Article in the Times of Malta, 24. January 2002

Brave New World

By Eric Cordina, Swieqi.

In 1932 author Aldous Huxley wrote a book called Brave New World which became his most celebrated work. It is a bitterly satiric account of an inhumane society controlled by technology.

His book inspired rock group Iron Maiden to release an album of the same name in 2000. Singer Bruce Dickinson wrote the lyrics to the title track of this album. The lyrics to the song are not exactly environmental in topic, but more a journey into the darkness of human hearts.

However, the opening verses, quoted below, give us a co-incidental but excellent insight into the barbaric shooting of the swans witnessed last week, the apathetic politicians who have allowed this to happen by selling their souls for a few more votes and the section of the public who are not perturbed by such incidents.

"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 soul
In this brave new world".