Rapture: My Top Five Songs to be Played at the End of The World
We’ve got just under seven hours to go until the end of the world. Earthquakes will be splitting us apart and all the good ones will go to heaven, right? Yes, yes, the Rapture is upon us. Which until this week I thought was the name of a dance-punk band on DFA. My instinct, as someone who is agnostic – who may well be eating his words in half a day’s time – is to have a big party. Ever since reading Bret Easton Ellis’ The Rules of Attraction at sixteen, there’s something quite exciting about an ‘End of the World Party.’
As its a bit late to throw together an end of the world party, although if anyone wants to host one, please do let me know about it. I’ve not got other plans till after the Rapture.
If the world was to end at six, and we all were to have a huge party say, in Hyde Park, this would be my top five songs to play before and during the end of the world. Note they aren’t necessarily rapture, apocalypse or end of the world themed, just five songs I’d want to hear at that party.
My Top Five Rapture Songs
1. Fatboy Slim – Talkin Bout My Baby
Inclusion because of the ‘under the big bright yellow sun’ lyric (which hopefully there will be around five thirty today), it is a party starter and because its my favourite Fatboy Slim track.
2. LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
Importantly, this would have to be a live rendition. For some reason when its slightly faster and the guitar is mixed quite a bit louder, this becomes even more euphoric than the original. Run along over to the Spectator Arts Blog if you’ve forgotten what I think of dear old LCD (if you can’t plug on judgement day, when can you?). I would also like to have them joined on stage for this performance with….
3. The Flaming Lips – Race for the Prize (Remix)
Like my Sigur Rós choice, there’s something atmospheric about The Flaming Lips that makes them a definite requirement for the end of the world. ‘Race for the Prize’ won’t bring the atmosphere down like something from Yoshimi… would, and it will segue very nicely into the big moment of the evening.
4. R.E.M. – It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
This would have to be the moment before everything went under, fire and brimstone erupting, or doing whatever they’re meant to do, and everyone dancing around in a final jubilant shebang. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
5. Sigur Rós – Starálfur
I debated for a long time which Sigur Rós song would be in my end of the world playlist. Almost choosing to go for the final untitled track from brackets ( ), but there was something about it that just seemed too downbeat. Incidentally I saw Sigur Rós at Latitude Festival a few years ago, and they finished with that. The combination of the music and the atmosphere produced something really rather beautifully apocalyptic anyway. ‘Starálfur’ would play after the world’s end, so we wouldn’t hear it, but I know it be there.
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