Last Man On Earth is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on September 24, 2001 on Red House Records. Recorded in the wake of Wainwright's mother's death and the collapse of a romantic relationship, the album thematically addresses feelings of grief and loneliness. In 2012, Wainwright noted, "Last Man on Earth was written right after my mother died, so a lot of the material on that record has to do with that momentous event. The life circle was present on a lot of those songs."[1]
Portions of the album also reflect upon Wainwright's troubled relationship with his father,Loudon Wainwright, Jr., a subject that has populated many of his earlier recordings. Last Man on Earth can be seen as a companion piece to his 1992 album, History, written after the death of his father.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Man_on_Earth_(album)
The song "Last Man On Earth" is the 12th track on the eponymously named album.
Totally appropriate for these "latter days". Eat drink screw (not necessarily in that order) & be merry, for tomorrow & tomorrow & tomorrow...
Last Man On Earth
In the year 2000
My age was 53
Born in the first half
Of the last century
I always was post-modern
But that's ancient history
Now I'm the last man on Earth
That's what the matter is with me
I guess I'm old fashioned
Retro to a degree
You could say I'm a throw-back
Anachronistically
Air conditioning is here to stay
And that makes me unhappy
Cause I'm the last man on Earth
That's what the matter is with me
I don't have a portfolio
I gotta plead guilty
The best things are the worthless now
That's just because they're free
And if your not a millionaire yet
Boy, you better be
Now, I'm the last man on Earth
That's what the matter is with me
I should be optimistic
And go buy some bonds and stocks
They'll find a cure for Cancer soon
We may get trigger-locks
Existence is no picnic
As statistics all have shown
We learn to live together
And then we die alone
Everybody's got a website
But that's all Greek to me
I don't own a computer
I hate that letter "e"
I don't pack a cell phone
Or drive an SUV
Yes, I'm the last man on Earth
That's what the matter is with me
I'm the last man standing
Save the last dance for me
I've taken the last train to Clarksville
I'm the fifth monkey
Nice guys always finish last
No one's nicer than me
Yeah, I'm the last man on Earth
That's what the matter is with me
Kid's used to say their prayers at night
Before they went to bed
St. John told us that God is love
Nietzsche said he was dead
This thing we call existence
Who knows what it all means?
Time and Life and People
Are just glossy magazines
I sat and watched those guys
Debate each other on TV
Politicians, wrestlers
They're all the same to me
Hey, I don't give a damn
Which idiot runs this country
Since I'm the last man on Earth
It don't matter to me
In the year 2000
My age was 53
I know that I'm grumpy
Middle-aged crazy
But if you are a woman
You might have to sleep with me
Since I'm the last man on Earth
And I can guarantee
I'm the last man on Earth
And there ain't nothing wrong with me
--song written by Loudon Wainwright III
