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The End of the World (Skeeter Davis song)

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Wikipedia article




"'The End of the World'" is a pop song written by composer Arthur Kent and lyricist Sylvia Dee, who often worked as a team. They wrote the song for American singer Skeeter Davis, and her recording of it was highly successful in the early 1960s, reaching the top five on four different charts, including on the main 'Billboard' Hot 100. It spawned many cover versions.

Background



"The End of the World" is a sad song about the aftermath of a romantic breakup. Dee, the lyricist, said she drew on her sorrow from her father's death to set the mood for the song.

Davis recorded her version with sound engineer Bill Porter on June 8, 1962, at the RCA Studios in Nashville, produced by Chet Atkins, and featuring Floyd Cramer. Released by RCA Records in December 1962, "The End of the World" peaked in March 1963 at No. 2 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 (behind "Our Day Will Come" by Ruby & the Romantics), No. 2 on 'Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, No. 1 on 'Billboard's Easy Listening chart, and No. 4 on 'Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart. It is the first, and, to date, only time that a song cracked the Top 10 (and Top 5) on all four 'Billboard' charts. 'Billboard' ranked the record as the No. 2 song of 1963.

In the Davis version, after she sings the whole song through in the key of B-flat-major, the song modulates up by a half step to the key of B, where Davis speaks the first two lines of the final stanza, before singing the rest of the stanza, ending the song.

"The End of the World" was played at Atkins' funeral in an instrumental by Marty Stuart. The song was also played at Davis's own funeral at the Ryman Auditorium. Her version has been featured in several films, TV shows, and video games (see "Appearances in media" below).

Chart performance



Covers



Sonia version



In 1990, English singer Sonia covered "End of the World". The fifth and final single from her debut album, 'Everybody Knows', it reached number 18 in the UK, the same chart position as the original. The single's B-side "Can't Help the Way That I Feel" also appeared on Sonia's debut album. This was her final single with Stock Aitken Waterman.

Charts



Other notable versions

During the summer of 1966, Swedish pop group recorded the song. Released as a single in August of that year, it was backed by the song "Whitsand Bay" written by Wallace, based on the tourist destination he'd often visited. It became a hit on 'Tio i Topp', entering the chart on August 6, 1966 at a position of number five. It topped the chart on August 27, staying on the top for a week. It exited the chart on October 29, at a position of number 14, having spent 13 weeks on the chart. On sales chart Kvllstoppen, it entered on August 16, 1966 at a position of 18. It would reach its peak of number two on September 6, being kept off the top by the Beatles "Yellow Submarine". It exited on November 8, at a position of 18, having spent 13 weeks on the chart.

To capitalize on the Caretakers version, Anna-Lena Lfgren recorded the song in Swedish, as "Allt r frbi", scoring a Svensktoppen hit for seven weeks between 9 October19 November 1966.

A version by Allison Paige peaked at number 72 on the 'Billboard' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May 2000.

The Band Girls released a cover on an expanded version of their album 'Album' in 2009.

Appearances in media



* The song is featured in the 1960's period drama film 'Girl, Interrupted' (1999)

* The song is played during the episode 9 of season two of 'Lost', "What Kate Did".

* At the end of episode 12 ("The Grown-Ups") of the third season of 'Mad Men', first aired in 2009.

* As the opening and closing theme for the 2012 political thriller radio drama 'Pandemic', produced by BBC Radio 4.

* The version of Herman's Hermits is played during the closing scene of the third episode of 'The Queens Gambit'.

* The song is featured in the Japanese post-apocalyptic film 'Attack on Titan: End of the World'.

*Patti Smith's cover is played during the end credits of the 2017 film 'Mother!'.

*A version is played at the end of the seventh episode of the third season of the HBO show, "The Leftovers."

* The song is featured in the 2021 Marvel Studios's Eternals (film)

* It's featured on Bethesda Softworks game Fallout 4's in-game radio and was also used in one of the game's promotional trailer.

* It was used at the end of the 8 episode of the first season of "The End Of The F***ing World" series (2017-2019)

* "The End of the World" is used diegetically in the 2017 short film 'Black Eyed Susan', which stars Denise Welch and her son, Louis Healy.

References



Category:1962 singles

Category:1963 singles

Category:1990 singles

Category:Skeeter Davis songs

Category:Sonia (singer) songs

Category:Songs with lyrics by Sylvia Dee

Category:Torch songs

Category:1962 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Chet Atkins

Category:Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman

Category:RCA Victor singles

Category:Chrysalis Records singles

Category:A&M Records singles

Category:King Records (Japan) singles

Category:Universal Music Group singles

Category:Songs with music by Arthur Kent (composer)

Category:Number-one singles in Sweden

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