# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/21 "2009-10-26T19:32:06Z")
“When the World Ends” by Dave Matthews Band (the Remix that was featured on the Matrix 2 soundtrack is a good version in my opinion and I’m not a DMB fan). And come on… The End is a GREAT final song to play as it strikes midnight- you just have to find some good live versions of the song! ---
**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, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/22 "2009-10-26T19:41:09Z")
Wow. Didn’t expect there’d be so many. Loved the Yankovic one. Absolutely hilarious. Nena and Zager and Evans were really good suggestions too. Need to listen to the other suggestions still. Thanks for the tips. Keep 'em coming. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/23 "2009-10-26T19:42:45Z")
Again on the depressing side, but Jefferson Airplane’s The House At Pooneil Corners is mighty fine. And, because of its use in Dr Strangelove, We’ll Meet Again by Vera Lynn is a suitable candidate. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/24 "2009-10-26T19:50:23Z")
If you like oldies, there’s always “the Merry Minuet.” [http://www.frivolity.com/teatime/Songs\_and\_Poems/merry\_minuet.html](http://www.frivolity.com/teatime/Songs_and_Poems/merry_minuet.html) Then there’s King Crimson’s “Epitaph” ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/25 "2009-10-26T19:52:46Z")
Tom Waits – Earth Died Screaming ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/26 "2009-10-26T20:13:13Z")
_When the Man Comes Around_ by Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/27 "2009-10-26T20:27:15Z")
_1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)/Moon, Turn the Tides… Gently Gently Away_ by Jimi Hendrix > [@spoke-](#): > > [Burning Down the House](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM&feature=fvw) - Talking Heads (arguably about nuclear conflagration) Say whaaaaa? I’ve never heard that idea before. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/28 "2009-10-26T20:44:18Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > [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) Speaking of Talking Heads… [(Nothing But) Flowers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo1aKvqjA0o) Sufjan Stevens–[They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_GrBlHL8PM) Regina Spektor–[On The Radio](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLofUOmvOiY) I don’t really think the DJ was asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/29 "2009-10-26T20:45:49Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > “Breathing” Kate Bush Another Kate Bush: [Experiment IV](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6hvNe11r9U). (Bonus points for spotting famous British actors) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/30 "2009-10-26T20:53:06Z")
_1999_ by Prince ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/31 "2009-10-26T20:53:45Z")
More apocalyptic on a personal level, but this might be the most depressing song ever: > **[The Harry Chapin Archive at HarryChapin.com](https://www.harrychapin.com/music/shortest.shtml)** > > The Harry Chapin Archive: An archive of > articles, sounds, and photos relating to the late singer-songwriter best > known for Cat's in the Cradle. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/32 "2009-10-26T21:01:16Z")
One more by Dylan: _A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall_. The original version is not really party music, but you can go for the [Rolling Thunder version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yg0gYvR0h4), as released in the[Bootleg Series, Vol. 5](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxqualdae). ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/33 "2009-10-26T21:24:51Z")
[Red Skies at Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gYBvSx_wCA), The Fixx [Everyday Is Like Sunday](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/morrissey/everyday+is+like+sunday_20096007.html), Morrissey (It may just be about a resort town during the off-season, but it has definite shades of “On the Beach.”) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/34 "2009-10-26T21:26:35Z")
King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/35 "2009-10-26T21:32:25Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > You absolutely have to have Tom Lehrer’s **We Will All Go Together When we Go** > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frAEmhqdLFs](http://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. And while we’re at it, his [So Long Mom, I’m Off to Drop the Bomb.](http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858548671/) is a good one. > [@](#): > > While we’re attacking frontally > Watch Brinkally and Huntally > Describing contrapuntally > The cities we have lost. > No need for you to miss a minute of the agonizing holocaust. Yeah! Credence’s Bad Moon Rising might be good also, talking about more natural disasters. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/36 "2009-10-26T21:51:36Z")
Someone already said “Waiting for the End of the World” by Elvis Costello, but it bears repeating. Elvis also did the remarkable “Hurry Down Doomsday (the Bugs Are Taking Over)” Also “Here Comes the Flood” by Peter Gabriel. And my old friend Charlie M says the Beatles’ “Revolution #9” and “Helter Skelter” are about the end of the world. Sir Paul denies it, but he also claims to be not dead. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Falling_Reverend)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/37 "2009-10-26T21:58:15Z")
The Clash-Atom Tan [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmF13XYuApg) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/38 "2009-10-26T22:04:12Z")
“the House at Pooneil Corners” - Jefferson Airplane (nuclear war song.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/39 "2009-10-26T22:16:06Z")
[“Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” -](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDXLyczUMoE&feature=related) Billy Joel. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > One more by Dylan: _A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall_. The original version is not really party music, but you can go for the [Rolling Thunder version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yg0gYvR0h4), as released in the[Bootleg Series, Vol. 5](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxqualdae). The [Bryan Ferry cover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3jwwy5sSj4)has a bit of a bounce to it. ---
**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, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201/40 "2009-10-26T22:17:47Z")
Arguably “Red Rain” by Peter Gabriel, although who knows what it’s really about. Rags of Flowers by John and Mary. A nice uptempo song about the Day After. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocalyptic-songs/515201.md?page=3)