♫ The End Of The World ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

Being in somewhat of a dark place at the moment (I knew I should have paid that darned electricity bill!!!) this song fit my mood to a ‘T’ tonight.  No, I haven’t lost anyone’s love, at least not as far as I know, but nonetheless I’m feeling a sense of loss … loss of hope, loss of country, loss of humanity … and so, I am reduxing this one from back in September 2019.

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

26 thoughts on “♫ The End Of The World ♫ (Redux)”

    • Well, remember it was sung from the perspective of a girl whose guy just left her and her heart is breaking. We’ve all been there, done that, and at the time it really does feel like the end of the world, but eventually we open our eyes and realize it isn’t. Yes? xx

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  3. A nice song, and the original is by far the best of those three versions. I’d love to hear the John Mellencamp version but it was on the only album of his that I don’t have and haven’t yet found in a streaming service. I’ll keep looking though! 😊

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  7. Dear Jill,
    This is not the song I dreamt you put on your music blog today. Thanks to that dream I woke up singing this song today, and actually feeling good about life for awhile…
    Therefore I must correct your error:

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    • Ahhhh … well, see, I put this music post on the schedule around 11:00 last night, which would be 8:00 p.m. your time, long before you had your dream, so … I couldn’t possibly have known! Still, I accept that I am in error and shall try to rectify my mistake! 😉

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      • That’s weird, I never get your music posts till about 8 AM, not PM. And it’s only 2 hours difference between us. I get your middle of the night posts at 1:00 AM, long before I get your music posts.
        When I went to bed last night there was no music post there. ?????

        I was only joking about the error, of course, but I could not help notice the difference in mood of the two songs. Msybe I “knew” you needed some cheering up. So I hope it worked.

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        • Nothing weird about it … I put them on the schedule late at night, usually, but schedule them to play at 11:00 a.m. here, 8:00 on the west coast, 4:00 p.m. in the UK. My regular a.m. posts, I usually do the afternoon before and put them on the schedule to post at 3:00 a.m., or midnight your time.

          I knew you were joking, but I liked the one you sent, too. I did … and still do … need cheering up, but that one made me smile for a minute anyway.

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          • Now I see one of the pronbems. I am not on the West Coast, though I would love to be. There are these things called the Rocky Mountains between me abd the coast, and it tajes more than an hour to get there. I am two hours behind you. So I guess I get your music posts at 9 AM.

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            • Ahhhh … my mistake. I thought Alberta was in the same time zone as California/Oregon/Washington. Anyway, I schedule my posts ahead of time and try not to detour too much from the schedule … I am a creature of routine 😉

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              • Part of California is in our time zone I think, but not the American part. Baja California is in Mountain Time. OR, WA, and CA are all on what we call Pacific Time along with British Columbia, and parts of Alaska, I think.

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