The original 1971 version, demoed at Abbey Road on acoustic guitar, showed its folk roots and had a chorus that seemed inappropriate to its disillusioned message. A more contemporary salsa feel and references to "Galadriel" and "Brother Thrush" continue in the same vein. The guitar solo is not what you would expect - it surprised us all.

Lyrics:
When I was just a child
My world it was so small
The empty playground swings
The corner shop, the penny drinks
The backyard walls
Of a brave new world
As those years passed by
I never thought to try
To memorise the dreams
The childhood fantasies
Of a brave new world

Some things change, some stay the same
Some don't even notice, some feel the strain
It's everyone's fault and nobody's blame
And who can say if that's too much to ask?

When I was twenty-four
My small world closed the door
I felt like I should cry
I saw men born to kill and born to die
For this brave new world

So now I'm old and grey
And life has passed my way
Those tears have all run dry
Death's desperation lies on every eye
In this brave new world

Some things change, some stay the same
Some don't even notice, some feel the strain
It's everyone's fault and nobody's blame
And who can say if that's too much to ask
Of a brave new world?

You know you were dreaming
You know that the streets weren't paved with gold
You know you were dreaming
It's part of the scheme of things
That "Brother Thrush" grows old