JARVIS COCKER shares new version of 'Running the World' - Stream

20 December 2019

Jarvis Cocker has shared a new version of “Running the World”. Today’s release comes as the PULP frontman attempts to make the reworked track a Christmas No. 1 single on the UK charts.

Cocker’s efforts are a result of a massive grassroots Facebook campaign called “Fancy Getting ‘C**ts are Still Running the World’ to the UK Xmas No. 1?”

Launched in protest over Boris Johnson’s election bid for Prime Minister, the Facebook group has amassed over 20,000 members, all of whom oppose the politician’s pro-Brexit, conservative stance.

According to Cocker, he had re-recorded a new rendition of his 2006 original with the Kaiser Quartett, but decided to release it early to coincide with the Facebook campaign. “So here’s the story: about a month ago the @kaiserquartett sent me a recording of their arrangement of ‘Running the World’ & asked if I’d consider singing on it. So I did,” Cocker explained on Instagram. “The song will feature on one of their upcoming record releases but — given the current campaign — we thought you might like to get a sneak preview right now.”

The PULP musician added,

“What a lark! I’m so proud that people have chosen the song as a means of protest against the social, political & environmental situation we find ourselves in,” wrote Cocker. “We’ve been playing this song at the recent JARV IS… shows & I often sing “but not for long” at the very end. I truly believe that, as long as we don’t give up, that is true. These are cold, hard times but initiatives like this campaign make me feel all warm & hopeful inside. Christmasy even.”

All proceeds from the Rough Trade-released update will go toward Shelter, a UK homeless charity. Hear it below.