Though the song’s title was taken from a 1964 B-science fiction film, the song itself was about the very real fear of nuclear war.  To understand this song, it is important to remember that, in the 1980s, nuclear war was viewed as something that was destined to happen eventually.  Teachers and school counselors were even specifically trained on how to talk to children who woke up one morning, saw the wrong story on the morning news, and came to school terrified that the bombs were going to drop at any moment.  I guess the nearest equivalent of that today would be the fear that we only have ten years left due to climate change.

Luckily, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it looked like nuclear war had been avoided.  Over the past few years, though, I’ve seen a return of those earlier fears as more and more nations brag about developing their nuclear capabilities.  As a results, songs like this will always feel more relevant than we may want them to.