Future Shock
Sims Lyrics

I was born in '82
I was born in 1982

'bout the time of the Cold War flu
Around the time of the Cold War era

Born when the world was small
Born before globalization was commonplace

Before we connected the zoo
Before the world became more interconnected

But look at the way we grew
But despite this, we have grown in ways previously unimaginable

Dropped the borders, but we kept them walls
We've broken down physical barriers, but built up psychological ones

The things we made to pull us close push us all
Our attempts to bring us closer has instead made us more distant

We hear the ring, but we screen the calls
We ignore those who try to reach out to us

So close we can almost touch
We are physically close to each other

So far we don't speak on the bus
But emotionally distant where we don't communicate

So close I can almost see your breath
Can almost feel the physical presence of others

So far I can't hear your words
But we don't take the time to listen to what others are saying

I don't go a day without a button press
We spend countless hours every day pressing buttons on our phones and other technology

The years go by in a blur
Time seems to speed by quickly

The time a-plenty, inbox full
We have an abundance of time and information, but feel empty

So why do I feel so god damn empty?
We feel unfulfilled despite having so much

But look at how connected we are now
Despite feeling empty, we are more connected than ever before

The whole globe at your fingertips
We have access to people and information from all over the world

Speed the pace, it's an instant fix
We crave instant gratification and fast-paced information

Space age, but I feel boxed in
Despite feeling futuristic, we still feel trapped

And it's wide open, and I'm dying to know
The world is open and waiting for exploration

Why I feel disconnected
But we still feel disconnected from each other

Am I dreaming demons, alienated
We wonder if our detachment from others is caused by our own inner demons

Or do I just get what I expected?
Or if its our own expectations causing us to feel empty

They say it's greed that keeps people turnin'
Some speculate that our constant desire for more is what makes us feel empty

Feeds the lonely and the beasts of burden
Our addiction to 'more' only serves to drive us further apart and isolate us

East of Eden, but at least we're earnin'
We live in a world where money is everything

And the trees are burnin'
At what cost to our world and environment

Reporters say that it's all but lost now
The media tells us it might be too late for our world

And all we can do is watch
And we feel powerless to stop it

So I walk with my shoulders dropped
We feel the weight of the world on our shoulders

Watch these blocks stack up with stores
We watch capitalism continue to grow

Is this what we're working for?
Is this what we've been striving for?

Filling that home with goods, what's good
Filling our homes with more products

But the chokehold ain't local no more
But it's not just affecting us locally anymore

It's global and closin' its doors
It's a global problem that we can't ignore

And it ain't about right or wrong, what side you're on
The issue isn't about taking sides or being right or wrong

But the things we traded
But it's about what we have given up for this lifestyle

How many sights for how many sites
How many natural wonders have we given up for more man-made buildings?

How is your life, how is your life?
How is your life really going?

And I don't mean "Do you like your life?"
We don't mean just on the surface level

I mean "What is your life like?"
But what is life really like?

I ain't tryin' to be deep, believe me
We aren't trying to be philosophical or 'deep'

I'm just tryin' to keep my head above water
We're just trying to stay afloat in this fast-paced world

But I live in two-thousand and now
But we live in the present, in the year 2000+

All the things I thought I knew
All the things I thought I knew to be true about the world

Turns out they were never around
Might not actually exist

And all the people I met today
All the people I've met recently

Well, they all the same
Seem to act and think similarly, despite being from different walks of life

Fillin' that emptiness
All trying to fill their own sense of emptiness

Fill it up with Fendi till the trendiness fades
Trying to fill that emptiness with material possessions and designer items

Then throw that thing away
Only to throw them away once the trendiness fades

I want the one with the new features
We always want the next new thing

Till the next one, out there
Always looking for the next best thing

Bury it a little deeper
Ignoring the waste we create and the impact it has on the environment

Add on to the man made mountain
Continuing to add to the ever-growing pile of waste created by our society

You can have it all, the campaign toutin'
The advertising and media push the message that we can have everything we want

The cars and the champagne fountain
Focusing on material possessions like fancy cars and champagne

But that pool's only deep enough to sink
But in reality, we are just pulling ourselves further down in this endless cycle

But these fools don't even stop to think
We don't take the time to consider the consequences of our actions

They just want that bubbly
We just want that quick high and burst of pleasure

Now they spillin' on you, ain't that lovely?
And in the process, ruining everything around us

What a mess since they jumped in
And it's all a mess since we have gotten ourselves into this cycle

Now they scream "Save me, save me" to the public
And when we realize the repercussions, we cry for help from others

But, but we barely, barely know the subject
But we don't really understand the issue at hand

We all out, doin' for us
We are all so focused on ourselves

In so far, so far and fat
We are so distant from each other

Loss of love, loss of mind
We have lost our sense of love and community

Loss of love, loss of mind
We are so detached that we have also lost our sense of mental health and well-being

Loss of love, loss of mind
Our society's incessant focus on materialism and self-promotion has led to emotional and mental fragility

Loss of love, loss of mind
We have lost sight of what truly matters in life, and in the process, lost our sense of humanity