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A giant leap

from Besides​.​.​. (2012) by Utopia Now

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"A giant leap" was written when the German government implemented what they called the "excellence initiative" – a kind of "Ivy League" for German universities – in order to encourage the formation of elite institutions of higher learning.
The song perfectly demonstrates the changes that come with personal growth over time, as I am now perfectly fine with this initiative. At the time, though, all I heard was "elite", and I automatically thought of "neglecting the needs of the poor at the expense of a few privileged individuals" etc., so it inspired me to think about the very real problem of politics focusing on those who need the least support at the expense of those who need it the most.
I would like to add that, today, I find these lyrics pretty juvenile and stupid and not up to the standards I personally would like to meet as a lyricist. But well, I was a kid... ;)
Do note, however, the funny coincidence in the verse "barracks drown in rhetorical spate": Many have criticized President Barack Obama (somewhat rightly, I believe) for failing to match his big talk with appropriate action. Not to say that I'm generally opposed to Obama. I like what he's done. But he's definitely a talker (and not a good one, in my view), who "drowns in [his own] rhetorical spate"...

lyrics

- A giant leap -

Omnivorous reality, the silent beast of prey
is raiding all the carelessly abandoned every day.
But those who write the story of our kind up in the clouds
have never seen its face.
So, the headwind blows from a fatally wrong direction
and barracks drown in rhetorical spate.
But a wave of high, global aspirations
won't cure one hopeless fate.

Chorus:
So acclaim the elite, heroes are what we need.
For glory ans fame and for national pride.
A small step for a state to subtract the poor and weak,
but for us a giant leap – backwards!

Neosocial liberty, the stallion full of pride:
A neologist's analogy that carries a sneer inside.
And on its back, lofty lords who never touch the ground,
enjoying an easy ride.
How come outward splendor and reputation
weigh so much more than common life
while the cracked columns of a nation
are struggling to survive?

Chorus:

Bridge:
You're trying to build a monument
on masses of feeble grains of sand.
So ignominiously arrogant and ignorant.

Chorus II:
SO forget the elite, common sense is what we need
and a focus on those we have lost along the way.
A small step for a state to support the poor and weak,
but for us a giant leap.

credits

from Besides​.​.​. (2012), released December 3, 2012
Music and lyrics written, performed and recorded by Stephan Serowy

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Utopia Now Berlin, Germany

Utopia Now started out in 2006 but had been known under the name Indigo since 2002, sharing the stage with bands such as Lagwagon, Anti Flag, A Wilhelm Scream, No Trigger, Good Clean Fun, Venerea and many more. However, the band was short-lived and split in 2007. Today the band lives on in the form of an online solo project by the band’s founder, singer, and songwriter, Stephan Serowy. ... more

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