Lyrics Unnatural Selection - Ayreon

Unnatural Selection

We have to teach them all that we know
Their evolution moves far too slow
Expand their minds and reject compliance
Upgrade their knowledge, upload our science
This revolution will lead to their demise,
We should not make the same mistake twice
We’re kept alive by artificial means
We’ve lost our souls to a world of machines
Listen to the warning
We need to teach them to fight disease
They seem so helpless and need our expertise
I see them dying all across the globe
Their greatest foe is but a small microbe
The sudden change leads to overpopulation
Shifting the balance, destructive habitation
Killing a live biological invasion
Consuming it by ruthless exploitation
Can you see the fire in their eyes?
Can you hear the anguish in their cries?
Can you see the beauty in their eyes?
Can you sense the love within their hearts?
I can taste the freedom we once had
I can touch their pain when they feel sad
I can smell the fragrance of the air
I remember times we used to share
Don’t want to live in a world that’s dying
I want to die in a world that’s living!
Listen to the warning
(Before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity
in planned or accidental self-destruction.
— JFK)
(Humankind has acquired a collective power and ability to dramatically alter
the environment of the entire planet — Gore)
(This will not be another Vietnam — Bush)
(The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — Roosevelt)
(Our task is not only to win the battle, but to win the war — Churchill))
We gave them feelings — what did they sense?
Shout out the world and put up a fence!
We gave them science — what did they do?
They built a bomb and they used it too.
We gave them reason — what did they learn?
Warmed up the planet and made it burn!
We gave them art — what did they make?
Nuclear weapons for their own sake!
We gave them insight — what did they see?
Degrade the noble, enslave the free!
We gave them wisdom — what did they teach?
Destroying all that’s within their reach!
We gave them language — what did they say?
They put the planet in disarray!
We gave them dreams — and what did they dream?
Don’t want to live in a world that’s dying.
I want to die in a world that’s living!
Listen to the warning
A chain on guilt around our neck
A planet straying in darkness
Can we save the lives we wrecked?
I say we should find a way
I say stop this decay
Can you see the fire in their eyes?
Can you hear the anguish in their cries?
Can you see the beauty in their art?
Can you sense the love within their hearts?
I can taste the freedom we once had (freedom, freedom)
I can touch their pain (oh, can you feel the fire?)
I can smell the fragrance of the air.
I relive the times we used to share (yeah).
Can you see the fire in their eyes?
(Oh!)
Can you hear the anguish in their cries?
(Can you feel the fire?)
Can you see the beauty in their art?
Can you sense the love within their hearts?
(Can you feel the beauty?)
Don’t want to live in a world that’s dying!
Oh yeah, so beautiful!
I want to die in a world that’s living!
(Yeah, yeah!)