Ruler of Everything

Ruler of Everything
Written by	Joe Hawley
Appears on	Party Boobytrap, Complete Demos, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Sung by	Joe Hawley, Zubin Sedghi
Genre	Rock
Language	English
Links:	Youtube Spotify Bandcamp Demo (Bandcamp) Later Demo (Youtube)

Ruler of Everything is a song by Joe Hawley.

The music video for Ruler of Everything debuted in the 10th episode of Tally Hall's Internet Show.

History

Ruler of Everything was the second song written for Tally Hall and was written during a sleepless night caused by pondering "The Infinite".

Ruler of Everything first appeared on Party Boobytrap in 2003 and then on Complete Demos in 2004. The song had an alternative second verse that was later taken out completely for Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. At this point 13 did not exist or was merged with Ruler of Everything, but it still led to Hidden In The Sand like the final album version in Complete Demos.

Later in 2004, presumably Joe would experiment with this demo and add on additional overdubs, likely to be closer to what a final version would sound like. These overdubs include bells (which have the same melody than 13) and a tambourine. This version of Ruler of Everything was included in Joe's short film The Other Way and was posted to PureVolume in the summer of 2005. The band recorded it for Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in the same year.

Later in 2007, the band would go back to the studio remix and re-record the 2005 tracks. During this time, somebody would slightly slow down the recording and it would stick.

Recording

Ruler of Everything makes use of Joe Hawley's signature back-masking technique, as there are reversed vocal samples and reversed instruments. As well as this, the song features processed vocals that are pitched higher and lower.

Inspiration

In Joe's 2006 bio, it states that the song is about time. It is believed that the line "mechanical hands" are referring to the hands of an analogue clock. This is further inferred by the line "do you like how my face disintegrates into chalk", with the front of a watch being called a "face". It is believed to be about how time is the "ruler of everything."

Trivia

• Joe chose the name "Juno" at random and liked the idea of it being androgynous.
• The 2005 version of the song is tuned at a typical A = 440Hz, however, the tuning of the 2008 version of the song was lowered to A ≈ 430Hz. The tuning is different due to a slight speed change. The 2008 version is -2.273% slower than the 2005 one.
• The CD artwork for Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum seems to be based off of the song, as it shows mechanical hands on a clock with gears sticking out.
• In 2022 Joe posted a ukulele cover of himself playing Ruler of Everything on Instagram (Now deleted).

Lyrics

Juno was mad 
He knew he'd been had
So he shot at the sun with a gun
Shot at the sun with a gun
Shot at his wily one
Only friend

In the gallows or the ghetto
In the town or the meadow
In the billows 
Even over the sun
Every end of a time
Is another begun

You understand 
Mechanical hands
Are the ruler of everything
Ruler of everything
I'm the ruler of everything
In the end

(...!ohohohohoH !mih teG !yawa gninnur s'eH !tibbarkcaj a s'eH !ohohohohO)

Do you like how I dance?
I've got zirconium pants
Consequential enough
To slip you into a trance

Do you like how I walk?
Do you like how I talk?
Do you like how my face
Disintegrates into chalk?

I have a wonderful wife
I have a powerful job
She criticizes me for being egocentric (Ha ha ha ha!)

You practice your mannerisms
Into the wall
If this mirror were clearer
I'd be standing so tall

I saw you slobber over clovers
On the side of the hill
I was observing the birds
Circle in for the kill

I've been you
I know you
Your façade is a scam

You know you're making me cry
This is the way that I am
I've been living a lie
A metamorphical scheme
Detective undercover brotherhood
Objective obscene

Oh no
No? 
Oh yeah

Do you hear the flibbity jibbity jibber jabber
With an oh my God
I've got to get out of here or I'll have another
Word to sell
Another story to tell
Another timepiece ringing the bell
Do you hear the clock stop when you reach the end
No you know it must be never-ending
Comprehend if you can
But when you try to pretend to understand
You resemble a fool
Although you're only a man
So give it up and smile

Do you hear the flibbity jibbity jibber jabber
With an oh my God
I've got to get out of here or I'll have another
Word to sell
Another story to tell
Another timepiece ringing the bell
Do you hear the clock stop when you reach the end
No you know it must be never-ending
Comprehend if you can
But when you try to pretend to understand
You resemble a fool
Although you're only a man
So give it up and smile

You understand 
Mechanical hands
Are the ruler of everything
Ruler of everything
I'm the ruler of everything
In the end

Without looking down
Gliding around
Like a bumbling dragon I fly
Scraping my face on the sky
Oh no
No?
Oh yeah 

Original second verse

Number your thumb
Impossible sum
Of the monkey fist hung on a vine
Organism assembly line
Everything's gonna be fine
Play pretend

(source)

Early 2005 Verse

In the gallows or the ghetto
In the town or the meadow
In the future
Even over the sun
It can never be stopped
If it hasn't begun

(source)

Tabs/Chords

Unavailable, if you have made tabs or chords of the song please add them!

References

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum

Good Day · Greener · Welcome To Tally Hall · Taken For A Ride · The Bidding · Be Born · Banana Man · Just Apathy · Spring And A Storm · Two Wuv · Haiku · The Whole World And You · 13 · Ruler of Everything · Hidden In The Sand (hidden track) · Mucka Blucka* (bonus track) · Dream* (bonus track) · Just a Friend** (bonus track) · Good Day (Simlish)** (pre-gap bonus track) * indicates tracks only available with a digital download code or with the 2021 CD and tape rerelease ** indicates tracks only available on the 2021 CD rerelease