Canada’s beloved musical poet Leonard Cohen got a shout-out in a clever new version of R.E.M.’s 1987 hit “It’s the End of the World (And We Know It)” that aired this week on The Late Show.
Titled “It’s the End of the Year (As We Know It),” the parody was performed by host Stephen Colbert with a bit of help from R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe (and a cameo by actor James Franco).
Colbert fires through a recap of the year’s most bummer moments — from the al-right to Zika. Cohen’s death made the cut along with “Prince and Bowie’s demise.”
As he listens, Stipe simply can’t bring himself to “feel fine” about 2016.
At the end of the song, Stipe lends his distinctive vocal — and the studio audience loves it!
"This year is idiotic and chaotic, but the end's in sight,” Colbert sings. “Right?"
