- published: 19 Oct 2008
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"In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" is a hit song from 1969 by American pop-rock duo Zager and Evans. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks commencing July 12, 1969. The song was written by Rick Evans in 1964 and originally released on a small regional record label (Truth Records) in 1968. A year later, an Odessa, Texas, radio station popularized the disc, which RCA Records quickly picked up for nationwide distribution.
"In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" opens with the words "In the year 2525, If man is still alive, If woman can survive, They may find...". Subsequent verses pick up the story at 1010-year intervals from 2525 to 6565. Disturbing predictions are given for each selected year. In the year 3535, for example, all of a person's actions, words and thoughts will be preprogrammed into a daily pill. Then the pattern as well as the music changes, going up a half step in the key of the song, after two stanzas, first from A flat minor, to A minor, and, then, finally, to B flat minor, and verses for the years 7510, 8510 and 9595 follow.
Franck Pourcel (11 August 1913 – 12 November 2000) was a French easy listening musician.
Born in Marseille, Pourcel's father started to teach him music at the age of six. Later Pourcel studied violin at the Conservatoire in Marseille, led several jazz ensembles, including the French Fiddlers, and spent a year in Paris at the Conservatoire.
By 1931 he was working as a violinist at the Théâtre des Variétés in Marseille, marrying Odette eight years later. He then became the musical director for Yves Montand and Lucienne Boyer, with whom he went on a world tour.
He emigrated to the United States in 1952, but returned to France the following year to record "Blue Tango" and the follow-up "Limelight". In 1954 Pourcel recorded his first album on the Pathé-Marconi record label, with whom he would record a total of nine albums in a three year period. In 1956 he recorded his version of "Only You", which sold over one million copies by 1959, and was awarded a gold disc. It peaked at #9 in the United States Billboard pop chart. Between 1956 and 1972 he was the conductor for France at the Eurovision Song Contest.
In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 1994
War goes on just like before
War goes on, it never ends
War brings bigger dividends
In the year 1995
Brave new world is born to die
From total damage to damage limitation
Fear is the key to defend the nation
In the year 1996
There is no need for politics
Seeing life with unseeing eyes
Seeing man see through the disguise
In the year 1997
The boil bursts in the face of Heaven
Dragon tears washed away thy youth
Wash thy hands of eternal truth
In the year 1998
Why shut the door of the Open Gate
Rivers of people flow like blood
New race rises from the mud
In the year 1999
War destroys the last sky-line
A flaming cross appears in the sky
Man bows down as the bullets fly
Now it's been 2000 years
Man has cried a million tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
But through eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it's only yesterday
In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
We survive