Unnatural Selection

Ayreon - Unnatural Selection (01011001) Lyric Video

Unnatural Selection is the fourth song on the second disc of 01011001 and the twelfth song of the entire album. Its length is 7:16. It is preceded by The Truth is in Here, and followed by River of Time.

Plot

In this song, Forever observe humanity struggling during a global pandemic, apparently unequipped to defend themselves from a microbial pathogen. They state their plan to share their technological knowledge with humanity, but there are serious hesitations among some members of Forever, who insist that humanity will destroy itself one way or another - the same way Forever ruined their own future with technology.

Eventually, they choose to alter humanity's future. They immediately bear witness to the horrendous choices humanity makes with the power given.

Singers

• Bob Catley as Forever ❊
• Steve Lee as Forever ☯
• Jørn Lande as Forever Bird
• Tom Englund as Forever ϟ 
• Hansi Kürsch as Forever 🕈
• Jonas Renkse as Forever ⛧

Lyrics

[Forever ϟ]
We have to teach them all that we know
Their evolution moves far too slow
Expand their minds, reject compliance
Upgrade their knowledge, upload our science

[Forever ☯]
This revolution will lead to their demise
We should not make the same mistake twice
We're kept alive by artificial means
But lost our souls to a world of machines

[Forever Bird] Listen to the warning

[Forever ϟ]
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

[Forever ☯]
This sudden change leads to overpopulation
Shifting the balance, destructive habitation
Killing a live, biological invasion
Consuming Earth by ruthless exploitation

[Forever Bird] Can you see the fire in their eyes?
[Forever ❊] Can you hear the anguish in their cries?
[Forever Bird] Can you see the beauty in their arts?
[Forever ❊] Can you sense the love within their hearts?
[Forever Bird] I can taste the freedom we once had
[Forever ❊] I can touch their pain when they feel sad
[Forever Bird] I can smell the fragrance of the air
[Forever ❊] I remember times we used to share

[Forever 🕈]
Don't want to live in a world that's dying
I'd rather die in a world that's living

[Forever ❊] We gave them feelings what did they sense?
[Forever ☯] Shut out the world and put up a fence...
[Forever ❊] We gave them science, what did they do?
[Forever ☯] They built a bomb and they used it too...
[Forever ❊] We gave them reason, what did they learn?
[Forever ☯] Warmed up the planet and made it burn...
[Forever ❊] We gave them art and what did they make?
[Forever ☯] Nuclear weapons for their own sake...
[Forever ❊] We gave them insight what did they see?
[Forever ☯] Degrade the noble, enslave the free...
[Forever ❊] We gave them wisdom, what did they teach?
[Forever ☯] Destroying all that's within their reach...
[Forever ❊] We gave them language, what did they say?
[Forever ☯] They left the planet in disarray...
[Forever ❊ and ☯] We gave them dreams, and what did they dream?

[Forever ⛧]
A chain of 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

[Forever Bird ad libs]

Notes

The quotes heard in this song are the following:

• "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" (Al Gore)
• "This will not be another Vietnam" (George Bush)
• "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)
• "Our task is not only to win the battle, but to win the war" (Winston Churchill)