Biggest hits of the song were by Skeeter Davis and P.P. Arnold. The origina… Read Full Bio ↴Biggest hits of the song were by Skeeter Davis and P.P. Arnold. The original version of the Herman's Hermits version published as a single B-side was a gem, including delightfully "crude" use of wah wah pedal. The version offered here is a re-recording, which is unfortunately inferior to the original one as a whole despite the technical improvements..

End Of The World
Herman's Hermits Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don't they know it's the end of the world
When you don't love me anymore?

Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said goodbye

I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything's the same as it was
And I can't understand, no, I can't understand
Why life goes on the way it does

Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars shine above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when I lost your love

Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye

Overall Meaning

The song "The End Of The World" by Herman's Hermits reflects the narrative of someone who has just experienced heartbreak and finds it hard to comprehend how the world is still functioning despite their personal suffering. The lyrics express confusion and agony at how everything around them is going on as usual, without any regard to the emotional turmoil the breakup has caused them. The first verse starts with the singer questioning why the sun and sea are still going on with their daily movements when their love has faded. The second verse addresses the singer's internal pain, questioning why their heart is still beating, and their eyes are still crying when their love is gone.

The chorus brings these two perspectives together by asking why the birds are singing, and the stars are shining when their world has ended. The bridge or third verse of the song opens with the singer contemplating the mundanity of daily life, expressing astonishment at how everything remains the same, despite the immense emotional shift they have gone through. The song concludes with the singer's realization that everything ended when their love left, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Line by Line Meaning

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the world keep going when my world has ended? The sun shines relentlessly despite my heartache.

Why does the sea rush to shore?
The sea always seems to move forward, crashing on the shore despite me feeling like I'm in motionless turmoil.

Don't they know it's the end of the world When you don't love me anymore?
The world keeps turning, oblivious to my heartache. Everyone else keeps living while my love has ended.

Why does my heart go on beating?
My heart still beats even though it feels like I'm dead inside without your love.

Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Even though you're not here, my eyes still cry, seemingly without end.

Don't they know it's the end of the world? It ended when you said goodbye
The world just won't stop moving forward even though my world crumbled the minute you walked away from the love we shared.

I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Every day feels the same since you left me, I wake up feeling empty and lost without you.

Why everything's the same as it was
Despite my heartache, everything goes on without skipping a beat. The world doesn't stop turning and neither does time.

And I can't understand, no, I can't understand Why life goes on the way it does
It's hard to comprehend how life can seem to be so indifferent to my grief as it just keeps moving forward, unfazed.

Why do the birds go on singing?
Even though I'm in intense emotional pain, the world keeps going on without any regard for my feelings. The birds still sing as if nothing happened.

Why do the stars shine above?
Even though everything seems to be falling apart in my life, the stars continue shining, their radiance unscathed, oblivious to my heartbreak.

Don't they know it's the end of the world? It ended when I lost your love
Despite my world being shattered by your leaving, everything else still moves on like nothing ever changed. But to me, it's the end of the world now that I've lost the love we shared.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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