♫ The End Of The World ♫

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Originally recorded by Skeeter Davis in 1963, this is one of those songs that everybody and their brother has recorded, including including the Carpenters, Herman’s Hermits, Brenda Lee, Bobby Vinton, John Cougar Mellencamp, Johnny Mathis, Julie London and Eddy Arnold. Also British pop singer Sonia recorded a version in 1990, which peaked at #18 in the UK, the same position as Skeeter Davis’ original.

The End of the World is a sad song about the aftermath of a romantic breakup.  The End of the World was written by composer Arthur Kent and lyricist Sylvia Dee; the latter drawing on sorrow from her father’s death, writing the lyrics when she was 14 years old. Davis’ original version was produced by Chet Atkins and the song was played at the legendary country producer’s funeral in 2001.

My own preference is the Carpenter’s version, but I would be remiss if I didn’t play Skeeter Davis’ version, and come to think of it, Herman’s Hermits did a pretty decent rendition, too,  so here … I offer you all three.

 

The End Of The World
Skeeter Davis

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
‘Cause you don’t love me anymore

Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
It ended when I lost your love

I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything’s the same as it was
I can’t understand, no, I can’t understand
How life goes on the way it does

Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye

Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye

Songwriters: Peter Mcnulty-Connolly / Marcus Mybe / Louie St. Louis / Kurtis Deshaun Williams / Michael Angelo
The End Of The World lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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25 thoughts on “♫ The End Of The World ♫”

  1. The original lyrics was written by a teenage girl who lost her beloved father. Thus, the words and the love are beyond common sense. Very few love stories between the couple can compete the depth of this kind of transcendental love.

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      • Yes, songs and memory seem sharply linked throughout my life. I think of it as a gift to hear a song and remember people, places, times, and moods. Friends used to like to try to stump me about songs, and then wonder, “How do you do that?” The talent has faded some as I crested the hill called middle age.

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        • I have a couple of friends like that, two on this blog, who seem to know every song ever composed! Music, like the sense of smell, can do that … bring memories flooding back. If you’ve only crested the hill called middle age, then you are a spring chicken still yet!

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  9. I, as you know, love the Carpenters and Karen’s voice is never better than on this song. However, I have to still go with the original by Skeeter Davis as it played a role in one of the notable memories of my teen years. My eldest sister graduated from high school in 1963 and was college bound that September. She had recently become engaged to her boyfriend of many years. He, being a few years older than she, was not in favor of her going away to college and wanted them to get married sooner rather than later…four years later to be exact. I vividly recall a Sunday evening as my Father, several of the youngers, and myself were watching TV only to be interrupted when they came in the front door in the midst of an argument. He said “I forbid you to go”! She stood there incredulously seething and my Father quietly suggested that we should retreat from the room. As we were filing out, we heard my sister say “Forbid, did you just say forbid?” My Father later referred to this as the “Death Knell of their engagement” and so it was. The problem, as I saw it, was that she was engaged to be engaged and he was engaged to be married. At any rate, the engagement was ended and he was exiled. He was heartbroken and tried to make amends, but she was not swayed by any of his romantic entreaties. One of those attempts included leaving this record in our mailbox. She gave that unopened record to me, I loved it! Thank-you!

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  11. I remember this song in junior school – one dismal Friday I thought it was the end of the world as I had to go home and confess I had not done well in the weekly maths test. I was sitting in the living room with this song in my head waiting for Mum to come home! Of course it wasn’t the end of the world…

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