The Apocalypse Song
St. Vincent Lyrics

In St. Vincent's song The Apocalypse Song, the singer invites the listener to join her in facing the end of the world. She urges them to prepare for the worst, suggesting that she will be quicker than the speed of light, and her body will outlast the passing of time. However, she also warns of the dangers that await in a post-apocalyptic world, where people will be stripped of their earthly delights and forced to confront their mortality. The chorus emphasizes the idea that we are all made of the same base materials, yet fear what is within us and what is beyond us. The singer is not afraid to face what everyone else is made of; in fact, she seems eager to embrace it.

The second verse seems to criticize those who pray and devote themselves to a higher power. While their faith may give them comfort in life, the singer implies that it will not save them in the face of death. The line "Please keep your victory / But give me little death" suggests that she desires a release from the pain and suffering of life, rather than eternal salvation. The final verse encourages the listener to take to the streets with an "apocalypse refrain," perhaps calling for a general uprising or a final celebration before the end. The line "Your devotion has the look of a lunatic's gaze" adds a note of unease, suggesting that the singer may not entirely approve of blind devotion or fanaticism.