# Apocalyptic Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201 "2009-10-26T17:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/1 "2009-10-26T17:55:03Z")
For an ‘End of the World’ party I’m throwing in a few days, in anticipation of the 2012 movie and my own impending doom (I’m turning 35), I’m looking for some good apocalyptic songs. So far I’ve thought of the following: It’s The End Of The World (and I feel fine) - REM 1999 - Prince Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden Apocalypse, Please - Muse Eve of the War - Jeff Wayne I’ve found some others (The End by The Doors), but they’re too depressing. This is still a party afterall. Anyone has some other suggestions? A playlist with only 6 songs is a bit empty. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/2 "2009-10-26T18:01:46Z")
99 Red Balloons (99 Luftballoons) ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/3 "2009-10-26T18:05:15Z")
_In the Year 2525._ ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/4 "2009-10-26T18:05:33Z")
Aenima - Tool. “Eve of Destruction” isn’t too depressing? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/5 "2009-10-26T18:14:10Z")
You absolutely have to have Tom Lehrer’s **We Will All Go Together When we Go** [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/frAEmhqdLFs/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Lehrer - We Will All Go Together When We Go") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frAEmhqdLFs) It’s upbeat,in the style of Revival Hymns (“This might be more accurately be called a _Survival Hymn_” – T. Lehrer) You can sing along to it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/6 "2009-10-26T18:15:47Z")
[Every Day Is Like Sunday](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhdOQ5BnBys) - Morrissey **Every Day Is Like Sunday** - Natalie Merchant _“…and a strange dust lands on your hands…and on your face…”_ ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/7 "2009-10-26T18:18:02Z")
**Party at Ground Zero** - Fishbone **Armageddon Days Are Here** - The The For Eve of Destruction, try the version by The Dickies (it’s upbeat), and if you go with 99 Luftballoons, try the Goldfinger version! ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/8 "2009-10-26T18:23:19Z")
“Christmas at Ground Zero” Wierd Al “Breathing” Kate Bush ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/9 "2009-10-26T18:28:38Z")
It’s not totally on point, but _[Political Science](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGO42gvCSPI)_ by Randy Newman is a fun little ditty. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/10 "2009-10-26T18:35:40Z")
I actually have a playlist of armageddon / cold war style songs, but not in front of me. Off the top of my brain pan… This World Over - XTC Black Planet - Sisters of Mercy Sole Survivor - Blue Oyster Cult Sweethearts - Camper Van Beethoven Two Suns in the Sunset - Pink Floyd ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/11 "2009-10-26T18:37:46Z")
**The Future** - Leonard Cohen Upbeat tempo to cover the apocalyptic sounding lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/12 "2009-10-26T18:41:53Z")
Here are a few from Queen. [Is This TheWorld We Created](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM0g-7sZeSo) and [The Prophet’s Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZjjsrn9FY4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/13 "2009-10-26T18:44:15Z")
You may find this too depressing, too, but I LOVE Nazareth’s _Morning Dew_. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ney6LlaUI8) I plan to make it the official song of the Zompocalypse one day. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/14 "2009-10-26T18:46:47Z")
Arguably, [After the Gold Rush](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/shallowhal/afterthegoldrush.htm), Neil Young. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/15 "2009-10-26T18:53:34Z")
[Life During Wartime](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COlw977yrmE) - Talking Heads [Burning Down the House](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM&feature=fvw) - Talking Heads (arguably about nuclear conflagration) [Seconds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFgoXcntSBU) - U2 [The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qrriKcwvlY) - Timbuk 3 \*\* New Frontier\*\* - Donald Fagen (not exactly about Armageddon - it’s about making out in a bomb shelter “just a shelter that my dad built, in case the Reds decide to push the button down”) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/16 "2009-10-26T18:58:14Z")
**Apocalypso** and **Party At The End Of The World** - Jimmy Buffett **Wooden Ships** - Jefferson Airplane ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/17 "2009-10-26T19:02:53Z")
If you’re OK with funny End Of World songs… \*\* Re: Your Brains\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/18 "2009-10-26T19:02:59Z")
“Waiting for the End of the World” by Elvis Costello [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP4D-nTnWv4) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/19 "2009-10-26T19:17:49Z")
“Five Years” by David Bowie may be too depressing, but you could go with “Future Legend/Diamond Dogs”. For a historical perspective, “Talkin’ World War III Blues” by Bob Dylan and “Talking Cuban Crisis” by Phil Ochs. “Political Science” by Randy Newman (“Let’s drop the big one now…”) “Wooden Ships” by either Crosby Stills Nash & Young or Jefferson Airplane. (Again, maybe a bit of a downer.) ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/20 "2009-10-26T19:20:23Z")
In a weird sort of way, _“Brother Can You Spare a Dime”_ from the 1930s could qualify. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201.md?page=2)