Although Ruby and the Romantics' hit "Our Day Will Come" kept "The End of the World" from hitting number one on the pop chart, the song's popularity and chart history earned it the #3 place on Billboard's list of the year's 20 biggest hits.
The music was written by Arthur Kent with lyrics by Sylvia Dee. Dee also wrote the lyrics for "Too Young" by Nat King Cole.
Davis' recording was produced by Chet Atkins and has long been considered one of the foremost examples of the Nashville Sound of the 1960s - smooth vocals and a slick, sophisticated production appealing to audiences far beyond the traditional country music audience. The song was played at Atkins' funeral in 2001 in an instrumental performance by Marty Stuart and later, Davis' recording was broadcast over the speakers of her 2004 funeral at the Ryman Auditorium.
Davis went on to score many other country music hits as well as a few major pop crossovers, but she was forever identified with "The End of the World" and sang it at virtually every concert appearance she would make after its success.
The song has been covered by a number of artists on albums, including The Carpenters, Loretta Lynn, Herman's Hermits, Brenda Lee, Carola, Bobby Vinton, John Cougar Mellencamp, Johnny Mathis, Julie London, Eddy Arnold, Dottie West, Nancy Sinatra, Sonia Evans, Twiggy, Claudine Longet, Agnetha Fältskog (of ABBA fame), Rosie Flores, Patti Page, Anne Murray, Nina Gordon, Vonda Shepard, Exposé, The Vanguards, Leigh Nash, Brilliant, Lobo, Satoko Ishimine and others. In 2009, the song received new attention via a cover version by international Internet sensation Susan Boyle on her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream.
Davis' remains the definitive performance, and her version has been featured on the soundtracks of a number of films (including Girl, Interrupted; Riding In Cars With Boys; and Daltry Calhoun) plus in the JFK assassination episode of the 2009 television series Mad Men.
It was also featured on TV commercials for the videogame Tom Clancy's EndWar, in which the conflict the game revolves around threatens to destroy civilization.
The End Of The World
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
'Cause you don't love me anymore
Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything's the same as it was
I can't understand, no, I can't understand
How life goes on the way it does
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
Why does my heart go on beating? (Mmhmm)
Why do these eyes of mine cry? (Mmhmm)
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye
In Skeeter Davis's song, "The End of The World," the singer is struggling to come to terms with a world that goes on even though her heart is broken. The lyrics reflect the devastation and confusion that often follow the end of a relationship. The opening lyrics pose a series of existential questions about the nature of the world, questioning why the sun shines and the sea rushes to shore if love is no longer present. For the singer, the end of love feels like the end of the world, and she can't comprehend how life goes on as normal around her.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to question why her heart still beats and her eyes still cry. These physical manifestations of her emotional pain are a reminder that, despite the world's continued existence, she is no longer a part of it. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the finality of the relationship, and the hopeless feeling that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the world keep moving forward as though nothing has changed, when my heart has been broken?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Why do the waves keep crashing against the beach, when my world has stopped turning?
Don't they know it's the end of the world?
Why can't everything else see that my life has come crashing down, and why do they keep on going as though nothing happened?
'Cause you don't love me anymore
The reason for my sadness is that the love is gone and my heart is broken.
Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the birds still chirp and sing, when my heart is filled with pain?
Why do the stars glow above?
Why is the night sky still beautiful and peaceful when my heart is in turmoil?
It ended when I lost your love
My life ended the moment you stopped loving me.
I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Every morning I wake up to my broken heart and wonder why I have to face another day.
Why everything's the same as it was
Why does everything look exactly like it did before, when my whole world has been turned upside down?
I can't understand, no, I can't understand
I cannot come to terms with how life goes on even though my life has fallen apart.
How life goes on the way it does
Why does life continue as though everything is fine when I have lost the most important thing in my life?
Why does my heart go on beating?
Why does my heart keep pumping blood when it feels like it has been ripped in two?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Why do my tears keep flowing when I have no more love left to give?
It ended when you said goodbye
The end of my world came when you left me and said goodbye.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ABritInThePhilippines
What a great song...
@spiderz5145
Carl The Brit in The Philippines it really does depress me though... as humans we all go through this sort of thing... happened to me recently and it’s just hard man...
@ABritInThePhilippines
@@spiderz5145 yeah I know what you mean, nothing is forever my friend.. I've lost a lot of close people to me in recent years, you never get over losing anyone or anything really, you just learn to live without them...
@spiderz5145
Carl The Brit in The Philippines yea... stay strong, that’s all we can really ever do..
@gellybrits5032
what are you doing in the philippines, mind if i ask
@carlc777
What is up fellow Carl
@adoulin9250
Anybody else listening to this in 2287?
@SweetsProductions
all day brother. Keep watch to the west. Word Caesars legion lost hoover damn in the mojave... Ad Victorium Soldier.
@adoulin9250
Ad Victorium back to you, Soldier.
@adoulin9250
Oh wow. I didn't know it was THAT obvious!
Notice the sarcasm in there? It's me agreeing with you.