Songs About Nuclear War from the Eighties, Songs Beginning with misc

During the eighties, the topic of nuclear war seemed to come up a lot. It was on the news frequently due to the arms build up under the Regean era. At one point I think there was enough fire power to destroy the world 100 times over (it's probably still something ridiculous like that though). With the end of the cold war all seemed fine, although recent events in India and Pakistan does help remind us that it could be triggered by almost any mad man who is intent enough.

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Nuclear war songs beginning with: [Index] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [misc]
The approximate age that a boy can enlist in the U.S. Army is 19.
"1945," by Social Distortion
Terse account of the only nuclear warfare to actually have occurred; chorus: "Atom bomb, TNT/New disease, poor city." First single (1980) by Southern California's most enduring punk band. Chorus melody identical with another punk rock classic, the Adolescents' "Amoeba."
I'm not sure, but I've heard that this song refers to the Three Mile Island accident. The chorus goes like this,"And we don't know, Just where our bones will rest, To dust I guess, Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below"
"1999," by Prince
"Everybody's got a bomb, we could all die any day"
""1999"," by Prince
No song list devoted to Reagan-era nuclear angst could be complete without this song.
"2 Minutes to Midnight," by Iron Maiden
Two minutes to midnite...the hands that threaten doom.
"2 Minutes to Midnight," by Iron Maiden
The song references the Doomsday Clock - which when it's Midnight means the end of the world because of the nuclear arms and the MAD theory. In September 1953 the clock reached 23:58, the closest the clock ever got to midnight. Which happened when the United States and Soviet Union tested H-bombs within nine months of one another.
"5 Minutes," by Bonzo Goes To Washington
This record, put together by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) and Bootsy Collins (P-Funk), took Ronald Reagan's infamous "blooper" from one of his radio messages -- "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes" -- and sped it up, sampled it, repeated it, all behind a hypnotic dance beat. The result showed just what kind of a demented fool the old man really was. No comment or other lyrical content was necessary. A scary, brilliant record.
"99 Luft Balloons (99 Red Balloons)," by Nena
This one is about nuclear war. There was even a video with missles and explosions. Cute German pop song.
"99 Red Balloons (or luftballoons)," by Nena
You and I in a little toy shop Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got Set them free at the break of dawn 'Til one by one they were gone Back at base, bugs in the software Flash the message, something's out there Floating in the summer sky Ninety-nine red balloons go by Ninety-nine red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky As ninety-nine red balloons go by Ninety-nine decisions treat Ninety-nine ministers meet To worry, worry, super scurry Call out the troops now in a hurry This is what we've waited for This is it, boys, this is war The President is on the line As ninety-nine red balloons go by Neunundneunzig Kriegsminister Streichholz und Benzinkanister Hielten sich f�r schlaue Leute Witterten schon fette Beute Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht Mann, wer h�tte das gedacht? Da� es einmal so weit kommt Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons Neunundneunzig Luftballons Ninety-nine dreams I have had And every one a red balloon It's all over, and I'm standing pretty In the dust that was a city I could find a souvenir Just to prove the world was here Here it is, a red balloon I think of you and let it go.
Nuclear war songs beginning with: [Index] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [misc]

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