Brave New World
Iron Maiden - Brave New World (2000) Lyrics

Dying swans, twisted wings
Referring to the beauty of swans, which are dying with twisted wings. Symbolic of the beauty of life being destroyed and twisted.

Beauty not needed here
In this garden of fear, beauty isn't needed since the world has become cruel, dark and terrifying.

Lost my love, lost my life
The singer has lost his love and his life in this world. He has been surrounded by fear and terror.

In this garden of fear
The world has become a garden of fear, where terror and darkness reign.

I have seen many things
The singer has seen and experienced many things throughout his life.

In a lifetime alone
He has experienced all these things alone, without the guidance of anyone else.

Mother love is no more
The love and care of a mother is no longer present in this cruel world.

Bring this savage back home
The singer wants to be taken back to a time when the world was not so savage and unkind.

Wilderness, house of pain
The wilderness of the world has become a house of pain to those who inhabit it.

Makes no sense of it all
The senseless cruelty of the world cannot be rationalized or understood.

Close this mind, dull this brain
The singer wants to close his mind and dull his brain to the pain and suffering of the world.

Messiah before his fall
Referring to the idea that even those who are seen as messiahs will eventually fall and be defeated by the cruel world.

What you see is not real
The world is not as it appears, and what people believe to be reality is not actually true.

Those who know will not tell
People who have knowledge of the cruel world will not speak of it, as they fear repercussions or being ostracized.

All is lost, sold your souls
The world has become so cruel and hopeless that people have lost their souls, and given up hope of a better future.

To this brave new world
The idea of a 'brave new world' is sarcastic, as the world is not actually brave or new, but cruel and dystopian.

Dragon kings, dying queens
Referring to the powerful figures of the world who are also suffering and dying in this cruel world.

Where is salvation now?
In a world where all hope is lost, where can one find salvation?

Lost my life, lost my dreams
The singer has lost his life and his dreams in this nightmarish world.

Rip the bones from my flesh
The artist is so desperate and hopeless that he would rather be dead than continue suffering in this cruel world.

Silent screams, laughing here
People are suffering and screaming silently in this world, while others are laughing at their pain and misery.

Dying to tell you the truth
The artist is desperate to share the truth of the cruel world, but fears retribution for speaking out.

You are planned and you are damned
The people of the world are planned and destined to suffer and be damned, with no control over their own fate.

A brave new world, in a brave new world
Repeating the phrase sarcastically, emphasizing that the world is not actually brave or new.