“Death is pretty final. I’m collecting vinyl. I’m gonna DJ at the end of the world” – JMS
Well, apparently the world is ending tomorrow and everyone else is getting ready by making a few epic playlists. Of course, the number one song on an end of the world playlist would be “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” known as ITEOTWAWKIAIFF (pronounced i-tea-ot-waaw-kia-layfff).
But did you know that plenty of other R.E.M. songs deal with the apocalypse and post-apocalyptic worlds? Yes indeed. Take for example “I’m Gonna DJ” from Accelerate.
Accelerate was ripe with end of the world references. Like most of “Sing for the Submarine.”
The city did not collapse in a shudder, the rain it never came…
Of course, Around the Sun wasn’t all bright and sunny either. Remember “Aftermath”?
You could argue that “High Speed Train” was set in the dystopian future as well.
So what have we learned today? R.E.M. will dominate your end of the world playlist. Because they’re shiny happy people like that.