THE END Lyrics
[Chorus]
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
[Verse 1]
Don't trip, keep calm, carry on now
Even though the wicked ones built the bomb now
Heard the stick-up kids wanna burn the sun down
Got sick pigs in the ghetto buckin’ us down
Dystopian, yesterday done now
Christians waitin' for Christ to come down
More money, more problems, no solution found
Can't solve ’em, n!ggas masked up, robbers in town
I saw the Bible upside down today
The only King James they know is 2K
They know the truth, but you gotta walk what you say
Don't bе dumb, don't be doin' nothin' stupid
[Chorus]
This is the way the world еnds
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
[Verse 2]
How you actin' the richest, but you lackin' the wisdom?
They be jackin' the image, but don’t be matchin’ the rhythm
I be askin' for answers, I be askin’, "Forgive us"
Not just on my behalf, but on behalf of my n!ggas
Not many Blacks hit a billion, but still we packin' the prison
The Klan got too many members, this all the devil's agenda
If I die for a n!gga, it's gon’ be Riot or RZA
I know some n!ggas stay quiet and probably die in the system
It's hard to sing "Sunshine, good morning" with global warming
Newsflash, we at war, a global warning
I don't know if public schools servin' real food to the students
Shit taste like institution
How many school shootings happen in the hood?
You've been serviced, ain't inconclusive
Yeah, ain't plantin' trees no more, ain't plantin' seeds no more
Ain't no birds and the bees no more, I guess it's just me
[Chorus]
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the—
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
[Bridge]
I saw this in my dream, burnt on a big sun
The angels sang to me while I'm fast asleep
[Chorus]
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
[Verse 3]
Preachers got nothing to preach, teachers got nothing to teach
No kids play in the streets, no smiles showing their teeth
No books for them to read, we're all stuck to our screens
[Chorus]
Look at the way the world ends
Look at the way the world ends
Look at the way the world ends
Look at the way the world ends
[Outro]
Mm
________________ End _________________
THE END Song Meaning [A$AP Rocky]
As the closing piece on A$AP Rocky’s long‑awaited fourth studio album Don’t Be Dumb — his first since 2018 — “THE END” stands apart from much of the record’s swagger and braggadocio. Released January 16, 2026 via A$AP Worldwide and RCA Records, the track features veteran producer/artist will.i.am and avant‑folk voice Jessica Pratt, creating a rich sonic backdrop for one of Rocky’s most socially conscious moments to date. The album as a whole blends experimental hip‑hop, trap energy, and reflective lyrical turns, but “THE END” doubles as a thematic climax to the project’s complex emotional journey.
Song Meaning:
From the outset, the song’s placement signals its weight: it closes a project defined by Rocky’s evolution from youthful swagger to seasoned perspective. Where earlier tracks lean into personal triumphs, rivalries, and romantic reflections, this final entry shifts the lens outward — inviting listeners to confront the broader condition of the world. will.i.am’s grounded presence and Pratt’s ethereal tones set a stark contrast that underscores the urgency and vulnerability in the message.
In its verses, Rocky moves beyond individual narratives and situates his voice within the fabric of systemic struggles. Rather than celebrating success alone, he touches on issues that extend deep into cultural and structural realities. Themes like racial inequality, economic disparity, community disruption, and institutional failures emerge not as abstract complaints but as lived truths that shape everyday life. His perspective as an artist who has navigated both street realities and global stages gives these reflections a hard‑earned resonance.
The texture of the track — muscular yet haunting — mirrors this shift. Where earlier album moments revel in bravado or nostalgia, “THE END” blends folk‑tinged atmospherics with hip‑hop cadence to evoke a world that feels both familiar and unstable. This contrast isn’t accidental: it amplifies the unsettling feeling of witnessing societal decay even as one searches for meaning, community, and hope.
While the lyrics grapple with heavy themes, the song never loses its emotional core. Jessica Pratt’s contribution elevates the feeling of lament without surrendering to despair, making the ending feel reflective rather than purely fatalistic. Instead of offering answers, the track holds space for listeners to sit with uncertainty, to recognize shared concerns, and to consider what comes next after the metaphoric “end.”
Emotional Core and Themes:
At its heart, “THE END” is an emotional ledger — a reckoning with the state of the world and the emotional toll of witnessing inequality, political apathy, environmental degradation, and cultural fragmentation. Rocky doesn’t sit on the sidelines; his delivery reveals fatigue, frustration, and awareness that success does not inoculate one from witnessing collective struggles. The song’s layered production — blending hushed vocal textures with incisive lyrical commentary — evokes a sense of mourning, but also resilience.
This track channels a mood that countless listeners will recognize: the tension between hope and disillusionment. It’s not just social critique; it’s the articulation of a generation’s anxiety about a world that often feels on the brink — a soundtrack for those wrestling with unresolved questions about justice, community, climate, and belonging.
Connection with Listeners:
“THE END” resonates because it bridges the personal and the universal. A$AP Rocky’s platform gives weight to issues many experience but seldom see articulated in mainstream hip‑hop. Its placement at the conclusion of Don’t Be Dumb amplifies its power — prompting listeners to reflect on what they’ve just heard, and by extension, on what they see in the world around them.
For fans familiar with Rocky’s journey — from Harlem streets to international stages, from youthful exuberance to mature introspection — this song feels like a statement of awareness. It’s an acknowledgment that the artist has grown, that his concerns have broadened, and that his music can carry both the immediacy of personal experience and the weight of collective reflection.
Conclusion:
In the broader narrative of "Don’t Be Dumb", “THE END” stands as a catalytic moment — one that deepens the album’s emotional and thematic complexity. Steeped in introspection and social observation, the song refuses simple resolution, inviting listeners to grapple with discomfort, ambiguity, and shared humanity. It’s not merely an album closer; it’s a mirror reflecting the anxieties of a changing world, delivered by an artist who has earned the right to speak on both personal and global stages.
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Music Video
Song Details
Song Name: THE END
Artists: A$AP Rocky, will.i.am & Jessica Pratt
Album: Don’t Be Dumb
Lyricist: A$AP Rocky, will.i.am, Jessica Pratt, Braxton Olita, Creed B Good, Rex Kudo, Geoff Barrow, Car!ton, REWINED, Zach Fogarty, Goldwash, Benjamin Pacheco, Adrian Utley & Beth Gibbons
Producers: A$AP Rocky, Rex Kudo, Braxton Olita, Goldwash, Car!ton, REWINED, Zach Fogarty & Benjamin Pacheco
Genre: Rap
Language: English
Label: A$AP Worldwide, RCA Records
Released: January 16, 2026
[Disclaimer: Lyrics are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All rights belong to the original owners.]
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