This may well be the last Top Ten you ever read...
10. UB40 - The Earth Dies Screaming
Half eaten meals lie rotting on the tables,One of their best songs. Not one of their most cheerful.
Money clutched within a boney hand.
Shutters down, the banks are not receiving,
The earth dies screaming.
9. Tom McRae - End of the World News (Dose Me Up)
This is the End of the World News... Sponsored by God. (Well, it's got to be better than Joop Homme, anyway.)
8. Elvis Costello - Waiting For The End of the World
Elvis gets stuck on a train and goes all Mayan on our arses.
Dear Lord I sincerely hope you're coming
'Cause you really started something.
7. The Handsome Family - If the World Should End in Fire
For those of you who prefer a colder option, they also recorded a version called If The World Should End In Ice. (Though it's not available on youtube.)
6. The Cure - End of the World
Every day is the end of the world for Robert Smith.
5. Noah & The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
A slightly more optimistic take on The Last Night On Earth, from the excellent album of the same name.
4. The The - Armageddon Days Are Here
The world will end in a clash of religions, thinks Matt Johnson. This was released back in 1989, but very little has changed.
See also Armageddon It by Def Leppard. Are you geddin' it?
3. Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around
There's a man going around taking names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
Everybody won't be treated all the same
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down
When the Man comes around
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World
I can't think of anyone better to narrate the end of the world. If you don't fancy looking out your window today, just listen to this and let Nick describe what's happening out there for you...
1. REM - It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Some Number One's are inevitable. Although, knowing Michael Stipe, this probably has absolutely nothing to do with the End Times, it's probably the recipe for a cake he was making that night or something.
Then bake for three hours or until golden brown.
That's great it starts with an earthquake
Birds and snakes and aeroplane
And Lenny Bruce is not afraid
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn
World serves it's own needs, dummy serve your own needs
So, that's what I'll be listening to as it all goes down. What's the last song on your playlist?
Look forward to the next top ten - if we are here LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vicky - Happy Christmas to you... if we get that far!
DeleteSoundgarden - Black Hole Sun.
ReplyDeleteAnd does Morrissey's wish for Armageddon count on Every Day Is Like Sunday?
I was at one point considering a Black Hole Top Ten, and Soundgarden would have been near the top.
DeleteAs for Morrissey, yes, but most of his songs wish doom on somebody (often himself).
Ah, UB40, back when they wrote songs.....they used to be really good and TEDS is a GREAT song!
ReplyDeleteSlightly disappointed Mud aren't in there with their maudlin classic "End of the World", but you can't have everything.... :-)
Isn't the end of the world enough for you?
DeleteNo wonder Mud were so lonely at Christmas,
As a born again heavy metal fan (or at least someone who has spent most of the last year revisiting albums I liked as a teenager, with extremely variable results) I thought I would have loads of end of the world songs in my collection, but there is surprisingly little there, so I am just going to have to make do with:
ReplyDelete'The End' by the Doors
and
'1999' by Prince (he got the year wrong, because the idiot wasn't using a Mayan calendar like the rest of us, but still...)
Last tine I did an End Of The World Songs list (It's a pretty regular thing I do to pass the time), The End came pretty high. I have to confess - this time I forgot it.
DeletePerhaps 1999 was just Prince predicting the end of his career.
To my mind, you can't beat a bit of Skeeter Davis as you kiss your ass goodbye.
ReplyDeleteI spent the whole morning telling people what I thought of them and being wholly inappropriate in Council offices...
The disciplinary tribunal will be held in January.
(Fuckin Mayans - or whoever they are).
All's not lost. I'd only just cleaned the fish tank last night. That would have been a dreadful waste of half an hour had apocalypse cometh.
Some days, I don't think the end of the world would necessarily be a bad thing.
DeleteAnd yes, Skeeter.