Defend the Indefensible: Europe's "The Final Countdown"

Over music that sounds like the theme from an action figure commercial, singer Joey Tempest purports to "stand tall" while also apparently being launched into space. Meanwhile, the band desperately but unconvincingly flails their permed hairdos about while grinning painfully and practicing what appears to be a routine from an Ace Frehley aerobics video. It's the final countdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

We're leaving together
But still it's farewell
And maybe we'll come back,
To earth, who can tell?

I guess there is no one to blame
We're leaving ground (leaving ground)
Will things ever be the same again?
It's the final countdown.

The final countdown.

Oh, We're heading for Venus (Venus)
And still we stand tall
Cause maybe they've seen us
And welcome us all, yeah
With so many light years to go
And things to be found (to be found)
I'm sure that we'll all miss her so
It's the final countdown.

The final countdown.

The final countdown (final countdown).

Oh...oh

The final countdown.

Oh...oh

It's the final countdown.

The final countdown.

The final countdown. (final countdown)

It's the final countdown
We're leaving together
The final countdown
We'll all miss her so
It's the final countdown (final countdown)
Oh, it's the final countdown.

It's indefensible.

gtfo

It's fantastic nonsense.

So much time jumping around in my room to this when I was 7.

Just noticed in the similarly-themed Pixies song "Lovely Day":

Riding down these dry canals
Oh baby it's not Europe

C'mon, the synth riff is genius.

It was my soundtrack for playing Robotech, iirc.

I "Love" Music, ladies and gentlemen

the synth riff sounds like the theme song for a king's entrance in a puppet show

Yes, the King of Venus.

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/7350/gobscarfsplit2sz.gif

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs27/f/2008/135/9/f/Joey_Tempest_by_LittleRussian.jpg

If this song didn't exist, then this wouldn't exist...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wo0VuLTb_U

you don't understand, this thread is defend the indefensible

It's fantastic nonsense.

Sure is

God, it was basically the Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" of its day though wasn't it?

I'd argue that it's half-nonsense; it's clearly another Cold War-inspired song, so it's got one foot in very real issues, but the imagined scenario of the what's left of the human race climbing aboard a spaceship and heading for Venus (whose 900 degrees Celsius temperature, lack of water and breathable atmosphere would make it very difficult for human life to exist) is undoubtedly very silly for quite a number of reasons.

Well, "heading for Mars" would've just sounded silly.

Not a lot of viable destinations to head to, tbh

Not since Sun Ra bought up all the real estate on Saturn

Obvs the ship needs to go back in time to prevent us reaching a state of "final countdown". C'mon, Europe. Think!

Well, "heading for Mars" would've just sounded silly.

― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, September 24, 2013 5:46 PM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Very true, but they still went with the one planet with a two-syllable name that happens to rhyme with 'penis'! Good job 'Uranus' has three syllables, eh!?

Recommend switching the title words around and singing whenever it's the last episode and match in a series of Channel Four's most famous gameshow.