( CNN ) -- For his final show , Stephen Colbert went out with a bang and a song . The Comedy Central host aired his last episode of `` The Colbert Report '' on Thursday as he prepares to take over David Letterman 's `` The Late Show '' in 2015 . `` If this is your first time tuning in to 'The Colbert Report , ' I have some terrible news , '' Colbert announced during the finale . `` This in fact is your last time tuning in to 'The Colbert Report . ' Until 10 years from now , when they reboot it directed by J.J . Abrams . '' The man who was 'Stephen Colbert ' But for now , `` like Mary Poppins or Gandhi , '' it 's time for the Stephen Colbert we came to know on `` The Colbert Report '' to retire . `` The truthiness is all those incredible things that people say I did -- - none of that was really me , '' Colbert said during his goodbye . `` You , the Nation , did all of that . I just got paid for it . '' So as a thank you , Colbert staged an elaborate farewell scenario that included him killing off death -- a.k.a. , `` Grimmy '' -- with a handgun and becoming `` immortal , '' promising that `` We 'll Meet Again . '' To prove his point , Colbert rounded up pretty much every celebrity he knows -- from George Lucas to Big Bird -- for a performance of that very song . The Colbert ReportGet More : Daily Show Full Episodes , Indecision Political Humor , The Colbert Report on Facebook . Once the song and dance was done , Colbert was ready to sign off for good -- from eternity , and accompanied by Santa Claus , Abraham Lincoln and Alex Trebek . ( Seriously . ) `` We 've finally come to the end of 'The Colbert Report , ' '' Colbert said . `` Nine great years , 1,447 wonderful episodes -- I 've just got too many people to thank . So I 'll just thank Mavis Staples . Mavis , if you could just call everybody tomorrow , that would be great . ... OK , that 's the show . From eternity , I 'm Stephen Colbert . '' The Colbert ReportGet More : Daily Show Full Episodes , Indecision Political Humor , The Colbert Report on Facebook . But perhaps the best part about his sign-off is that it went right back to where it all started : with Jon Stewart 's `` The Daily Show . '' `` Thanks for that report , Stephen , '' Stewart said , before leading into the final scene of `` The Colbert Report '' : an outtake from 2010 of Colbert and Stewart , being every bit as goofy and charming as we 'd want them to be .
Stephen Colbert 's final show aired Thursday . He said goodbye with a star-studded sing-a-long . Comment: