▁The ▁repet itive ▁ch orus ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁w itt y , ▁black ▁ret ort , ▁utter ly ▁negative ▁and ▁ap oc aly ptic ": ▁" We ▁talked ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁world , ▁and ▁then / We ' d ▁sing ▁a ▁song ▁an ' ▁then ▁sing ▁it ▁again / We ' d ▁sit ▁for ▁an ▁hour ▁an ' ▁not ▁say ▁a ▁word / And ▁then ▁these ▁words ▁would ▁be ▁heard :/ So ▁long , ▁it ' s ▁been ▁good ▁to ▁know ▁y uh ". ▁ ▁Gut hr ie ▁also ▁wrote ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁with ▁alternate ▁lyr ics ▁about ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁success ▁Although ▁the ▁song ▁had ▁a ▁limited ▁success ▁during ▁its ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁release ▁by ▁Gut hr ie , ▁its ▁popular ity ▁so ared ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁recorded ▁by ▁The ▁We a vers ▁with ▁different ▁vers es . ▁The ▁song ▁pe aked ▁at ▁number ▁four ▁on ▁the ▁pop ▁music ▁charts ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁We a vers ' ▁" st ap le " ▁t unes . ▁ ▁Cover ▁versions ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁occasionally ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁closing ▁song ▁on ▁the ▁variety ▁show ▁A ▁Pra irie ▁Home ▁Comp an ion , ▁usually ▁with ▁additional ▁com ical ▁vers es ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁host ▁G arrison ▁Ke ill or . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁X ▁recorded ▁a ▁version ▁on ▁their ▁