Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Everybody Wants To Rule The World on piano
Written by Ian Stanley, Roland Orzabal & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 116 BPM
- 1985
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Everybody Wants To Rule The World in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Dm – Em – F – Em
How it goes
Everybody Wants To Rule The World sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Dm is D, F and A; Em is E, G and B; F is F, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
DmiiEmiiiFIVEmiii- DmD · F · A
- EmE · G · B
- FF · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Springy footsteps
How it goes
A quick double skip at the start, then steady steps to the end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 209 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 116 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
Play next
Questions about Everybody Wants To Rule The World
What chords are in Everybody Wants To Rule The World?
The loop is Dm – Em – F – Em (ii – iii – IV – iii) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Everybody Wants To Rule The World in?
C major, at about 116 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Everybody Wants To Rule The World?
Springy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 1& · 2 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Everybody Wants To Rule The World easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Everybody Wants To Rule The World?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.