Elizabeth Cook’s Cover of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ Is a Great Singer Meeting an Iconic Song

On the strength of its With Love series, the East Nashville indie label 3Sirens is doing god’s work: pairing some of Nashville’s most important voices with the songs that soundtracked many of our adolescent years. Part 1 had artists like Caitlin Rose covering the Pretenders and Derek Hoke tackling Crowded House. On Friday, the label, led by Alyssa and Doug Graham, announced 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 2, the latest collection of reinvented hits from the Eighties and Nineties — including a stellar rendition of Tears of Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Elizabeth Cook.

Cook’s version stays mostly faithful to the 1985 synth-pop staple, but her distinct voice adds an extra layer of texture. Hoke, who sang “Something So Strong” on Part 1, adds harmony vocals with Cook.

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“There’s nothing I love more than getting in the studio with a great song and talented people. Getting to track ‘Everybody Wants to the Rule the World’ was particularly nostalgic for me, being a child of the ’80s,” Cook says. “Bands like Tears for Fears represented a whole new world of music to me beyond my country roots, and to my parents’ dismay, I was totally enthralled and in love with it. As with many great pieces of music, the lyrics and the vibe are as relevant today as ever. It was a treat to get to record it.”

Along with Cook, 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 2 features Chuck Mead interpreting Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere,” Nicole Atkins singing Television’s “1880 or So,” and the Grahams’ rendering of “Don’t Get My Wrong” by the Pretenders.

3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 2 track list
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Elizabeth Cook (Original by Tears For Fears)
“Road to Nowhere” – Chuck Mead (Original by Talking Heads)
“Don’t Get Me Wrong” – The Grahams (Original by Pretenders)
“1880 or So” – Nicole Atkins (Original by Television)
“Under the Milky Way” – Lilly Hiatt (Original by The Church)
“Gates of Steel” – Patrick Sweany (Original by DEVO)

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