This 1985 Song Maybe the GREATEST #3 Hit EVER, But What The HELL Does It Mean? | Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 13 бер 2023
- Following on the heels of two gigantic #1 Hot 100 hits in 1985, today’s featured song the 80s classic Head Over Heels, written by iconic synth rock pioneer Roland Orzabal and sung with his partner Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, was in line to make it three in row…but would it happen? Ambitious and anthemic, this song boasts some highly intelligent lyrics that take many listens to unriddle. It came From a record that was named after a bad TV movie. Songs from the Big Chair with a music video that defined the 80s. It’s one of the most under-appreciated songs of the neon decade. So good a cult movie Donnie Darko based an entire sequence on the song and filmed it without knowing if they’d even get the song rights. We solve this mysterious 80s song riddle next.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever found solace in a game of pong or tried at least 1000 times to beat Mike Tyson in Punch depending on what generation you came from You’ll dig this channel of pure music Nostalgia. make sure that you subscribe below right now and check the box so that you always get our latest interviews and stories We also have a patreon you'll want to check out. We just put a full unreleased documentary up there. It’s great stuff that you’ll enjoy.
So, it’s time for another edition of #1 in Our Hearts. This show honors songs that were so unbelievably great, they absolutely should've been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. But for whatever reason, be it radio play, lack of marketing, label support or just sheer stupidity, the song came up short. On previous episodes, we have covered Just Like Heaven by the Cure, True by Spandau Ballet, and In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.
Today we are giving you the story behind Head Over Heels, a #1 near miss from Tears for Fears’ seminal 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair and for my money it might be their greatest song.
You know, of all the synth-pop sensations to come out of the Second British Invasion, Tears For Fears are one of the few left standing.
Over the course of the past 40 years, there may only be seven studio albums under the Tears for Fears banner, but the quality of their catalog is a massive cut above the rest. And it’s safe to say that the iconic duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith have risen to become global superstars. With the recent release of their latest record The Tipping Point, a brilliant modern offering, it’s clear that these two statesmen of synthesized rock have transcended the decade they towered over…
Their voice today is just as critical as it has ever been. So with today’s episode, I want to honor their legacy, especially since Head Over Heels is one of my favorite songs in their brilliant catalog. Just for a quick primer, Smith and Orzabal both grew up in Bath, England and became friends in their early teen years. Both boys came from broken homes, with Curt flirting with juvenile delinquency as a result. Roland, however, turned to books to alleviate his trauma. And at 17 he discovered psychologist Arthur Janov's primal scream therapy. Orzabal turned Smith on to Janov as well. That would become a common thematic element early on. - Розваги
Poll: What is your pick for the greatest song from the 2nd British Invasion?
"Last Chance on the Stairway" by Duran Duran.
Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
...Duran Duran may have a word with you, for asking this question, Prof.!! ..ha-HAA!! "...duh-duh-duh-DUH-DUH-DUH..The RE-FLEX!! ...fle-fle-fle-fle-FLEX!"
Joe Jackson "Steppin' Out"
ua-cam.com/video/PJwt2dxx9yg/v-deo.html
Fields of Fire by Big Country
Tears For Fears should have been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long time ago,what a timeless group and its songs,full of meaning and messeges
that Hall doesn't mean anything. Tupac and Biggie are in it. Apparently his music is rock😂
the hurting was my absolute favourite record back then. more so than songs from the big chair. such a great band.
They've been eligible for a while. But now they seem to want to nominate more recent acts as soon as they reach eligibility, and this makes it more difficult for artists from the 50s to the 80s to get in. But I fully agree with you.
Yes. They changed our ears. Such great writing, melody, groove and lyrics
NEWS FLASH: Because YOU like them is not a valid RnRHoF criterion.
Very little of the MTV era is worthy of the Hall of Fame. Tears for Fears is no exception. They were good but not great.
I'm glad you spotlighted this song. While "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Shout" were their #1 hits, "Head Over Heels" has always been my favorite Tears For Fears song.
....mine, was "I Believe"....but the WHOLE Album, was just NUTS! ....Me Best Bed has FIVE re-issues, I kid you NOT....and, he won't GIMME any of 'em! ...ha-HAA!!
Mine too.
Agreed! It's so captivating. I love they used it in Donnie Darko. There's a live version on youtube I believe they're in Germany or Switzerland from back in the 80s and the quality is really good. Im so impressed how they sound live. Stellar musicians.
@@RBS_it's crazy right?
The lovely, almost wordless "Listen" is my favorite album track and even beats "Shout" IMO.
The true test of a song's greatness is not the charts or popularity when it's released, it is how artists and audience keep coming back to it over time.
So only old songs are great? 😉
@@robvermeulen No. We can't tell which songs are great until the passage of time proves it.
@@egoequus6263 I don't think "we" need time to decide on the greatness of a song. Good songs have instant awesomeness, but it is not directly noticed by many of us.
@@robvermeulen The last words of your reply contradict your first ones, and agree with my point.
Greatness is in the ear of the listener. Some people might think popular 1950s songs are still great, but how many born in the 60's, 70s. 80s and so on would agree and seek them out? Truly great songs would cut across all genres and generations ~ that is many seek them out, long after their charted years are history,.
Songs From the Big Chair is one of my favorite albums from the 80’s. So glad I graduated in 88 and got to enjoy the best music in the last 50 years.
Ditto. I graduated in 88, too. Music will never be as awesome as it was in the 80s.
Wow thats the year I graduated, '88' your statement is mutual. Great times better times. I can still remember orange county california. The nostalgia 😔😁
‘89 here, and the feeling is mutual.
89 too❤️.
88 here as well. Best time for music ever!
Not sure if this is an insult or compliment, but almost every time I get about 5-10 minutes in any video released by this guy I have to pause it and go and listen to the song and the band he’s talking about. He just unlocks the memories and it’s a rare episode I don’t have to pause a few times.
I do it right before watching.
Tears For Fears does nothing for me either 😂
I do too!!
Yes! I had forgotten "I believe" and listening to the first seconds of the song in this video (probably for the first time in decades) made me realized how much I love the song. Precious music and memories.
Same
Some bands are simply ‘epic’. Tears for Fears is one of them.
Tears for Fears takes me to 1984-1986, when I was in high school Southern California. Then I joined the Marines and jammed to TFF while stationed in Spain. Thank God for the juke box in the E Club. I'm 55 and still loving the 80s
Was in my 20s but loved the 80's...
The line, "In my mind's eye, one little boy, one little man, funny how time flies," still brings tears to my eyes. It makes me so nostalgic about watching my oldest son grow up...
Me too that ending will shake your soul!!
Admittedly, I never knew the "one little boy, one little man" part...I usually belt out "In my miiiiiinnnnd's eye", mumble the middle part and go back yelling "funny how timmmmmmmme fliiiiiiiiiiesssss"! LOL LOL 😅
Sort of like Pink Floyds' " Comfortably Numb " , " The Child is Grown , The Dream is Gone "
@@waldoparsnip1025 excellent choice of comparisons
@@waldoparsnip1025 ❤❤❤
Songs from the big chair is timeless, it sounds as good and as relevant as it did in 1985.
Agreed!
I saw a person wearing a Songs from the Big Chair shirt the other day. 👕
Forever 🎵🎶
One of the best albums you can go back and listen to start to finish and then start over again and not get sick or burned out from it. ❤️❤️
@@ProfessorofRock are you from the north east?
Rick Beato did a wonderful job explaining the musical breakdown of this song. Its truly awesome. Again, the 80s music was happy and upbeat, and at times mystical. You always knew a better day was just around the corner.
Right On.
Oooh, thanx! Will definitely check it out. I learn so much from Rick Beato’s “What makes this song great”. Isolating the tracks is incredibly helpful-it helps me hear what I know yet can’t identify.
I agree with Rick. You guys were so lucky to live in such awesome times, even if you didn’t really know it at the time. As Joni Mitchell once said, you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.
Then the 90s happened, and the 2000s...
@@jenx5870 Yep! I'm surprised (c)rap music has been around this long. Horrible junk to try and listen to, but its the record companies that control everything. Give me the big hair bands and rock n roll ANY DAY!
Without question, Woman in Chains is one of the group’s greatest songs. It's absolute mastery by Roland, Curt, & Oleta.
Yes, can we get a back story on this song??? I’d love to hear what prompted them to write such a masterpiece.
Oleta Adams voice is mesmerizing
@@latoyatyson4685
Orzabal spoke about the song in a 1990 Washington Post interview: "When I sing 'Woman in Chains,' I'm singing about the oppression of women around the world, but I'm also singing about the repression of the female anima within myself, and I'm also singing about my mother. At the end when I sing, 'Free her,' I'm also saying, 'Free me.'"
roland and curt met oleta in kansas city. i was at the TFF show in kc last weekend, and roland had a good story about meeting her.
for me it was always Start Of The Breakdown
In the 80's. You would go to peoples houses and regardless of their music taste, looking through their record collection you would find this album so often. It's an absolute classic of the 80's. The songs are still strong today and I still play the album.
records were the best i miss them
Yep, 10 million albums sold, diamond status!
Roland Orzibal is a musical genius! One of the best Male vocalists ever!
Agreed. I think Curt Smith's voice us actually better, but Roland does so much more with his voice. He doesn't just sing; he performs, even when it's just the audio.
I love both of their voices.
Roland's vocals are amazing.
Decade-defining - he's a voice indelibly linked to the 80s in my mind.
Lol
I always thought Sowing the Seeds of Love sounded like a Beatles song. It's one of my favorites from a band that's pure genius and totally underrated. Intelligent lyrics and genius composition - they are completely unique!
To top it off, their music gets better with age.
@@Code.Name.V So true.
People keep saying that, but I never noticed that. Maybe I'll go listen to it on repeat and see if it comes to me.
One of the few songs I wish went on forever and ever because I cannot seem to get sick and tired of it!
@@ProfessorofRock When I read the per-description of this video and linked to the Beatles, Sowing the Seeds of Love was my thoughts too. Very much Beatles inspired! Regardless, great video, thanks!
Songs from the Big Chair, to me, has not one filler song on it. A masterpiece.
EXACTLY 💯
Absurdly false. The hits are awesome, and the non-hits are godawful bad. It's like the hits were ghostwritten or something.
My favorite band of all time. 1st time I saw them was in 1985 and have seen them 5 times, ending with the tipping point world tour part 2 in Atlantic city in june 2023. They never disappoint.
Saw them in AC too and in Philadelphia before that.
Head over Heels and EWTRTW never gets old for me. Every time Heels starts, it immediately takes me back. Every time.
The bass line in that song never gets the love it deserves, it's awesome.
ICONIC BASS 🔊👌✨🙌👏😎🔊 LINE!!!
Absolutely!!
It’s such a good feeling when it starts. Nostalgia overload. ♥️
@@suzymarshall4898 Yes not many songs give you the chills like that. Takes me back to the 80s every time with random Eighties memories. I always liked the song, but liked it even more after it was used on Donnie Darko. One of those songs where the opening is seared into your mind.
@@uncledonnie7556 absolutely 👍
"Head over Heels" was the perfect song to set the school montage to in "Donnie Darko." The camera pans over each character who poses some relevance to the story, without a single cut, introducing us to them without a single word being uttered, and we feel like we know them already.
Love that scene.
Donnie Darko immortalized the song.
The song I always think of from that movie is "Mad World"-Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules.
Dude,. The Working Hour is the most overlooked, and arguably, the best piece of music on the album... I realize this is a big statement considering the other great songs on the album. Looking back, it's hard to understand how such young guys could create such an artistically mature song.
👌👌👌👌👌
Absolutely stunning song ❤
Absolutely agree with you friend! Nobody ever talked about that song except in passing! Underrated to the max!
I love that song! The arrangement is amazing!
I love The Working Hour! It made me want to become a sax player. 🎷
Amazing song and incredible album! I remember the summer of '85 vividly and being 6-7 years old at my aunt's swimming pool with the radio playing Tears for Fears, Prince, The Police, Crowded House, Big Country, Howard Jones, A-Ha, Duran Duran, Wang Chung, INXS, Joe Jackson, Huey Lewis & the News, Phil Collins, and so many more. It was a great time to grow up/be a kid and an amazing time to be alive. Life was so good! Amazing music, movies, tv shows, etc.. I'd give anything to go back to 1980-1989! The greatest decade!
I was a heavy metal dude in high school and wouldn’t get caught dead listening to Tears for Fears. At 55, I fell in love with this song and Tears for Fears. These guys are the epitome of artists/musicians.
I think there are a lot guys like you and I who feel that way.
I still listen to a lot of the music that I was into in my youth, but mostly the blues oriented and folk based stuff. Most of the metal that I thought was cool back then, just sounds ridiculous to me today, but I now have an appreciation for a lot of the new wave and synth-rock music like this that I didn’t like at all back then.
Bible. I had to chuckle reading your comment, in 85 I was 4 years into married life and a new mother I was into Pop and New Age music and now a few days from being 67 I am finding myself rather enjoy Heavy Metal. The old Metal over the newer stuff.
Old metal for sure! I’m fifty seven and I liked all kinds of music; T4F was and still is a favorite band that still lifts me up! Cheers!
I see to buy the metal shirt like Metallica, Iron Maiden, poison, those were the days
I he assad ya I'm 57 and I find myself listen to music and watching tv show I would have never done in the 80s it's a trip.
There’s just something about Tears For Fears that makes you want to sing their songs at the top of your lungs!
Absolutely. It makes me want to just shout. Shout, and... let it all out. 😄
Always during karaoke. 👍
Tears for fears is one of the unsung heroes for people my age....its insane how good they were and no one really knows their name
Their songs are kind of anthemic so yes, singing them at the top of your voice is definitely required
Yes!
Hahaha I love that Roland said Head over Heels was “the simplest song in their whole catalog” 😂😂😂 The song has multiple counter melodies, it’s written in lydian and mixolydian mode (rare for pop music), it changes key several times without even being noticeable, and multi satisfying crescendos… and to Roland and Kurt, nothing gets simpler 😂😂 two bonafide GENIUSES
I think you're over complicating it because it really is a simple song. As for lydian and mixolydian, it sounds like you've been listening to too many Rick Beato song breakdowns. Rick is a great musician, but he's able to tear things completely apart, and therefor over-complicates things -- like he brought Sting in, and was going on about lydian modes etc., and Sting just essentially said to him "I don't know what you're talking about -- I just write the songs"
@@plane_guy6051 hahaha fair point. I absolutely do watch Rick’s videos, and think they’re great (at least the ones where he used to break songs down, not the ones that he makes every other week bragging about how big his channel is).
But ultimately, you’re misconstruing the point in my comment. I was simply pointing out that what may seem simple to a genius songwriter like Roland (and Sting too), is funny because 99.99% of music today, (and a large percentage even back then), showed little complexity at all by comparison. Throw out the Lydian and Mixolydian part; subtle key changes and countermelodies have become pretty much extinct in music in the last 20 years. And what seems simple to creative geniuses can still be seen by us regular folk as impressive beyond belief, that’s all.
There was a study done on music from 1955 to 2010 (running 500,000 songs through an AI) to find out if music is getting worse. It was, is. There is a steady decline in the overall complexity and diversity of music.
There’s a reason why songs like this are mind blowing to younger generations! I’ve heard them almost my entire life (born in 73) and I still discover things I hadn’t heard before…that is amazing to me!
My kids are 21 and 23, they are discovering 80’s synth, Nirvana, Tool…lots of 70’s/80’s/90’s bands. So are millions of others. It gives me hope of inspired musicians on the horizon 💛
@@thechops2000 you’re kids are amazing, awesome!! Thank you for raising them with great taste in music, it gives hope that great music may not be dead for long!!
Music theory has entered the chat! 😊
I finally got to see TFF in concert for the first time last year and they still sound incredible ❤🙌Woman in Chains is my favorite song of theirs, and hearing it live was absolutely life changing for me ❤ The Tipping Point is a fantastic album and blends seamlessly with the rest of their catalog
Head Over Heels is simply great. Tears gave me hope for the 80’s that great music wasn’t lost.
I hear that. The best of 85
They’re sublime. So is the song.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I couldn’t agree more. It’s funny, this is the only site where I can’t wait to see what’s next. Always nice to look forward to.
@@markglabinski526 Professor is a true master in music nostalgia.
As a musician, music buff, and child of the 70’s / 80’s, I LOVE YOUR SHOWS! You always hit the nail right on the head.
...I'm a child of ALL THREE DECADES, and Prof. shocks ME, with the nail -hittin'! ....He EDUCATES, and I'm all for it.... ; )
Thanks Ron!
Thanks RBS!
Over and over, never got tired of this album.
Songs from the Big Chair was one of my favorites in the mid 80s and then again in the mid 90s when I got the CD. These songs still hold up for me.
" Sowing The Seeds Of Love" is the most Beatleish of all Tears for Fears tracks. Sounds like 1/2 Lennon & 1/2 McCartney written .
without question.
It’s a work of art.
That’s what I’ve always thought. Little bit of Sgt. Pepper’s in that tune.
@@jaytrace1006 I'd say a lot of bit....which is great....
Agreed, but if you haven't listened to the album Everbody Loves a Happy Ending, you'll have a change of heart.. the entire playlist, especially Who killed Tangerine..
When I was in high school, the DJ used this song to calibrate his system in the gym before a school dance. As part of the student council I was there with the dance committee helping to organize the event. I stood alone in the open space as the song washed over me from all sides. That moment still lives vividly in my mind whenever I hear this song. It is one of my favorites.
I was in... 4th grade. This whole album is so good. My dad was in radio and would take me to the record store every Friday to pick out a record to buy. I remember when this one came out. I could not wait to buy this record! My aunt was really into "Shout". She was about 22 at the time and we would sing that together at the top of our lungs. Lots of great memories with this record.
LOL Im on same boat. forced my dad to drive me across town just to buy this vinyl. OMG was so fkg pumped to get home. Checked out Shout Im like ok whats next then Saxophone rolls into track 2 Im like WTF is this crap...didnt like it but got used to it then The Working hr transformed into a masterpiece!! now in 2023 is when I realized the song "Listen" is not Roland but its Curt. I had no clue for 38 yrs lol
Sounds like a wonderful Dad you have! I hope you managed to keep all your records.
This entire album gave me life. I loved all the songs. The Working Hour was one of my favorites too!
As an 80’s kid, I agree, “Head Over Heels” is my favorite Tears for Fears song. Also, every time I hear it it reminds me of the movie “Donnie Darko” which is another plus.
best scene in that movie.
why is he saying it is one of.... it is literally one of the best songs in history.... everything they touched.... they are top 3 bands in history along side beegees and queen..... everyone knows this
That was Mad World
@@djkenny1202Memories Fade to round out the top three
Ian Stanley played a bigger role in their success than he's given credit for. His writing and arranging ability, plus his iconic keyboard contributions are the most recognizable elements to their first two albums, and a bit of their 3rd. The song Listen on Big chair is my personal favorite. It was his contribution that is the icing on the cake. Manny's drumming is also highly underrated. They were the backbone of TFF.
Exactly. We love TFF, but Ian is an incredible musician.
HA! beat me to it, I literally commented this then read yours. There would be NO TFF without Ian. He literally wrote some of the greatest synth lines in music history.
Same thing with Mick MacNeil from Simple Minds. Totally agree with Ian.
Yup. Him and Chris Hughes made a huge difference.
Yeah... Still a great band, but the music it's self changed dramatically without his involvement.
The timing for me to be finding this video is too crazy. About a week ago I was feeling nostalgic and pulled this album out to listen to. Takes me back to a very fun time of my life. The 80's were the greatest times to grow up in IMO. The whole album is amazing.
One thing I liked about this album is that it all played as one long track with no cuts. One song played into the next one. That was the first time I had ever heard anything like that.
Anyone else think it hilarious that the good Professor is wearing a Go Go's t-shirt while talking about "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears?
How coincidental is that? 😂
I bet pretty soon we’ll see him interview some of the gals.
Ha! Good one!
I was going to point out the same thing since they had their own Head over heals right around the same time!! 👍
Genius 💜
Good eye! :)
Tears for Fears immediately transports me back to being a kid in the 80s. Great decade!!
Indeed. Give anything to flip the tape and do it all over again 🤣
The MAGIC 🪄🎩 YEARS❤
Same! And the funny thing is that I was about 10 in the mid 80's and didnt necessarily like them back then, but absolutely love them now!
My best friend and I used to go to a local quarry that struck water and flooded. We'd see who had the guts to dive the deepest. Proof of the deepest dive was what we pulled from the bottom. This song was always playing from someone's boom box on the beach.
Best days of my life. Lots of bikinis too. Ladies didn't wax a lot back then either😏
Same. Great memories of my teenage years. ✌️
Where have you been all of my 55yrs of life!!!
I just discovered you!!! You are someone who covers music to the depths of my heart for the songs of my past! ♥️🎵70’s & 80’s ♾️
This song and The System's Don't Disturb This Groove are my two 80s "shoulda been number 1" picks.
"Shout", "Head over Heels", and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" have been part of my A-list 80s soundtrack since I was a kid. They will always be there.
Shout and Rule the world are monster tracks, unforgettable songs
I saw them in concert last year in Charlotte, NC along with Garbage. It was an epic event! Curt and Roland sound just as good as they did back on SFTBC.
Saw their concert last year, too, kinda on a lark, not having listened to them since 1985's SFTBC. Perhaps one of my more favored shows in recent memory.
I was there in Charlotte too.
@@Brecamp Wonderful concert, but gawdawful hot...
I saw them last year at an outdoor concert in Denver. Cold and rainy. One of the best concerts I've been to.
I was at the same show!! They were INCREDIBLE!!
I hear and see these songs and you talking about them. Makes me realize how much I really do miss the 80's. I was 20 in 1985 and I never realized or thought about those were the best years of my life.
Great job on the video and going in deep on the song. Love TFF, all I can say it was summer of "85" and it was my freshman year in high school! Great memories imprinted in me forever. 80"s Always!!
There was a time in my life where the world revolved around Songs From the Big Chair. Every single on every format, every B-side, every poster, shirt, VHS, all things TFF ruled my life 😂
ALL of us at some point had to be completely enamored with these two handsome dudes. And I’m Gen Z!
Mad World is their best song for me.
"The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had."
One of the best lyric lines ever!
Great lyrics and melody, but I have to admit to liking the covers and acoustic takes better than the original. It relied too much on the drum machine and synthesizer, and sounds dated, IMO.
You might like a line from Dark Sarah 's Dance with the Dragon, " We will die another day, another way", the quintessential gothic metal lyric. But I like yours, too.
The Working Hour is a brilliant track , should have been released as a single .
I'm thinking that they used a cover of Mad World in a scene set in the morgue on CSI, and while I don't quite recall the circumstances of the scene, it was a perfect choice.
YES!
I love this songs, I lovethis band, I love "Donnie Darko," and I love how well the lyrics actually kind of reference a number of events / the overarching plot of the movie. Reference is probably the wrong word, but if you've seen the movie it gives the song a whole new meaning.
I was born in 84, but my dad was a radio DJ, so i ALWAYS had music playing as a kid. My dad bought me my first keyboard when i was 15, and i taught myself how to play the intro by ear. This album is TOP TIER 80s album. The whole thing, start to finish. TFF was a huge influence on me, and now fast forward 2024, i do vocals, keys, and drums in a band and we're working on oud secind album. All heavily influenced by the 80s, and personally, i give a huge credit of my love of songwriting to TFF. They are just amazing. Love it.
Tears for Fears and Crowded House were to me 2 bands of the 80’s that still feel timely and beautiful now.
So happy they are touring..and I have tickets for both. I'm in heaven.
Crowded House need more love!
@@whitters1980 yes! Their albums are works of art. They are underrated.
YES! Two of my all time favorite bands. Crowded House and Neil Finn have genius lyrics and so many great songs that don't get near enough love.
@@thebigeasye77 thank you, it’s so good to hear from someone who agrees with me about Crowded House! I bought their first album and it was my top favorite summer album and takes me right back to that time. Crowded House is so underrated as is Neil Finn.
Another favorite from waaay back then is Big Country. They at least did get a lot of love and they deserved it as well. It’s sad about Stuart Adamson though.
I guess there are certain bands that define my younger years and despite the fluff music of the 80’s there were also some really great bands.
I had a 9th grade English teacher that found out I was learning to play guitar. He gave me a cassette tape with this on one side and Mr Mister’s Welcome to the Real World on the other. I still have that cassette. This album is perfection and the “Broken” story is wild. I always loved that transition.
Curt and Roland are amazing artists. Timeless. I saw them in 2022 and 2023. They were solid and the new songs were incredible. Hope we see some more new material from them.
I was 22 when this album came out and was just about to get married. I also came from a dis-functional, violent & unstable home life and had been on my own since age 17. As such, the album (and especially this song) spoke to me in a way that I had never experienced before... and yet I was ridiculed by some close friends and family because this type of music and this band in particular was, as my brother informed me; "f*ggot college boy music". I guess that was in comparison to the good old boy southern rock and country that all the "real men" in my bible belt culture listened to. I drove a pickup, hunted and fished and worked hard for a living,.... and this music was apparently NOT what good folks expected someone like me to enjoy. But I couldn't get enough of this album and it helped me realize that I didn't give a damn if I fit in with people who loved to criticize and shame others into compliance with their preconceived notions. And now, at age 60, I'm still not fitting in and my life has been much richer for it. And I'm still loving TFF!!!
Their masterpieces are still very relevant in pop culture today. I would ignore the haters and keep listening to the Chair, because it is so good.
You simply didn't want to fall into the misery crowd...thats a good thing, live and love ! !
You did good by listening to what you loved and not being influenced by others. Still a big TFF fan at 49 as well!!! Cheers 😊
Rock on 🖤
@@hopek7033 Thanks! Have a great day 😉
The way these guys harmonize with each other is insane. They're like Everly Brothers from another mother.
I'm so happy you point this out. As somebody else in this thread pointed out, Roland's solo TFF albums are great, missed the ones with Kurt are just that much more amazing. I love them together and really enjoy their voices meshing as one. Kurt has a brilliant voice. Him singing Everybody Wants To Rule The World is why I like the song. I felt his absence in the albums not featuring him.
I was lucky enough to grow up in the 80's. Head over heels is still 1 of my favorite songs. I have had a thing for Tears for Fears since I first heard them over 35 years ago.
It definitely shows a sophistication in pop songwriting above a lot of their compatriots during that time. It’s a great track but “Shout” has one of my favorite guitar solos of all time: succinct and wistful and supports the song without overshadowing it. “Mothers Talk” is a great underrated song too. When Orzabal made his comeback in 1992, “Breaking Down Again” has a special place for 12 year old me, too.
Songs From the Big Chair is a masterpiece. Ian Stanley deserves some credit for his contributions to it, as he co-wrote and arranged many of the songs. Chris Hughes also.
Especially for the EBWTRTW b-side Pharaohs which is a phenomenal track.
@@elyuw "Saturnine, Martial and Lunatic" is worth picking up as it has many of the TFF B-sides. Pharaohs is awesome, but so is "When In Love With a Blind Man" (which is a prototype of what would become The Working Hour).
Shoutout to all the behind the scenes people in the making of the Chair.
@@kevinfisher5492 That is being released for Record Store Day next month!
Their music was so unbelievably mature and sophisticated for their young ages then. It blew my mind. The songs you never heard on Mtv or the radio were pure genius. Masterpieces. They have always been my favorite band of all time. Roland's TFF albums are amazing. But they are best together.
This made it to MTV in Europe
Excellent point. i keep thinking the same thing again and again.
I heard them on the radio. College radio, where they played Great songs, B4 they got on top 40 charts. My kids were teens & preteens. I'd sing along with the latest New songs!! They'd say, "Mom!! How do you Know this song already ???!!!" 😂😂😂
I was out in the workforce in the 80's
Trying to make a career and a future for myself. I met this incredible guy that I married in 1981. We listened to Tears for Fears music all the time.
Our favorite "Everybody wants to Rule the World" We owned an MGB convertible and would cruise the East Coast with top down and blasting their songs. Such great memories. Great band and songwriters. We r in our 70's now, but still enjoy the music of the 80's.
Hope generations to come will enjoy
this music too! Music brings us together and speaks love. 😊😊
One highlight of my life was going to Tears For Fears with my 10 year old son this year. He sang every word of EWTRTW 5ft from the stage.
Quality over quantity. The way each of their albums evolved from the last is a true testament to their greatness.
I agree Good call.
I totally agree, also!
When music MADE you want to listen.
I love these guys.Been a big fan since 1985.The CDs these guys put out are rare CDs that can be played from the first song til the last song..Not many artists put out CDs like that anymore..Even in the 90s when Roland was on his own,the Cds he put are perhaps the best of the tears for fears library...Glad you featured these guys professor....
The CD has faded from our collective consciousness it seems.
Head Over Heels is such a gorgeous song!! 😊
My granddaughter, who was around six but who is near grown now, used to sit with me on occasion and we’d watch music videos from my favorite bands through time. Head Over Heels, which she referred to as “the monkey song”, quickly became one of her top picks. So now this song brings back two separate and loving eras of my life. One from my early adult life, the other from my early grandparent life. Sweet memories.
This and 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World', takes me back to a very happy time in my life.
I think “Sowing The Seeds of Love” is their absolute best. A masterpiece.
My 2nd favorite. Great song.
I called it the exact same thing.
It’s an alluring song.
Head over heels. Brilliant
That's my favourite too but I think, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is their best.
Always loved this song as a kid, because my parents listened to them some, honestly, Donnie Darko re-sparked my love for it, and caused me to really get into TFF as a young adult.
I love them. I just saw them in concert in Virginia Beach and they still sound so great live!!
tears for fears is top 3 bands in history
@@michelleper5065 Amazing how their popularity is up again after all these years. Best band of the 80's
@@TheGreatGig73 top 5 in history yes arguably top 3
The flood of nostalgia I get from this song is deep. I used to listen to this on my Walkman cassette player on the bus ride from school. Im most amazed that after all these years this song hasn't aged...it's truly one of the best pop songs ever recorded.
i had it on cassette in the late 90's, one of those yard sale pickups. i remember blasting in while i was watching dishes or just in my room. finally got the 99 remastered version on CD in the early 00's. have 3 copies right now - a 90's pressing of the original recording, the 99 remastered version and the 2014 reissue.
he forgot to mention they were and are great musicians.... roland is literally top 5-6 musician in history of rock/pop... this is not just a great band but the musician within are amazing
The Hurting. An essential album. Not a bad song on that phenomenal album. Pure genius. Haunting, melancholy, empathetic, divine sadness. Brilliant.
Agreed
My favorite album, period!
@@peggyweber6845 yes. Up there in my top 3 for sure!
Agree. As one of the earlier takers, I feel a lot of ownership for this album. The rest of the public can go head over heels with the later albums, The Hurting stays with me. Kinda like U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday (War) was the best, the rest.....yall can have it.
@Nilo Baranda
it's a sad affair,
When there's no one there.
He calls out in the night
And it's so unfair,
At least it seems that way
When you gave him life
And all this time he's been getting you down,
You ought pick him up when there's no one around
Convince him
Just talk to him....
Suffer the children.
The lyrics, the melody. One of 10 perfect songs. When I'm sad or overwhelmed, I turn to this criminally underrated & nearly forgotten album and realize I'm not alone when I have emotional, spiritual, and psychological pain.
I'm glad there are people like you who appreciate this brilliant, overlooked masterpiece. Today's music is absolute garbage when you compare it to music like this. I turned my 18 year old son onto this. Better than a $300 session with a psychologist. Peace
Great song. One of my favorites. Thanks for the spotlight on this awesome song and group.
Advice for the Young at Heart holds a special place in my heart...I was about to graduate, one last summer before my dear friends and I went to college...a magic time...a magical year.
If you asked me yesterday, I would have said this was a #1 song on the billboard charts. It’s unfathomable to me that it was not. Seriously, it’s one of the best songs from the eighties.
It is one of those decade defining songs. I’m still shaking my head over this one, my mind is about to implode.
It should have been #1. Totally. But Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice theme song was at #1. No offense to Crockett.
Hey Brent, take a deep breath, it's OK,
Good song, great music. Everything will be fine.
@@jamessherosick2747 don’t worry, I breathing fine. I was just surprised, that’s all. Lol
I’m a cultural anthropologist majored in linguistics with a passion for etymology. I love this song so much that I’ve never gone through the lyrics. It’s irresistible to get taken away by the synth, voices, and bass line. It’s like riding a roller coaster with one’s eyes closed (clothes). (Welcome to my brain) 😂 Awesome video. 🫶🏼
Finally went over the lyrics, without the trancing effects of the music and here are some conclusions. The song is generally about TIME, SUN, and Moon. I’ll comeback to update once I get a chance to get into it. 🤗
I'm getting chills just hearing their music in my head! This duo was SO GOOD!
One of my favorite songs from them to this day, that I can listen to on rotation, nonstop without getting sick of it is: Woman In Chains. There is something just so haunting and beautiful about it. I wish it would’ve gotten released as a single. As I think it would’ve been a hit for them. Goes to show that the record companies don’t know everything.
Ah yes. "Woman in Chains"! I so love this song. Great music video. Then there's Oleta Adams. Just pure poetry. -TFF fan from the Philippines.
Pretty sure it was a single as I think I have it!
woman in chains was a single. i had the cassingle.
Can't agree with you more. I've seen them live twice. Love TFF!
Mr. Pessimist is a really good song too. 😊
The use of Tear For Fear's song "Head Over Heels" in Donnie Darko is one of those movie scenes (sequences really) that stays in my mind. It speaks about Donnie Darko's life at that moment precisely without using a single word. All the people central to the plot appear and reveal themselves through the lyrics and music. The stop and fast motion of the sequence gives it a "playing it back in my mind" type of feeling that is haunting in the film. It's pure genius and it's one of the reasons (among many) I keep watching that film over and over, over the years since its' release.
And that sequence ends right at the lyric "Funny how....TIME FLIIIEEESSSS!" which is a HUGE bit of foreshadowing. Genius.
ew donnie darko lol
I always think of Donnie Darko when I hear this
great film and great soundtrack! joy division, duran duran, echo and the bunnymen and of course TFF
One of my favorite movies!
I am very much with you on your interpretation of the song. I’m a therapist and human development expert by trade, and your insight has helped me really understand this song better, and I absolutely love what it represents! It’s been my favorite TFF song since its release. I went thru a TFF obsession in the mid 90s when Break It Down Again came out, and I played the hell out Head Over Heels, along with Sowing The Seeds of Love. Thank you for helping me better understand just how meaningful Head over Heels really is!
This is still an epic song to this day. Thanx for sharing it with us again.❤
Tears for fears' songs are timeless. They never get rusted as other songs that got frozen in time. There is something about T4F that keeps their sounds alive.
Songs from the big chair was the first album I ever bought for myself. Some of my tastes at that age are questionable (at best) all these years later but not that one. It’s just as good today as it was then
They were mediocre ar best! Glad I never have to hear them Again!
Yep, it's called serfdom and slavery.
AND... Still my favorite group!!
@@40aterules I guess you're careful to avoid the radio. Their classics still get a lot of rotation.
The Tipping Point is a MUST LISTEN!!!!! Music hasn't been this musically, lyrically, and sonically good in decades.
I just saw them on tour at MSG a few weeks ago for my birthday and they were AMAZING!!
Just saw them at Bethel Woods.. they were so incredible. They sounded great! Took me back to the 80’s. ❤
Saw them in St. Louis a couple of days ago. Have never seen a crowd more involved in a concert and having so much fun.
Agreed!
@@kellyanndevine262 The second they started playing Everybody Wants to Rule the World, I was transported right back to our kitchen in my 80s childhood.
I just turned 50 and so happy that i now turn back to listen again to 80s music especially songs that i never paid attention to in detail as i was 14 or 15 at the time, while now i can appreciate the music from different lens. There is so much music there to keep me busy for the rest of my life…!!
Fantastic analysis of these tremendous lyrics! Thanks for this. There's so much going on with it that I can directly relate to.
Cool fact about the video; it was filmed nearby in Toronto at the University of Toronto Library while they were on tour here. That is not a set, those are the real stacks!
I figured it was a real college library.
Victoria University, actually.
@@dustygrrl which is considered part of UofT, the Emmanuel College Library
TFF = glorious !!! Their music is intelligent, dark, beautiful and nostalgic
Brooding, haunting, ethereal, CLASSIC.
Elegantly put and totally agree!
You forgot: most unique.
Your channel is awesome! Any music lover can appreciate the in depth perspective you provide. Thank you!Head over heels never gets old. Damn good band overall.
This isn't just my favorite song from them. Decades of searching and this is actually my favorite song, period. Even though Tears for Fears isn't even in my top 5 of favorite groups, something about this song is magical enough to stand at the very top of my list.
I saw them in concert in 1990, which was the first concert I’ve ever been to! They were amazing!
A great time to see them!
They were fantastic live.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I have seen them four times. The first in 1990, too. They only get better. Have you listened to the Tipping Point?
@@Green-eyedGirl19 Yes I did, last year. I had no idea until turning on the TV one night and these two old guys were singing in a studio. Guess who?
I was so fascinated and a few weeks later I checked out Tipping Point. It’s amazing!
That was the first tour I saw them on as well....the Seeds of Love tour, with Oleta Adams becoming one of the band for the tour. Fantastic sound and the band was great.
Synth and New Wave are both an absolute giant of music history. Defining artists that defined a genre that defined a decade, can't get better than that.
Absolutely agree!
British New Wave rocks!
Wow man! You hit the nail on the head bruh!! I couldn’t agree with you more. I have a new respect for you and your analysis of this song and amazing retro group…. Thank you for your spotlight on it all. You Rock!!
It's crazy, I've never really liked that era of rock but I love you channel and the older rock has been growing on me. Thanks for the great videos
I was 14 when I discovered Tears for Fears. Back then, I had very little money of my own, but I bought Songs From the Big Chair on cassette to listen to on my knock-off Walkman. The more I listened to it, the more profoundly it shaped my musical taste. To date, it’s one of my all-time favorite, most influential albums.
I could have written this. My exact experience at 14. The 80s were awesome.
I also had a similar experience but instead of buying me SFTBC my Dad mistakenly bought The Hurting and at first I was so disappointed 😢but played and played that album and eventually getting SFTBC. I had to listen to music in our living room at the time so had to fit it into the family schedule. 😂 Music in general seemed so precious to experience back then- love this band then and now x
This band. THIS BAND! They were my guide, my totem, my anthem, in the ‘80s.
SO GOOD!
Well said.
Truly one of the best 80’s songs ever. But, every single time I listen to it- it stays stuck in my head for weeks- literally.
One of the most truly overlooked songs of the 80's
Thanks for covering this one, now I have to go listen to the whole album, because HOW CAN I NOT?!?!?
I have to say, of all the great songs by Tears For Fears, the one that I really enjoy is "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Then to hear it in the Val Kilmer movie "Real Genius", just made the song even better.
Tears For Fears is a great talent. And after all these years, hearing them in concert recently, I am awe struck that their voices have not diminished at all.
Love this group!
Yes! "Real Genius" is an underrated movie, and I, too, will forever think of that movie when I hear "everybody wants to rule the world."
I love this song as well as Sowing The Seeds of Love more than Shout and Everybody wants to rule the world. I was fortunate to finally see them live when they supported Spandau Ballet in Australia in 2010. It was a great show.
Professor Rock, this is one of my favourite shows. Thanks for rendering music history important. Have always loved this song!
Great song, and Donny Darko is one of my favorite films! Thanks for great content as always!
curt and roland had different but great voices and could harmonize like nobody's business. this song is a masterpiece.