This Is The End

Greensboro, NC -- My stomach used to churn around this time of year when I was a youngster. I couldn't stand going back to school; the end of August to the end of May seemed like an eternity away. The numerous tests, quizzes, papers, and times waking up too early in the morning appeared to be insurmountable at this time. This view was generally shared between my buddies and me in elementary school and middle school. As we entered into the high school years, that viewpoint began to dwindle amongst my buddies. As the years of high school accumulated, the thought of going back to school didn't seem that bad. That was never the case with me. As much as I enjoyed my college experience, I always used to "milk" the days of summer vacation until the final day, meaning that I would wait until the very last day to return to school. So now, with the youngsters brushing the dust off their backpacks, and hearing the whines and crys from brothers to cousins, a music idea popped in my head. Here's a list of all the songs that mentioned an "ending" or "finality" in their title. I feel their pain.

• Tom Petty - "Last Dance with Mary Jane" - Good sone, good music video, fitting for this "list of ends."
• Tom Petty - "The Last DJ" - Two from TP. Maybe a recurring theme in his work?
• Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" - Yeah, that's what I used to say.
• The Rolling Stones - "The Last Time" - Did you know part of the main riff of this song was used in The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony?" Man, that song is full of plagiarism.
• The Motels - "Suddenly Last Summer" - The lead singer, Marth Davis, mentioned that the idea of this song developed from hearing the bells of an ice cream truck at the end of one summer.
• The Strokes - "Last Nite" - A good song; however, the guitar riff is stolen from Tom Petty's "American Girl"
• The Doors - "The End" - Another Doors classic.
• Semisonic - "Closing Time" - This "one-hit wonder" is another sign for "get out" when the bar lights come on.
• R.E.M. - "It's the End of the World as We Know It" - A feeling that you get when it's August 31st and you still have 4 books to read on your summer reading list.
• Jeff Buckley - "Last Goodbye" - Before Buckley tragically died, he cut this song, originally supposed to titled "Unforgiven." It's probably his most famous hit.
• Europe - "The Final Countdown" - I can still hear the opening notes in my ears from 12/31/99.
• The Eagles - "The Last Resort" - Overshadowed by "Hotel California," this single discusses the demise of society.

As Jason B. used to say, "Once you get past the depressing months -- September, October, and November, it's downhill from there. December, you have Christmas to look forward to. Then the new year, and second semester, tend to always go faster." -- August 1996