Brave New World
Todd Terry (Featuring Richard Burton & David Essex) 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 Todd Terry's song "Brave New World" tell a tale of a man, referred to as Artilleryman, who sees the world as it is and is determined to build a new world. He wants to start fresh and create something new and beautiful. Artilleryman proposes building a new world underground, where there are clean drains, and it's dark, quiet, and safe. He envisions building shops, hospitals, barracks, banks, prisons, schools, and so on, under the nose of the people who inhabit the world above them. They plan to start anew and teach science to the children, not just poems and rubbish. In a brave new world, with only a handful of men, they plan to rebuild the world, and things will start all over again.


Artilleryman talks about mankind being born in freedom, but soon becoming a slave to the cages of convention from the cradle to the grave. He believes that the weak fall by the wayside, but the strong will be saved. In a brave new world, man will have to build the world anew if they want to survive. They will have to be the chosen few. The song's lyrics are quite insightful as they talk about building a world anew and letting go of the old world, which is crumbling before their eyes. It talks about starting fresh, learning from mistakes, and creating something better.


Line by Line Meaning

Take a look around you at the world we've come to know
Reflect on the state of the world we live in and its shortcomings


Does it seem to be much more than a crazy circus show
Question whether our world is more than just a chaotic and meaningless spectacle


Maybe from the madness, something beautiful will grow
Suggest that amidst the chaos and confusion, something positive and hopeful can emerge


In a brave new world, with just a handful of men, We'll start... we'll start all over again!
Propose the creation of a new world, built by a select group of individuals who will start anew


All over again! All over again! All over again!
Emphasize the idea of starting anew with great enthusiasm


Now our domination of the earth is fading fast
Acknowledge the decline of human society's control over the planet


And out of the confusion a chance has come at last
Highlight the opportunity that arises from the chaos and disorder of the current state of affairs


To build a better future from the ashes of the past
Express the hope to create a brighter and better future despite the wreckage of the past


Look, man is born in freedom, but he soon becomes a slave
Observe how humans are born free but become enslaved by societal conventions


In cages of convention from the cradle to the grave
Depict the restrictions and limitations imposed on individuals from birth to death


The weak fall by the wayside but the strong will be saved
Imply that only those who are strong and capable will survive and succeed in a new world


I'm not trying to tell you what to be, Oh no, oh no, not me...
Express the notion that individuals should be free to choose their own paths in life


But if mankind is to survive, the people left alive, They're gonna have to build this world anew
Assert that in order for humanity to endure, it is necessary to rebuild a new world


And it's going to have to start with me and you... YES!
Inspire action from individuals to contribute to the building of a new world


Just think of all the poverty, the hatred and the lies, And imagine the destruction of all that you despise
Urge individuals to visualize and desire the eradication of all that is deemed negative in the current society


Slowly from the ashes the phoenix will arise
Evoke the image of a rebirth springing from destruction and ruin


Take a look around you at the world you've loved so well, And bid the aging empire of man a last farewell
Suggest a farewell to the current world that was once cherished but is no longer sustainable


It's a brave new world with just a handful of men, We'll start, we'll start all over again!
Repeat the idea of starting anew with a selected group of individuals


I'VE GOT A PLAN!
Announce the existence of a plan to build a new world


Can't you just see it? Civilization starting all over again! A second chance!
Prompt imagination of a new civilization and a second opportunity to build a better world


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.
Reflect on the vast difference between the Artilleryman's dreams of a new world and the reality of his capabilities


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.
Indicate the Artilleryman's weariness with the process of building and his desire for relaxation and luxury as 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.
Reveal the singer's realization of the futility of playing games and indulging in luxury while facing the extinction of humanity and the Artilleryman's delusional obsession with his plan to build a new world




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY OSBORNE, JEFF WAYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

MrBrander

Awesome tune. This tune just popped in my mind couple of minutes ago after years and years of dusting in my memory. I remember how as a kid I played the WOTW many times through and when I finally managed to visit the site about the musical, or something similar to that, I found this track there and I so loved it. Thank you for uploading this here. A lost gem has been refound. :)

Champiness

It feels way too short compared to the original though! Todd really could've stretched this one out!

fanofheadroom1

great album

БойБорг690_

I've got a plan..,