Relient K - Everybody Wants to Rule the World Lyrics
Lyrics
Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world
It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
There's a room where the light won't find you
Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down
When they do I'll be right behind you
So glad we've almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world
I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you'll never never never never need it
One headline why believe it ?
Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
Video
Relient K | Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Meaning & Inspiration
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World," as reimagined by Relient K on their 2011 album *Is for Karaoke*, takes a beloved classic and imbues it with a profound spiritual resonance, transforming a secular anthem of ambition into a potent reflection on human aspiration and its inherent limitations when divorced from divine purpose. The song's original sentiment, exploring the insatiable human desire for control and dominion, finds a fresh lens through its placement within a faith-informed context. This interpretation delves into the core of what it means to seek ultimate authority, highlighting the vanity of such pursuits when they are solely self-directed. The opening lines, “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back,” immediately evoke the irreversible journey of existence, a path where choices have eternal weight. The persistent theme that “Everybody wants to rule the world” resonates deeply with biblical narratives of pride and the fall, reminding us of the serpent’s temptation in Eden to become like God (Genesis 3:5), an ambition that has echoed through human history.
The lyrical exploration of personal design and remorse, coupled with a plea to “Help me to decide” and make the most of freedom and pleasure, speaks to the internal struggle of navigating worldly desires. This echoes the Apostle Paul's lament in Romans 7:15: "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." The song captures that feeling of being ensnared by one's own choices and the inherent difficulty in discerning the right path when influenced by fleeting pleasures and the drive for personal sovereignty. The poignant observation that “Nothing ever lasts forever” directly counters the illusion of lasting power or worldly success, aligning with the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, which repeatedly emphasizes the vanity of earthly pursuits (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3). The song offers a spiritual diagnosis of humanity’s longing for control, framing it not as a natural state, but as a symptom of a deeper yearning for something eternal, something that transcends our finite existence.
The imagery of a hidden room where light cannot find you, juxtaposed with walls tumbling down, offers a powerful metaphor for both spiritual darkness and the eventual dismantling of human defenses and pretensions. The promise of being “right behind you” in such moments can be interpreted through the lens of divine presence and unwavering support. This resonates with God's promise in Isaiah 41:10: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." The acknowledgment of having “almost made it” but lamenting that “they had to fade it” points to the ephemeral nature of worldly achievements and perhaps even spiritual progress that is compromised by external pressures or internal wavering. The profound sense of indecision and the "lack of vision" described in the song are hallmarks of a life lived without a firm spiritual compass, a condition that can lead to an endless pursuit of control in a vain attempt to impose order on chaos. This resonates with Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The repeated call to reject the need for worldly dominion, coupled with the skepticism towards believing every headline, urges a turning away from the superficial allure of power and towards a more enduring truth. Ultimately, Relient K’s rendition of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" serves as a profound spiritual meditation, urging listeners to consider the ultimate source of true fulfillment and lasting authority, reminding us that the most fulfilling dominion is found not in ruling the world, but in surrendering to the One who truly rules it, and allowing His reign to transform our own lives.