Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Phil Oakey
Canonical path: /phil-oakey/this-used-to-be-the-future
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
This Used To Be The Future
Read This Used To Be The Future lyrics by Phil Oakey on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
This Used To Be The Future
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
I can remember when this was the future
Where it was gonna be at back then
Why don't we turn the whole bloody lot down
And make a new start all over again?
I can recall utopian thinking
Bold mission statements and tightening of belts
Demolition of familiar landmarks
Promises made and deals that were dealt
This used to be the future
Where it was at back then
Let's turn the whole bloody lot down
And start all over again
But that future was exciting
Science fiction made fact
Now all we have to look forward to
Is a sort of suicide pact
Was it the dear old future
That created the problems we face?
How do we deal with the fallout
Of the age we used to call space?
I can remember planning for leisure
Living in peace and freedom from fear
Science that promised to make us a new world
Religion and prejudice disappear
I can remember when this was the future
Where it was gonna be at back then
Now religion and nuclear energy have united
To threaten, oh, God, amen
This used to be the future
Where it was at back then
Now religion and nuclear energy have united
Oh, God, amen
Was it the dear old future
That created the problems we face?
How do we deal with the fallout
Of the age we used to call space?
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "This Used To Be The Future"?
Phil Oakey performs "This Used To Be The Future", and this lyric page sits inside the Phil Oakey catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "This Used To Be The Future"?
Yes. The related section below points to Be My Lover Now and Brand New Love (Take A Chance) with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Phil Oakey?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Phil Oakey's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on This Used To Be The Future yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.