With Distraction Magazine’s apocalypse-themed (and final?) issue arriving to distract you from the final exams that may prove apocalyptic for your GPA, here are some songs to listen to as the human race prepares for the world to end:
1. R.E.M. – It’s The End of The World As We Know It( And I Feel Fine)
We start with the obvious. This classic R.E.M. anthem was the song that played as Chicken Little panicked when he thought the sky was falling. Had he referred to the Mayan calendar, he’d know he had nothing to worry about…at least not just yet.
2. Johnny Cash- God’s Gonna Cut You Down
Even if you don’t believe in the Mayan calendar, they weren’t the only people thinking about when the world would come to an end. A lot of folks have been saying for a while that the day of judgement is coming. Hope you say your prayers, because as Johnny Cash will tell you, there’s no mercy for sinners. This song will really get you in the mood for some fire and brimstone.
3. Joshua Micah- When The World Ends
“When The World Ends” is an upcoming single from an up-and-coming artist, Joshua Micah. Unfortunately, if we’re right about this, we’ll never see the music video for the song. It seems Micah unwisely decided to have it debut the day everyone will be too busy stockpiling food and ammunition to watch (December 21st). Even though the intro clip is pretty terrifying, the promotional video for the single suddenly takes an up-beat turn. I’m guessing he’s heard the other songs on this list and knows that there is an upside to impending doom.
Now, if you really want to go out with a bang, why not take the opportunity to make love to your significant other for the last time? Here are some songs to set the mood. Shockingly enough,such songs exist:
4. Dave Matthews Band- When The World Ends
Dave Matthews, singer-songwriter and leader of the Dave Matthews Band, has the right idea for when the world ends:
“And I’m gonna rock you like a baby when the cities fall
We will rise as the building’s crumble
Float there and watch it all
Amidst the burning, we’ll be churning
Our love will be our wings
Passion rising up from the ashes
When the world ends”
5. Natalia Kills-Zombie
Some maybe aren’t turned on by the idea of death by apocalypse, but apparently the undead make good lovers. Pop singer Natalia Kills has either watched too many episodes of The Walking Dead, or maybe has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. Her advice to those captured by Zombies? If you can’t beat them, screw them. Testimony:
“I’m in love with a zombie
When he put his hands on me
Send chills through my body
But then he don’t call me
And I know that he like me
Cause he chasing me nightly”
Songs for glorious battle versus zombies:
6.Sufjan Stevens- They Are Night Zombies
Let Sufjan Stevens be the source of that eerie and mysterious music that plays as the zombies first start to appear.
“We are awaken with the ax
Night of the living dead at last
They have begun to shake the dirt
Wiping their shoulders from the earth.”
7. Imagine Dragons- Radioactive
But wait, what if we’ve got this all wrong? What if we’ve been planning for zombies when we should have planned for nuclear fallout? Imagine Dragons contemplates our failure to realize the true source of our demise in “Radioactive”.
“I’m waking up to ash and dust
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
I’m breathing in the chemicals
I’m breaking in, shaping up, checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa”
Whoa is right.
8. Metallica- My Apocalypse
But lets assume we were right and zombies are striking your city. To survive, you’re going to have to kill your way out. Luckily, the 4 thrash metal kings of Metallica have the perfect soundtrack for you as you blast zombies away with the heavy artillery you’ve hopefully been amassing ever since you were first warned this day would come.
9. Muse- Apocalypse Please
After the dust of glorious battle settles and you stand epically over the carnage of defeated zombie legions, cue Apocalypse Please by Muse. Apocalypse? Please. That was nothing.
10. Lana Del Rey- Born To Die
For those that don’t make it, it’s ok. We’re all born just to die anyway.
But maybe you’ll survive.
Gloria Gaynor- I Will Survive
What won’t end is the amount of songs that can be added to this playlist. Here are 10 other relevant songs + the ones above. Feel free to send over any we missed!
words_hyan freitas.