Zager & Evans are only known for their immensely popular song In the Year 2525 (Exordium And Terminus), written by Rick Evans. It hit number one on the UK chart in 1969. Coincidentally, it was number one on 20 July 1969 in USA, the date of the first manned moon landing by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and spent six weeks on the Billboard Top 40. It was nominated for a special Hugo Award that same year.
The band signed with RCA records, who claimed they were "The Next Big Thing", but follow-up singles, such as "Mr. Turnkey", went unnoticed by the public.
In The Year 2525
Zager & Evans Lyrics
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If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Everything you think, do and say
Is in the pill you took today
In the year 4545
You ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to chew
Nobody's gonna look at you
In the year 5555
Your arms hangin' limp at your sides
Your legs got nothin' to do
Some machine's doin' that for you
In the year 6565
You won't need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube
In the year 7510
If God's a coming, He oughta make it by then
Maybe He'll look around Himself and say
Guess it's time for the judgment day
In the year 8510
God is gonna shake His mighty head
He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been
Or tear it down, and start again
In the year 9595
I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothing
Now it's been ten thousand years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what, he never knew, now man's reign is through
But through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight
So very far away, maybe it's only yesterday
In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
Zager & Evans's song "In The Year 2525" is a thought-provoking vision of the future that speculates about the implications of technological progress for humanity. The lyrics are divided into five-year intervals, each depicting a progressively more dystopian future. The song suggests that humanity's dependence on technology and the possible extinction of the human race are inevitable consequences of progress.
First, the lyrics describe a future in which people are increasingly dependent on medication to regulate their thoughts and behavior. This future society is one in which truth and lies are indistinguishable, and people are programmed to think and act in specific ways. Then, the lyrics depict a future in which people no longer need their eyes or teeth, their bodies are controlled by machines, and they have lost their autonomy.
In the final verses of the song, the lyrics describe a future in which humanity may have vanished, and the only evidence of our existence is the distant sparkle of starlight. The song's final refrain reminds us that "if man is still alive" and "if woman can survive," they may find some way to preserve the human race.
Line by Line Meaning
In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If humanity can survive until the year 2525
If woman can survive, they may find
If women are also able to survive alongside men
In the year 3535
In the far distant future of 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Honesty and deception will no longer exist
Everything you think, do and say
All actions and thoughts will be controlled
Is in the pill you took today
A pill will control everything you think, do and say
In the year 4545
In an even more distant future, the year 4545
You ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
Teeth and eyes will become obsolete
You won't find a thing to chew
Chewing food will no longer be necessary
Nobody's gonna look at you
Physical appearance will no longer matter
In the year 5555
Even further in the future, the year 5555
Your arms hangin' limp at your sides
Arms will no longer be used
Your legs got nothin' to do
Legs will no longer be used
Some machine's doin' that for you
Machines will perform all necessary functions
In the year 6565
In the year 6565, traditional family structures will no longer exist
You won't need no husband, won't need no wife
Spouses will no longer be necessary
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
Children will be artificially created and chosen by individuals
From the bottom of a long glass tube
Children will be grown in tubes and not birthed traditionally
In the year 7510
Even farther in the future, the year 7510
If God's a coming, He oughta make it by then
If there is a God, surely He would arrive by then
Maybe He'll look around Himself and say
God may survey the state of the world
Guess it's time for the judgment day
It may be time for the day of judgment
In the year 8510
Even further in the future, the year 8510
God is gonna shake His mighty head
God will either be pleased or disappointed in humanity
He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been
God may be happy with humanity's progress
Or tear it down, and start again
God may choose to destroy and rebuild the world
In the year 9595
In an incredibly distant future, the year 9595
I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
It is uncertain if humanity will still exist then
He's taken everything this old earth can give
Humanity has exhausted the earth's resources
And he ain't put back nothing
Humanity has not taken care of the planet
Now it's been ten thousand years
After ten thousand years of human existence
Man has cried a billion tears
Humanity has experienced great sorrow
For what, he never knew, now man's reign is through
Humanity is uncertain of why they suffered and their time has ended
But through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight
Even in the end, the universe will continue to exist
So very far away, maybe it's only yesterday
The universe's future and past are relative, and may not be as we perceive it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: RICHARD LEE EVANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Harry
on Cary Lynn Javes
Love this gem. Memories of 1969.