Running The World

Album: Jarvis (2006)
Charted: 48
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Songfacts®:

  • This sweary protest song finds Jarvis Cocker outlining his belief that the arrogant elite are running the world. Western political democracy, he says, is just a façade as the system favors the haves while the have nots continue to struggle.
  • The song was originally included as a hidden track on the Jarvis album, 30 minutes on from the end of "Quantum Theory."
  • "Running the World" plays during the closing credits of the 2006 dystopian action thriller movie Children of Men.
  • The track enjoyed a new burst of plays on streaming services in the wake of the December 2019 UK General Election in which the Conservative Party won a sizable majority. After being shared widely by those unhappy with the election result, a campaign was started to make it the UK Christmas #1 with sale proceeds being donated to Shelter.

    Said Cocker: "What a lark! I'm so proud that people have chosen the song as a means of protest against the social, political and environmental situation we find ourselves in."

    After the song entered the Christmas chart at #48, the organizers of the campaign refocused on topping the New Year listing instead.

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