Letter to the Future
Alchemist Lyrics


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Unknown reader
Not yet conceived
Inherit the world my generation leaves

I fear for you
There will not be
The natural pleasures
There are for me

I can drink the water
Can safely swim in the sea
Eat the fish from the rivers
And see the forest of trees

Slowly yet surely things are starting to change
A world of uncertainty its people deranged
We're so good at killing each other
We churn out war machines

They spend billions exploring the stars
While home on earth millions starve
I wish I could help but I don't know what to do
With good intentions I'm the problem too

Description of my earth
Is all that I can give
I can only wonder
About the world in which you live
Unknown reader of tomorrow
I write to you with guilt and sorrow

I live in a land
And time that's free
I hope it's there for you
What there is for me
They spend billions exploring the stars
While home on earth millions starve

Unknown reader
not yet conceived
Inherit the world my generation leaves
I fear for you
There will not be
The natural pleasures there are for me

I can drink the water
Can safely swim in the sea




Eat the fish from the rivers
And see the forest of trees

Overall Meaning

The song "Letter to the Future" by Alchemist is a message to those who are yet to be born. The lyrics convey a sense of responsibility and remorse, as the singer is aware of the damage that has been done to the environment and the world that the future generations will inherit. The singer laments the loss of natural pleasures that he has enjoyed and fears that they will not be available to the future generations. He talks about how slowly but surely, the world is changing and how the uncertainty has made people deranged, leading to wars and the production of lethal weapons.


The singer also touches upon the fact that while billions are spent on exploring the outer space, millions of people on earth are starving, further highlighting the disconnect between what humanity should be focused on. The singer expresses his desire to help, but acknowledges that being part of the problem is a reality. The singer concludes by telling the unknown reader that all he can give is a description of his earth and wonders about the world that the future generation will live in. The singer hopes that the freedom and natural pleasures he has enjoyed will also be available for those yet to be born.


Line by Line Meaning

Unknown reader
Addressing an unknown future reader, someone who hasn't even been born yet


Not yet conceived
The future reader has not even been conceived yet, emphasizing how far in the future this message is intended for


Inherit the world my generation leaves
The next generation will inherit the world that the current writer's generation leaves behind


I fear for you
The writer is worried about the future reader's condition considering the changes happening on earth


There will not be
The writer believes that the natural pleasures the writer is describing will not be available for the future reader


The natural pleasures
The clean environment and natural resources that the writer enjoys, like the water, sea, fish, and forest


There are for me
The writer is grateful for the clean environment that they enjoy in the present


Slowly yet surely things are starting to change
The writer notices the gradual changes that are happening in the environment and society over time


A world of uncertainty its people deranged
The people in the current world are confused and disturbed due to the changes and the uncertainty surrounding them


We're so good at killing each other
Human beings are skilled at destroying each other and engaged in violent behavior


We churn out war machines
Industrial production is geared towards producing weapons and military equipment, as opposed to peaceful infrastructure or objects that improve quality of life


They spend billions exploring the stars
Governments and industries spend large sums of money and resources to research outer space and other planets


While home on earth millions starve
At the same time, there are people suffering from hunger and lack of resources on earth, which should be prioritized ahead of space exploration programs


I wish I could help but I don't know what to do
The writer feels guilty about not being able to help people who are starving, and unsure about how best to address the issue


With good intentions I'm the problem too
Despite the writer's best intentions to help, they are also part of the same society that creates the problem and are complicit in it


Description of my earth
The writer can only describe what the earth is like in their time, unable to change or fix it


Is all that I can give
The writer can only offer the unknown reader a description of the world they live in, which is not enough to change the future


I can only wonder
The writer can only imagine what the future reader's world will be like, unsure of what changes may occur


About the world in which you live
The writer is curious about what the future world will be like for the reader and what it will look like


Unknown reader of tomorrow
The message is directed at an unknown future reader who may or may not exist yet


I write to you with guilt and sorrow
The writer is writing to the reader with a sad and guilty heart, deeply moved by the state of the world


I live in a land
The writer lives in the current world which they describe with gratitude and concern


And time that's free
The writer has the freedom of choice and mobility in their time relative to the future reader's scenario


I hope it's there for you
The writer desires that a similar level of freedom and opportunity will be there for the future reader, though it may not be a possibility


What there is for me
The writer wants the same clean environment and natural pleasures currently available for themselves to be available for the future reader as well




Contributed by Nolan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Devin Svennson

Great song by one of the most unique metal bands. A bleak, but very honest message about how future generations will have to pay for the past and present day pollution of the environment.

Selçuk Işık

Really great song.

Pedro Pedro

awesome band but terribly overlook

Danuta Czajczyńska

alchemist back to poland please

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