Brave New World
Richard Burton Lyrics


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Artilleryman: We're gonna build a whole new world for ourselves. Look, they clap eyes on us and we're dead, right? So, we gotta make a new life where they'll never find us. You know where? Underground. You should see it down there, hundreds of miles of drains, sweet and clean now after the rain, dark, quiet, safe. We can build houses and everything, start again from scratch. And what's so bad about living underground, eh? S'not been so great living up here, if you want my opinion.

Brave New World

Artilleryman
Take a look around you at the world we've come to know
Does it seem to be much more than a crazy circus show
Maybe from the madness, something beautiful will grow
In a brave new world, with just a handful of men,
We'll start... we'll start all over again!
All over again! All over again! All over again!

Artilleryman: We'll build shops and hospitals and barracks, right under their noses, right under their feet. Everything we need: banks, prisons and schools. We'll send scouting parties to collect books and stuff, and then like you we'll teach the kids. Not poems and rubbish; science, so we can get everything working! We'll build villages and towns, and... and we'll play each other at cricket! Listen, maybe one day we'll capture a fighting machine, eh, learn how to make 'em ourselves, and then: WALLOP! Our turn to do some wiping out! WHOOSH! With our heat ray! Whoosh! And them running and dying, beaten at their own game, man on top again!

Artilleryman
Now our domination of the earth is fading fast,
And out of the confusion a chance has come at last,
To build a better future from the ashes of the past,
In a brave new world, with just a handful of men,
We'll start all over again!

Look, man is born in freedom, but he soon becomes a slave,
In cages of convention from the cradle to the grave,
The weak fall by the wayside but the strong will be saved,
In a brave new world, with just a handful of men,
We'll start all over again!

I'm not trying to tell you what to be,
Oh no, oh no, not me...
But if mankind is to survive, the people life alive,
They're gonna have to build this world anew
And it's going to have to start with me and you... YES!

I'm not trying to tell you what to be,
Oh no, oh no, not me...
But if mankind is to survive, the people left alive,
They're gonna have to build this world anew
Yes and we will have to be the chosen few...

Just think of all the poverty, the hatred and the lies,
And imagine the destruction of all that you despise,
Slowly from the ashes the phoenix will arise,
In a brave new world, with just a handful of men
We'll start all over again!

Take a look around you at the world you've loved so well,
And bid the aging empire of man a last farewell
It may not sound like heaven but at least it isn't hell
It's a brave new world with just a handful of men,
We'll start, we'll start all over again!
All over again! All over again! All over again!
I'VE GOT A PLAN!

Artilleryman: Can't you just see it? Civilization starting all over again! A second chance! Heh- we'll even build a railway and tunnel to the coast, go there for our holidays! Nothing can stop men like us! I've made a start already. Come on down here and have a look.

In the cellar there was a tunnel scarcely ten yards long. It had taken him a week to dig. I could have dug that much in a day, and I suddenly had my first inkling of the gulf between his dreams and his power.

Artilleryman: It's doing the working and the thinking that wears a fellow out. I'm ready for a bit of a rest. How about a drink, eh? Nothing but champagne now I'm the boss.

We drank, and then he insisted upon playing cards. With our species on the edge of extermination, with no prospect but a horrible death, we actually played games. Later he talked more of his plan, but I saw flames flashing in the deep blue night, red weed glowing, tripod figures moving distantly, and I put down my champagne glass. I felt a traitor to my kind, and I knew I must leave this strange dreamer.

Artilleryman Take a look around you at the world we've come to know




Does it seem to be much more than a crazy circus show?
Maybe from the madness something beautiful will grow...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Richard Burton and David Essex's song Brave New World describe the plans of a man referred to as the Artilleryman, who proposes building a new world underground. He suggests that it will be a better life than the one they have been living on the surface. The Artilleryman believes that they can construct all of the necessary facilities, even including cricket fields, and collect books to teach science to the children. He states that they could even capture a fighting machine and learn how to create them, using weapons such as heat rays to defeat the enemy. In his opinion, the current way of life is not sustainable, and humanity needs to start again from scratch by building a better future with just a handful of men.


The Artilleryman's grandiose plan for a new underground community illustrates his disillusionment with the current state of society. He believes that their domination of the earth is fading, and they need to take action to build a better future for themselves. The lyrics suggest that man is born in freedom, but often becomes a slave to convention, and that the weak fall by the wayside while the strong will be saved. The message of the song is that humanity needs to take responsibility for itself and build a new world, rather than relying on outside forces or waiting for a savior.


Line by Line Meaning

Take a look around you at the world we've come to know
Come with me and see the dismal world we live in


Does it seem to be much more than a crazy circus show?
It's not just a circus show, it's a world where man is born in freedom but soon becomes a slave


Maybe from the madness, something beautiful will grow
Out of this despair and destruction, there is hope for something better


In a brave new world, with just a handful of men, We'll start... we'll start all over again! All over again! All over again! All over again!
With just a few of us, we can create a new world and start anew, leaving the old world behind


Now our domination of the earth is fading fast, And out of the confusion a chance has come at last, To build a better future from the ashes of the past, We'll start all over again!
Humanity's time on earth is coming to an end, but out of this chaos, there is an opportunity to build a better future from the remnants of the past


Look, man is born in freedom, but he soon becomes a slave, In cages of convention from the cradle to the grave, The weak fall by the wayside but the strong will be saved, I'm not trying to tell you what to be, Oh no, oh no, not me...
Though man is born free, he is bound by societal conventions, and only the strong will survive. I'm not telling you how to be, but we must recognize this if we are to build a new world


But if mankind is to survive, the people live alive, They're gonna have to build this world anew And it's going to have to start with me and you... YES!
In order for humanity to survive, the people still alive must build a new world, and we must all contribute to this effort


But if mankind is to survive, the people left alive, Yes and we will have to be the chosen few...
Those of us who remain must be the ones to build this new world and ensure humanity's survival


Just think of all the poverty, the hatred and the lies, And imagine the destruction of all that you despise, Slowly from the ashes the phoenix will arise, In a brave new world, with just a handful of men
Think of all that you despise about this world and imagine a new world rising from the ashes, built by just a few people who dare to dream for something better


Take a look around you at the world you've loved so well, And bid the aging empire of man a last farewell It may not sound like heaven but at least it isn't hell It's a brave new world with just a handful of men, We'll start, we'll start all over again!
Say goodbye to the old world and embrace this new one, which may not be perfect but is better than the alternative. We'll start anew with just a handful of us




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY OSBORNE, JEFF WAYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@lorrainecouch348

ARE YOU LOT FOR REAL???
GHOSTS ON MARS... THE MARTIANS.
THIS PLANET COULD HAVE LOST CORE MASS AND BE MOTHER TO MARS... A MOON.... WHICH MUSK WANTS TO TERRAFORM A MOON!?!?
A GIANT RED RUSTY MOON... WHICH WILL REACT BADLY TO WATER AND ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION!!!!!
MY RESEARCH IS SOLID!!!!
AMERICA AND CO HAVE BEEN CREATING ALL THINGS FLYING SORCERY FOR ABSOLUTE AGES.
THOSE DISCO BALL STARS TWINKLING AWAY ARE SATELLITES... ARMED WITH LASERS AND ALL THINGS DIRECT ENERGY WEAPONS.
H.G. WELLS WAS A VISIONARY... HE PREDICTED STUFF.
HIS EPITAPH IS SOMETHING LIKE:
"I TOLD YOU SO. YOU DAMNED FOOLS"
HIS DAMNED WAS IN ITALICS AND HE SAID IT WAS INTENTIONAL.

GET A GRIP



@druunderwood5602

@neil73" Its doing the working and the thinking that wears a fellow out"

"Morlock Charter"

(1) Schools in Prison
?
Feel free to add your own, lets see where this go's?

Cricket Cucumber Sandwiches & Tea Obviously.



All comments from YouTube:

@johncole9121

The older I get, the more confidently I can say, this song is just incredible.

@peterbrecker784

Well said.

@rabidbigdog

The Super Audio CD 5-channel version is just extraordinary. Along with Dark Side Of The Moon, I purchased a (cheap now) system just to hear it.

@Minillus

It's the best one in the album lmo

@Glombandtomb1

This is the best of the best

@SomewhatDapperExtraterrestrial

I love how the song really drags the audience into the Artillerymans fantasies with how optimistic it sounds. It perfecty captures how the protagonist must have felt.

@frederikklotzskov9673

And how disappointed he feels when he sees the little progress he's actually made

@SunnyAznable

I love how many of the commenters have missed this- the theme and point of the song - in their analysis. Well put.

@milliondollarmistake

I find it hilarious that this guy gets a whole 12 minute ballad dedicated to his dream and it just ends with the protagonist calling the guy crazy and leaving

@abigohobgoo7455

@MillionDollarMistake same.

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