"Until the End of the World" - Various Artists

Soundtrack Album

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Full Track Listing:

  • Opening Titles – Graeme Revell (1:58)
  • Sax and Violins – Talking Heads (5:18)
  • Summer Kisses, Winter Rain – Julee Cruise (2:37)
  • Move With Me (Dub) – Nenah Cherry (2:58)
  • The Adversary – Crime & the City Collection (5:32)
  • What’s Good – Lou Reed (5:07)
  • Last Night Sleep – Can (3:34)
  • Fretless – R.E.M. (4:49)
  • Days – Elvis Costello (4:49)
  • Claire’s Theme – Graeme Revell (0:52)
  • (I’ll Love You) Till the End of the World – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (4:38)
  • It Takes Time – Patti Smith and Fred Smith (5:00)
  • Death’s Door – Depeche Mode (3:53)
  • Love Theme – Graeme Revell (0:45)
  • Calling all Angels – Jane Siberry & k.d. Lang (5:11)
  • Humans from Earth – T-Bone Burnett (3:08)
  • Sleeping in the Devil’s Bed – Daniel Lanois (3:49)
  • Until the End of the World (Soundtrack Version) – U2 (4:33)
  • Finale – Graeme Revell (0:58)

Background Information

The 1991 film Until the End of the World was directed by German film director, Wim Wenders. The film takes place in the future as a nuclear satellite is about to crash into earth and follows one woman’s path to flee the site of impact. Wenders approached various musicians and asked that they contribute songs to the soundtrack, asking them to contribute music they thought they would be making in 1999, the year that the film was set.

U2 had met Wenders while working on the Red, Hot and Blue project, and it was Wenders who filmed their video for the song “Night and Day”. It was the start of many collaborations between U2 and director Wenders. U2 have contributed songs to soundtracks for Wenders over the years including alternate versions of “Stay” and “The Wanderer” for Faraway So Close, and tracks for the films Par-dela les T, The End of Violence, and Don’t Come Knocking. Bono would also turn to Wenders to direct the screenplay he had written, The Million Dollar Hotel.

The soundtrack to Until the End of the World features the song of the same name, released just months earlier on Achtung Baby. The version of “Until the End of the World” contributed to the soundtrack is unique. It features a rougher performance of the song. At the start you can hear a count-in to the performance. A different version of this rougher recording is used in the actual film over the end credits. The soundtrack was released in Germany under it’s German name, Bis Ans Ende Der Welt, however, the releases under that name do not contain the U2 track.

In 2019 the company Run Out Groove, did limited pressings of the album on vinyl. The copy on black vinyl was limited to 2000 copies, and was issued via Run Out Groove’s website. A second limited edition vinyl on yellow wax was released exclusively via Barnes & Noble stores. These releases were done on December 6, 2019. The new pressing on vinyl is a double disc which allows the full soundtrack to be released on vinyl. The original 1991 release on single vinyl was missing several songs, but did include U2’s contribution.

Liner Notes

Until the End of the World: Written by U2. Performed by: U2. Produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. Engineer: Flood.

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