35. R.E.M., It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

Of course, the world is always ending as we know it. Relentless change, that’s the deal. This time, though, feels different. This feels like the beginning of some shift for our species into an entirely new life form—that in some unspecified amount of time, we’ll no longer be those furry bipedal figures in the Neanderthal dioramas at the science museums. Our technologies are changing our biology, our whole way of keeping going as a life form. But should we fear this evolutionary hinge-point? What if life’s essence, our drive for love, is a universal constant that can never change?

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R.E.M., “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” 1987. Written by Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Bill Berry.

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This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through May 31, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.

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