length of a radio single.
Interestingly, the Austin-Healey used in the shoot was actually a bit of a nightmare. Legend has it the car was prone to breaking down, which is a hilarious contrast to how smooth Curt looks driving it. It’s that classic "music video magic" where everything looks expensive and effortless, even if the production crew is sweating behind the scenes trying to keep a British vintage car running in the California heat.
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Why the Tears for Fears Rule the World Video Defied 1985 Trends
In 1985, MTV was obsessed with narrative. You had Duran Duran doing cinematic jungle adventures and Michael Jackson turning songs into short films. Tears for Fears went the other way. They leaned into the "vibe."
There are scenes in the video of two black men dancing near a gas station. They aren't professional backup dancers in matching outfits. They’re just... moving. It feels authentic. It feels like a slice of life that was caught on film rather than something choreographed to death by a studio executive. This lack of polish is exactly why it hasn't aged as poorly as other videos from the era. It doesn't rely on cheesy CGI or 80s-specific video effects that look like they were made on a Commodore 64.
The Mystery of the Lyrics vs. The Visuals
The lyrics say "Help me to decide / Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure / Nothing ever lasts forever."
That’s heavy.
While the Tears for Fears rule the world video shows us beautiful vistas and a guy living his best life in a convertible, the song is reminding us that it’s all temporary. The "Rule the World" part isn't a celebration; it's a warning about ego. By putting these lyrics over a video that looks like a high-end travelogue, the band created a subtle satire of the 1980s obsession with "having it all."
Behind the Scenes with Nigel Dick
Director Nigel Dick is a legend. He’s the guy who later did " ...Baby One More Time" for Britney Spears, but his work with Tears for Fears was much more experimental. For the Tears for Fears rule the world video, he wanted to capture the "Americana" that British bands were so fascinated by at the time.
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Think about it.
You have two guys from Bath, Somerset—a place filled with Roman ruins and rainy cobblestones—suddenly dropped into the middle of a vast, scorching desert. Their perspective on the American landscape is what gives the video its dreamlike quality. It’s an outsider’s view of freedom.
The budget wasn't astronomical. They didn't need it to be. They had a car, a camera, and a track that was destined to stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. The simplicity allowed the song to breathe.
The Cultural Impact and the "Discovery" Factor
Nowadays, this video gets millions of hits on YouTube every year. It’s not just nostalgia. Younger generations have discovered the track through movies like The Breakfast Club (though it famously wasn't in the movie, it's often associated with that "vibe") and more recently, Lorde’s haunting cover for The Hunger Games.
But the original video remains the definitive version. There is something about Curt Smith’s leather jacket and the way the sun hits the pavement that feels like the ultimate summer afternoon. It’s a mood. And in the world of SEO and digital content, "mood" is often what drives long-term engagement. People don't just watch the video once; they put it on in the background because it feels good.
Misconceptions About the Shoot
Some people think the video was filmed in Nevada or Arizona because of the desert scenery. Nope. It’s all California. The scenes at the gas station and the diner were filmed around the Salton Sea and other rural spots outside of Los Angeles.
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Another common mistake? People think the whole band is in the video. Roland Orzabal actually barely appears compared to Curt. This fueled rumors for years about tension in the band, but the reality was simpler: the director liked the look of Curt in the car. Roland is there, playing guitar in some of the cutaway scenes, but he definitely takes a backseat—literally and figuratively—to Smith’s "leading man" performance.
Technical Details You Might Have Missed
If you look closely at the Tears for Fears rule the world video, you'll notice the film grain is quite heavy. This wasn't a mistake. Shooting on 16mm or 35mm film in the bright desert sun creates a high-contrast look that digital cameras still struggle to replicate perfectly.
- The Austin-Healey's license plate isn't a standard California plate; it's a stylized version for the shoot.
- The dancers were actually street performers found by the crew.
- The "control room" scenes were filmed separately to add a tech-heavy, Cold War feel to the project.
These small details add layers. You have the "natural" world of the desert and the "unnatural" world of the technology and the dancers. It’s a visual representation of the song’s bridge, where the music gets a bit more erratic and experimental before sliding back into that perfect chorus.
How to Apply the "Tears for Fears" Aesthetic Today
If you’re a creator or a filmmaker, there’s a lot to learn from this 1985 masterpiece. It proves that you don't need a million-dollar set if you have a strong concept and a sense of place.
- Prioritize Location: The desert is a character in this video. Find a setting that tells a story without words.
- Lean into Contrast: Use upbeat visuals to mask deeper, darker themes. It makes the audience think.
- Keep it Simple: One guy, one car, one road. Sometimes, that’s all you need to create an icon.
- Authenticity over Polish: Those "random" shots of people dancing are what people remember most because they feel real.
The Tears for Fears rule the world video is more than just a promotional tool for a hit song. It’s a time capsule of a specific moment in pop culture where the music was smart, the videos were art, and everyone, for a brief moment, felt like they really did rule the world.
Next time you're driving down a long stretch of highway, put this track on. Watch the light change. You'll see exactly why this video remains a staple of music history. It captures a fleeting sense of freedom that we're all still trying to find.
To truly appreciate the nuances, watch the 4K remastered version available on the band's official channel. You can see the dust on the Austin-Healey's dashboard and the specific shade of the California sky, which gives a whole new life to a video we've all seen a thousand times. Pay attention to the way the shots are timed to the snare drum; it’s a masterclass in rhythmic editing that modern editors still study.