Synopsis
Tears For Fears perform "Change" in a stark, stylized setting built around close-up portraits and physical movement. Curt Smith delivers the song with an intense, direct presence, while Roland Orzabal moves through the frame with a tense, almost combative dance style. The simple performance concept reflects the song's moody early-1980s synth-pop atmosphere, emphasizing expression, rhythm, and the contrast between the two band members rather than following a conventional narrative.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Change" was released on January 28, 1983, as the fourth single from Tears For Fears' debut album, *The Hurting*.
- The single became the band's second UK Top 5 hit, following "Mad World," and was their first release to enter the US Billboard Hot 100.
- Roland Orzabal wrote the song and originally intended it for his wife to sing. Curt Smith heard the demo, liked the verse, and encouraged Orzabal to develop it as a Tears For Fears track.
- The recording is built around a repeating marimba figure, a hypnotic detail that continues through most of the song and gives the arrangement its distinctive pulse.
- The video is an early example of the duo's performance-based visual style. Smith is frequently presented in tight close-up, while Orzabal's unusual, fighting-style dance supplies most of the clip's physical drama.