Styx is best known for the hit songs "Lady", "Come Sail Away", "Babe", "Boat on the River", "The Best of Times", "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Renegade" and "Mr. Roboto". The band has had four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.
Brave New World
Styx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lines are drawn in the sand across the caress of time
There's a face in the glass
Looking through the mirror
At the maze of my past
It was never clearer
The sun approaches
Better cover my eyes
Better hide the roaches
In the best of my time
There was something better
And the quest of my mind
Was to try and get her
Something simple and pure
As the thoughts in my head
Not the tears in the rain
Over me she shed
We were almost there
Still I was unaware
Here in the Brave New World's embrace
I watch the parade begin
Searching for one familiar face
And I wonder where I fit in
How will I know if there's a place
For me in the Brave New World
To be calm in the eye
Of the human storm
In house full of dreams
I am safe and warm
Looking back at a life
Filled with warm embraces
No regrets only memories
Of smiling faces
We were almost there
Now change is in the air
Until now I held the zone
I ruled the world
I called it home
I never saw the down side
See the now see the Zen
There is no division
Through the eyes of a child
There is perfect vision
And the best of our lives
Resonate the hills
And the sun's gonna shine
And you know that I will
The lyrics of "Brave New World" by Styx speak to the journey of self-discovery and reflection. The opening lines, "The lines are drawn in the sand across the caress of time," indicate that the singer is at a turning point in their life, with the lines serving as a metaphor for delineating the past from the future. The reference to a face in the glass and maze of the past reveals that they are reflecting on their life and the choices they have made. The line "It was never clearer" suggests a realization or moment of clarity for the singer.
The second stanza shifts to a more ominous tone with the sun approaching, and the singer feeling the need to hide from the roaches. This may represent a sense of impending doom or change that the singer fears. They then reflect on their former quest to find something simple and pure, free from the tears and emotional turmoil that haunted them. The following lines "We were almost there, still, I was unaware" implies that they had come close to finding what they were searching for, but were not ready to recognize it.
The chorus suggests a sense of uncertainty and displacement. The singer watches a parade of people, searching for one familiar face and wondering where they fit in the "Brave New World" they have found themselves in. They seek calm in the midst of turmoil, finding solace in memories of the past. The final lines, "And you know that I will," express a sense of determination and hope, that the singer will find their place in this new world.
Line by Line Meaning
The lines are drawn in the sand across the caress of time
The boundaries of time are marked and cannot be crossed
There's a face in the glass
The singer sees their own reflection
Looking through the mirror
The singer is introspective and self-reflective
At the maze of my past
The artist is considering their personal history and the journey they've taken up to this point
It was never clearer
These reflections have given the artist deeper insight into their own life
On the distant horizon The sun approaches Better cover my eyes Better hide the roaches
Change is coming that the singer wants to avoid or hide from
In the best of my time There was something better And the quest of my mind Was to try and get her
The singer remembers a better time and is striving to recapture it
Something simple and pure As the thoughts in my head Not the tears in the rain Over me she shed
The artist values simple, positive memories above negative ones
We were almost there Still I was unaware
Although the artist was close to their goal, they did not realize it at the time
Here in the Brave New World's embrace I watch the parade begin Searching for one familiar face And I wonder where I fit in How will I know if there's a place For me in the Brave New World
The artist is uncertain about their place in a changing world
To be calm in the eye Of the human storm In house full of dreams I am safe and warm
The singer values stability and safety in a tumultuous world
Looking back at a life Filled with warm embraces No regrets only memories Of smiling faces
The artist values positive memories over regrets
We were almost there Now change is in the air
The singer's nostalgia and sense of safety is disrupted by change
Until now I held the zone I ruled the world I called it home I never saw the down side
The singer was unaware of the negative aspects of their life until recently
See the now see the Zen There is no division Through the eyes of a child There is perfect vision
The singer finds comfort in a simple, zen-like approach to life
And the best of our lives Resonate the hills And the sun's gonna shine And you know that I will
The artist believes that the best parts of their life will be remembered long after they're gone
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES VINCENT YOUNG, TOMMY R SHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Davis
Was this remixed, need to listen to my CD
Was Dennis DeYoung “filtered” out?
Also not sure why they’d release a video for a song DDY was involved in, are they done throwing him under the bus, doubt it 😱
Did Dennis have to give permission for the video to be released?
If so why would he, after all, Tommy and JY have done nothing but bash him for 20 years
So many questions with the release of this video, most of them not good ones, why this song? Why a song you can hear the Dennis backing vocals?
They were really pure magic together, what happened?
Money? Greed? Ego?
Like I said....... so many questions
Actually took the enjoyment out of listening to this great song, all I could think about was... WHY are you putting this video out now?
What’s the motivation?
Süleyman Gölbol
Why this song has so low views? This song is perfect and a masterpiece.
Süleyman Gölbol
@Kimberly Tolley Wow great performance.
Kimberly Tolley
Have you heard the live version of it on the Styx & REO Speedwagon CD Arch Allies Live At Riverport from 2000? This was the first version I ever heard of it and it still gives me happy goose bumps to this day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8PwtX6NKco
Dee Spence
I’ve been a fan of Styx since I was a teenager in the late seventies! You still astonish snd amaze me with the raw talent!! This band has always been underrated!! Styx is the best!!!!❤️❤️❤️
Teslafyguy
Very cool video! Prophetic as well for these times. Much like Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight, Paradise and Kilroy very pertinent social commentary. Styx, as well as Rush have philosophical and socially pertinent lyrics ("thinking band" lyrics) that cause their listeners to dig deeper past the riffs, melodies and catchy tunes and actually gain knowledge about the world around them and themselves! Thank you STYX and thank you RUSH!
Sandra Rogers
I agree
James Goldman
sandy ferati I grew up on Styx. I swear I almost played them exclusively when I was young started with Equinox. I literally wore side 2 of that album out. Then The Grand Illusion/ Pieces of Eight I couldn’t get enough of them. Saw them live every chance I got. Grew up in a big northern city so it was often. Saw them with Dennis 12 or 13 times. Funny story went to college in TX & La. Became a HS baseball coach in TX. In 2001 I was coaching in S. TX we were deep in the playoffs it was Memorial Day ( no school) two of my top players came way late to practice. I kept them way late after punishing them. They knew the type of music I liked cause they could probably hear it daily from my office. The next day Tues they had burned me CDs of Images & Words, Awake & the single A Change of Seasons from Dream Theater. They also burned me Stainds Break The Cycle CD. I had never heard of any of them. 10+ years later on Christmas one of them sends me the CD Sound of Madness by Shinedown for Christmas. Dream Theater, Styx & Staind are by far my favorite 3 bands and I really like Shinedown too. I’ve seen Dream Theater close to 10 times. Only once with Portnoy on the skins ( Octavarium) that was my favorite concert ever. Their last concert Distance Over Time where they played Metropolis ll Scenes from a Memory was also incredible. Saw that show twice. Once in Dallas once in San Antonio.
sandy ferati
@James Goldman mine too! I loved Styx - my fave when I was a teen. I didn't discover DT until 4 years ago!! And I didn't see Styx live until last year. Now that my kids were older, I have been (totally been now:( ) going to lots of concerts. Saw DT 7x in 4 years! The Styx concert was So good! Better live even than the studio!
James Goldman
sandy ferati Dream Theater is my all time favorite band. Styx #2 and Rush is in my top 25. I can listen to Dream Theater & Styx all day everyday
sandy ferati
Have you also checked out Dream Theater? They too have great thinking lyrics.