Welcome to the Future
Brad Paisley Lyrics

When I was ten years old
As a child, I had specific ideas about my future and what technologies would make my life better.

I remember thinking how cool it would be
In my youth, I envisioned a world where technology would make many mundane tasks much more exciting.

When we were going on an eight hour drive
As a family, we often took long trips which I found to be tedious and boring.

If I could just watch TV
I dreamed of being able to pass the time by accessing video content from anywhere, at any time.

And I'd have given anything
At the time, my desire for new technologies was so great that I would have sacrificed a lot to obtain them.

To have my own Pac-Man game at home
Particular technologies, such as gaming console hardware and software, were especially important to me.

I used to have to get a ride down to the arcade
At the time, accessing certain technologies (such as arcade games) was difficult or even impossible to do from home.

Now I've got it on my phone
Today, technology has advanced to such a degree that once-remote capabilities can fit into a portable device that nearly everyone has access to.

Hey, glory, glory, hallelujah
This sentiment denotes joy and celebration at the ways in which modern technology has changed daily life.

Welcome to the future
This phrase is a back-patting acknowledgement that many of the futuristic ideas from decades ago have become commonplace today.

My grandpa was in World War II
My grandfather lived through a very different time that was marked by war and hardship.

He fought against the Japanese
My grandfather served his country overseas, putting himself in harm's way to protect and defend his home and family.

He wrote a hundred letters to my grandma
Even in the midst of war, he maintained strong relationships with loved ones back at home.

Mailed them from his base in the Philippines
Technology and infrastructure at the time limited simple communication with family, and letters were often the only means of staying in touch with one another.

I wish they could see this now
I wish my grandparents were alive today to see how much the world has changed in many ways as a result of their sacrifices during wartime.

The world they saved has changed you know
Today's world is completely different from that of my grandparents' era, due in large part to the forward strides made in science and technology during the intervening years.

'Cause I was on a video chat this morning
I'm able to speak to people live, with video and audio, despite being thousands of miles apart due to the innovations in video conferencing technology.

With a company in Tokyo
This video chat involved people from another continent, and such interactions would have been impossible decades earlier.

Hey, everyday's a revolution
Each day brings new innovations in technology and the ways in which humans interact with each other and the world around them.

Hey, look around it's all so clear
When you examine all of the technological advances made over the past several decades, the progress is easy to see.

Hey, wherever we were going, well we're here
The future has officially arrived, with some former science fiction concepts now very real and present in our daily lives.

Hey, so many things I never thought I'd see
The speed of progress has been so quick that many of the technologies we take for granted today were once dreamt of in science fiction literature and media.

Happening right in front of me
The novelty of seeing new technologies unveiled and put into practice continues to be a great joy for some individuals.

I had a friend in school
In more recent times, I knew someone who had experienced hardship due to social issues rather than foreign combat.

Running back on the football team
My friend was a high school athlete and a talented player on the football team.

They burned a cross in his front yard
The racism and hatred that some people held in their hearts completely derailed his high school experience, causing violent persecution that left him scarred.

For asking out the homecoming queen
He was singled out because he wanted to pursue social and romantic interests just like anyone else would.

I thought about him today
Despite the passage of time, the memory of someone who was affected by discrimination in such a way remains fresh in my mind.

And everybody who's seen what he's seen
There are countless other individuals who have faced similar hatred and bigotry in their lives, which continues to cause suffering and division to this day.

From a woman on a bus
Every demographic, regardless of age, sex, or background, continues to experience discrimination on social and political levels.

To a man with a dream
Individuals who strive to make the world better for everyone are sometimes penalized for daring to hope or innovate beyond the norm.

Hey, wake up Martin Luther
The lyrics reference Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a model example of human rights activism and striving for a more accepting future society.

Welcome to the future
This phrase closes out the song in a final reminder that the technological and social changes the world has seen over the past few generations are nothing short of miraculous.