Ooh, I can’t believe I forgot about “Morning Dew”. It’s rather downbeat, but it’s such a classic that there are many, many versions, listed here:
“Four Minutes” from Radio K.A.O.S. by Roger Waters. A bit bleak, but you gotta love the countdown at the end for an apocalyptic theme.
Sort of apocalyptic: “Amused To Death” from the album of the same name, also Roger Waters.
Semi-apocalyptic/destruction oriented: “What God Wants Pt. 1”, also from Amused To Death
“Symphony of Destruction” by Megadeth
Early Metallica:
“Call of Ktulu”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“Fade To Black” is more about depression/suicide, but the Apocalyptica cover removes the lyrics but retains the “doom” feel, with a symphonic metal twist
“The Thing That Should Not Be”
“Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor is good, but long and on the bleak side. This is the second half of the song, but stands well on its own.
Aside from the line about fighting fire with fire, and the metaphor of burning down your own house, there’s this:
People on their way to work
(Baby what did you expect)
Gonna burst into flames
These are fine, but there is a Metallica song that is blatantly about apocalypse - “Blackened”.
In Holland, most of us learn German in high school. While the first couplets are about the singer and his job, the last couplet is targeted at students, showing the futility of learning. In school, we all had to learn these lists to know which cases to use. We all hated it.
Good catch. Definitely top of the list for Metallica.
Funny, I never know U2’s Unforgettable Fire was about the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings. Guess it’s suitable too.
Also “One of Those Days” from the same album.
OK, I’m all set. Got my playlist, my ‘The End is Nigh’ and ‘Repent, Sinners!’ banners, got my 2012 promo posters and printed Revelations leaflets. Too bad I can’t get any gas masks or giger counters. For those curious, my playlist will be:
Nena - 99 Luftballons
The The - Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)
Asia - Sole Survivor
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
Talking Heads - Burning Down The House
De Dijk - Dansen op de vulkaan
Doe Maar - De Bom
Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon (Not really doomsday, but suitable)
Sting - I Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too
Zager and Evans - In The Year 2525
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (Also not doomsday, but I always got the shivers when I heard this song when I was young)
Man at Work - Overkill
Nazareth - Morning Dew
Muse - Apocalypse Please
Regina Spektor - On The Radio
Peter Gabriel - Red Rain
U2 - Seconds
NIN - The Beginning Of The End
Timbuk 3 - The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades
The Turtles - Eve of Destruction
Tool - Aenima
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
DMB - When The World Ends (Oakenfold Remix)
REM - It’s The End of the World (And I Feel Fine)
Prince - 1999
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
Jeff Wayne - Eve of the War
The Clash - London Calling
Nice!
When the World is Running Down, The Police.
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
Is that apocalyptic? I could never catch all the lyrics of that, either in English or German.
The OP might check out a band called The Dears; an album of theirs was titled No Cities Left which sounds like it might contain some apocalyptic lyrics.
“Wooden Ships”, I think originally by Crosby Stills Nash and Young, but the Airplane did a fine cover of it too.
“Death Don’t Have No Mercy”, performed by the Grateful Dead (either Live Dead or From The Vault Two, not to mention innumerable bootlegs.)
The premise of the song is that the singer releases 99 balloons into the air which a faulty defense computer takes to be something hostile in the airspace and precipitates a nuclear launch.
Back at base bugs in the software
Flash the message: “Something’s out there”
Floating in the summer sky
As 99 red balloons go by
[…]
The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
[…]
It’s all over and I’m standing pretty
In this dust that was a city…
“Fuck the World” by the Insane Clown Posse. I’m sure they’ve got plenty more that would fit but that’s the first one that comes to mind.
NIce Playlist… I like Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sun is Burning.
Has anyone said 8th Day yet