Long Song Title Top Ten: It’s the End (#2)

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Maybe the short song titles raise eyebrows among my loyal fan (singular intentional), but there’s no surprise at all when it comes to the top two on my list of favorite songs that have long (seven or more words) titles. I’m pretty sure someone saw the theme and had this song pegged as showing up. So, to no one’s surprise, here’s the next great song with a long title. #2: It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) - R.E.M. Sometimes I just can not surprise people. How could I omit this song? It’s one of the great classics in the career of R.E.M. (which is saying somehing, given the list of great classics in their history). A “stream of consciousness” type song partially inspired, according to Picky Wedia, by a dream Michael Stipe had where he was at a party with a lot of people with the initials L.B., prompting the “Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce, and Lester Bangs” line. I think Lenny Bruce is the only person mentioned twice in the song (he’s also at the beginning: “Lenny Bruce is not afraid”). It was...well, not banned, but listed as “questionable” in the wake of 9/11 by your good friends and mine, Clear Channel (now I Heart) Radio. (Ha, and you thought only the Jerry Falwell-types did that!) What a terrific song. It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) Written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe Recorded by R.E.M. From Document, 1987 Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean: