Nebraska’s One-Hit Wonder in the Year 2525

In 1968 Nebraskans Denny Zager and Rick Evans, as the rock group Zager & Evans, recorded the darkly prophetic In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus). Considered one of the most famous “one hit wonders” in U.S. recording history, it topped Billboard’s Top 40 chart for six weeks during the summer of 1969. Billboard later declared it the Record of the Year for 1969.

Record album, The Year 2525, Zager & Evans

LYRICS

In the year 2525 
If man is still alive 
If woman can survive 
They may find

In the year 3535 
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies 
Everything you think, do and say 
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545 
You ain’t gonna need your teeth, won’t need your eyes 
You won’t find a thing to chew 
Nobody’s gonna look at you

In the year 5555 
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides 
Your legs got nothing to do 
Some machine’s doing that for you

In the year 6565 
You won’t need no husband, won’t need no wife 
You’ll pick your son, pick your daughter too 
From the bottom of a long glass tube

In the year 7510 
If God’s a-coming, He oughta make it by then 
Maybe He’ll look around Himself and say 
“Guess it’s time for the judgement day”

In the year 8510 
God is gonna shake His mighty head 
He’ll either say “I’m pleased where man has been” 
Or tear it down, and start again

In the year 9595 
I’m kinda wondering if man is gonna be alive 
He’s taken everything this old earth can give 
And he ain’t put back nothing

Now it’s been ten thousand years 
Man has cried a billion tears 
For what, he never knew 
Now man’s reign is through

But through eternal night 
The twinkling of starlight 
So very far away 
Maybe it’s only yesterday

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