Civilization

We learned to band together and endeavour Clasp our hands together Man developed language, letters An incredible advantage Getting plans together But would we stand the test of time Against the planet's reckless climate And its angry weather Spread the sails And head west against the gales And storms aboard Norse longboats With decks as dense as nails Our aim was riding waves And finding, claiming strange horizons Invading islands Native populations slain with violence Enslaved and made to aim skyward Think of bigger things Sphinxes, pyramids Raise them high in the name of different kings The different things we've held sacred, divine Through places and times The range to supplications and rites Through ages we find Nations arise As old civilisations crumble to dust Becoming strangers in time Waiting to die Replaced in the night The day breaks and the light changes Illuminating newer human faces as fights rage The human race is facing the might Of righteous states who would write The history books Even if it took a knife's blade To find the right page Sengoku Jidai Men offered to die For the honour of a warrior's life The sun's coming and we're watching it rise As a new era's here It's as solid as iron Pull the tongs from the fire Strike the hammer to the anvil Craft a weapon to bring an enemy to a standstill The blacksmith is the wizard That gives us these powers Devour enemies Leaping down from the siege towers The better the tech is The lesser the effort to wreck it The less time to see their eyes And feel sympathetic Never regret it A true knight never stays a true blade Never says touché But would forever lay in blue rays of weathered glades To demonstrate his never-ending dedication To the crusade Reformation through flame And after the cremation is a new age Time's quill is quick to spill its ink onto a new page The faces are the same as when in days gone But brains are cultivated Thus creating the renaissance We're still using steel tools to stay strong Replacing blades with greater trades Pen and paper, song Faith in god is tested Hiding in the desert Men excited, then enlightened By the scientific method Tried describing its expression By inscribing his impression When applying it to heavenly bodies That everybody reckoned Must have been made by a creator Or a greater force Nature's author faced examination never faced before The grace of horse and rider Replaced with wars and violence Debased the laws of science Made the case for all the pious Why is it progress Always leads to loads of mess The western region spread across the globe and coalesced Settlers spread disease With effortless ease Was it reckless or did it just happen inevitably While evidently we never can see Through the lens of this century But there's no retreating now Whether or not it was meant to be The seven seas were sailed Navies prevailed Leaving trails of devastation in their wake As people wailed A world of wonder plundered Traded in the name of progress But human nature's way Shows we should expect no less Oh yes Struck by the realisation This is just civilisation In the natal stages of industrialisation Trust me when I say That previous achievements are just child's play Compared to this colossal school of thought We set the world ablaze with fossil fuel we bought It's an epiphany Giving us pretty much infinite energy It's electricity Edison Nikola Tesla Different inventors Giving us everything we depend on Whether it's engines, cinema, television or telecoms Sending a message and spreading it on These unreal frontier channels We develop the tech and then sell it on The reel travels round With the speed of a machine gun's barrels Machinery's a meaner beast And we're still in the saddle No need for cavalry Battle superseded that with ease Allies and axis Charging each other like batteries A power vacuum allowing the superstates to flourish Redistribute the food Even if it means people are malnourished Propaganda is the only view That you're allowed to publish 'Cause totalitarians are well aware Of how to punish Gunning down numbers countless For doubtless nothings that they've done But that won't stop subversive insurgents From coming out with courage Using their power to the fullest Whether creativity Or demonstrating general relativity Evidently when we find time to be efficient Einsteinian clear vision Can reveal the precision behind the blinds Nuclear fission Despite derision Physicists decide the mission Is dividing, splitting atoms 'Til a blinding light is given Quite efficient The divine right to mankind's plight is christened A minor decision Hijacked by politicians But as long as they listen To the will of the people Treat all as brilliant equals We can achieve more Than we've ever conceived before Leave this poor place Please explore space Earth, she's a small base Even more awaits I implore great leaders To lead with all the grace Of which we're capable And be the author of your fate Band together and endeavour Clasp our hands together As our ancestors have And stand the test of time forever