# APOCALYPSO: I need songs about the end of the world.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 1, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533 "2005-09-01T01:44:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/1 "2005-09-01T01:44:59Z")
I was talking about songs about the end of the world at work yesterday, and we came up with
The end of the world as we know it by REM
Everyday is like Sunday by Morrissey
When the man comes around by Johnny Cash
99 luft balloons by Nena
Any others? I’m thinking of making a morbid compilation.
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### Author:  [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/2 "2005-09-01T01:49:18Z")
I guess \ ***End of the World** \* by Skeeter Davis would be too obvious?
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/3 "2005-09-01T01:50:24Z")
**Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire** - a real angry downer
**End of the World - Skeeter Davis** - Not really about WW3 or ecological disaster or any Armageddon du jour - basically her love has left her and it is _figuratively_ the “end of the world” for her. Although NOT a literal “end of the world” song, it deserves a mention if only for the fact that the title fits the OP perfectly.
(Incidentally, Ms Davis passed away about a year ago I think.)
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### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/4 "2005-09-01T01:52:34Z")
“And the Earth Died Screaming,” by Tom Waits.
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/5 "2005-09-01T01:53:39Z")
See? I take an extra minute to put in some explanation (as well as _another_ song selection) and someone beats me to the Skeeter Davis song.
Oh well, good work Stephe96 - once again great minds think alike.
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/6 "2005-09-01T02:15:44Z")
Zombie Jamboree, Kingston Trio. Not quite about the end of the world, but it’s calypso…
And the Merry Minuet certainly also suggests it.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/7 "2005-09-01T02:25:55Z")
How about “The Future” by Leonard Cohen?
Or, on a “lighter” note “We’ll all go together when we go” by Tom Lehrer.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/8 "2005-09-01T02:39:10Z")
Christmas at Ground Zero, by Weird Al Yankovich
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### Author:  [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/9 "2005-09-01T02:39:39Z")
“Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” by Ultravox.
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/10 "2005-09-01T02:45:57Z")
Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) by Billy Joel. Okay, it’s just the destruction of New York, but it’s the _center_ of the universe.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/11 "2005-09-01T02:46:07Z")
You nailed one with your thread title: “Apocalypso” by Jimmy Buffett.
“After The Deluge” - Jackson Browne
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### Author:  [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/12 "2005-09-01T02:48:26Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> Christmas at Ground Zero, by Weird Al Yankovich
Along the same line, “Party at Ground Zero” by Fishbone.
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### Author:  [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/13 "2005-09-01T02:57:12Z")
1999 by Prince
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### Author:  [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/14 "2005-09-01T03:02:48Z")
Don’t Fear the Reaper by the Blue Oyster Cult. It’s not about the end of the world, but ya can’t go wrong with a song about death.
When the World Ends by Dave Matthews/Paul Oakenfold. Good song with a mildy eerie groove to it.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/15 "2005-09-01T03:10:35Z")
_The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades_, by Timbuk3.
_It’s Gonna Rain_, by the Violent Femmes.
_A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall_, by Bob Dylan.
_Talkin’ World War III Blues_, also by Bob Dylan.
_Abattoir Blues_, by Nick Cave.
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/16 "2005-09-01T03:51:27Z")
**Harborwolf**
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” by the Blue Oyster Cult.
Not a bad choice _except_ the song could have used a little more cowbell don’t you think?
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### Author:  [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/17 "2005-09-01T03:53:47Z")
Carmina Burna: O Fortuna.
Pretty apocalyptic
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### Author:  [@Al\_Transom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Transom)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/18 "2005-09-01T05:54:29Z")
Don’t forget **Hallowed Ground** by the Violent Femmes
**London Calling** by The Clash also has a bit about the end
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### Author:  [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/19 "2005-09-01T06:20:16Z")
\*So Long Mom (I’m Off to Drop the Bomb) \* by Tom Lehner
_We’ll all go together when we go_ by Tom Lehner
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalypso-i-need-songs-about-the-end-of-the-world/319533/20 "2005-09-01T06:25:36Z")
Would you believe that I have an iTunes playlist for this very subject?
Anyway, some selections…
_The Bomb Run_—From the _Dr. Strangelove_ soundtrack (It has the “Johnny comes Marching Home” theme)
_Death is Not the End_—Nick Cave
_Dies Irae_—From Mozart’s Requiem
_Doomsday Serenade_—Jill Tracy (Yee GODS that’s a great apocalypse song!)
_The Day the World Went Away_—Nine Inch Nails
_Hiroshima/Nagasaki Requiem_—From the _Trinity and Beyond_ soundtrack
_Requiem for Godzilla_—From the _Godzilla vs. Destroyah_ soundtrack
_The Man Comes Around_—Johnny Cash
_We’ll Meet Again_—Vera Lynn
And that’s just the ones that semi-directly deal with the end of the world. I’ve got more, where the connection’s more oblique. (Like John Barry’s main theme to _The Last Valley_, which always brings up images of ICBMs rising from trailers and silos in Siberia.)
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