Songs of the Apocalypse

5. No One Would Riot For Less by Bright Eyes

It’s been a while since Bright Eyes put out anything
as a solo artist, but this is one of the less obnoxious tunes
of off 2007’s Casadaga. It’s a love song wrapped up
in a premonition of fire and brimstone.
Say what you want about his indie credibility,
there’s no question that this guy can write some beautiful poetry.
“Little soldier, little insect
you know war, it has no heart
It will kill you in the sunshine
or just as happily in the dark”

4. The Earth Died Screaming by Tom Waits

In true Tom Waits style, this song creeps me out.
From the beginning, it just sounds like
the footsteps of the Devil himself.
Who knows what Waits was smoking when he wrote
“The lion has three heads, and someone
will eat the skin that he sheds…
bring me some water, put it in this skull”,
but I think it’s safe to agree that he should share.

3. 2080 by Yeasayer

It might not technically be about the apocalypse,
but the tone in this song is definitely one of warning –
a dreading of what’s to come in the future.
An eerie mix of electronica, deep drums, telephone rings,
and a unique falsetto make it impossible not to be
swept up in ominous lyrics like:
“Yeah, yeah, we can all grab at the chance to be
handsome farmers
Yeah you can have twenty-one sons and be blood
when they marry my daughters”

2. Idioteque by Radiohead

It’s best known as being the first song that pushed
Radiohead in an electronic direction,
and there’s probably no one on the planet that can’t
appreciate the genius in it, but Yorke has never
really been quite clear about the meaning behind the lyrics.
Some people have mentioned that the lines about
women and children in bunkers could refer to
an incident in Iraq that happened during the Gulf War,
but it’s more than likely an ode to
the disaster that is global warming.
Yorke has performed this song at every concert since 2001,
and since going green is a huge deal for him, I doubt he’ll stop anytime soon.

1. The Final Countdown by Europe

Before you judge me, let’s all remember
that this is the song that played every time
Job was on Arrested Development.
That, plus the straightforwardness of the title,
makes this song worthy of a number one spot.
Enough said.