The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Dying swans, twisted wings
Beauty not needed here
Lost my love, lost my life
In this garden of fear
I have seen many things
In a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more
Bring this savage back home
Wilderness, house of pain
Makes no sense of it all
Close this mind, dull this brain
Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real
Those who know will not tell
All is lost, sold your souls
To this brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
Dragon kings, dying queens
Where is salvation now?
Lost my life, lost my dreams
Rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams, laughing here
Dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned
In this brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
Dying swans, twisted wings
Bring this savage back home
Beauty not needed here
Lost my love, lost my life
In this garden of fear
I have seen many things
In a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more
Bring this savage back home
Wilderness, house of pain
Makes no sense of it all
Close this mind, dull this brain
Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real
Those who know will not tell
All is lost, sold your souls
To this brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
Dragon kings, dying queens
Where is salvation now?
Lost my life, lost my dreams
Rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams, laughing here
Dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned
In this brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
In a brave new world
A brave new world
Dying swans, twisted wings
Bring this savage back home
Lyrics submitted by thekronic420
Brave New World Lyrics as written by David Michael Murray Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Actually this song is about the novel "Brave New World" by Aldeous Huxley, as the title suggests. Dickinson, iirc, also said in an interview with Rock Hard Magazin (rockhard.de) once that the phrase "Dying Swans twisted wings.." merely tries to create a feeling of senseless disgrace of beauty to lead into the song and the overall theme.
The Verses: "Lost my love, lost my life In this garden of fear"
I think this line refers to the Love of the Savage to a girl who looks innocent to him. This love dies when he discovers that she want's to have sex with him, as usual in the Brave New World society, on a basis of pure lust, which is immoral to him.
"I have seen many things In a lifetime alone Mother love is no more Bring this savage back home "
The Savage, he himself a child of the Brave New World born by his mother in the wilderness where she got lost on a holiday trip, has seen a lot of life and of misery and mistakes of civilization. His mother dies shortly after the Savage and his mother arrive at "Brave New World" (which is not it's real name though) and she immediately falls back into usual behaviour of BNW, especially taking drugs to drop out of the cruel real life.
"Wilderness house of pain Makes no sense of it all Close my mind dull this brain Messiah before his fall What you see is not real Those who know will not tell All is lost sold your soul In this brave new world"
The Savage soon discovers the real wilderness is civilization. He is considered some sort of messias, but his mind rebels against this thought. He also gets the impression that there is some sort of elite cast ruling the world knowing the truth about it's flaws but willingly accepting it.
"Dragon Kings Dying Queens Where is salvation now Lost my life lost my dreams Rip the bones from my flesh Silent screams laughing here Dying to tell you the truth You are planned you are damned In this Brave new world "
The Savage flees and finds shelter in a forgotten lighthouse(?), where he discovers pain as a way out of his misery. When he is found he commits suicide, hence "Dying to tell you the truth"
I think the music of the song fits to the book, the theme is woven into the music and makes it a melancholy masterpiece.