Lies

The lyrics contrast confident predictions of a bright future with a child’s sadness and uncertainty. Repeated promises of space travel, new technology, faster transport, and easy spending sound exciting, but the child asks where he belongs and says he has nowhere to play. The mood therefore shifts from upbeat optimism to concern about who benefits from “progress.”

“Hollywood dream” suggests an idealized future that may be more fantasy than reality. The repeated phrase “all through the Eighties” gives the predictions a confident, promotional tone. Against that, “pull up the trees and put up a parking lot” suggests replacing nature and open play spaces with development. “The man on the street” means an ordinary person; the question of whether he will “know the score” asks whether more information will truly bring understanding.

The song can be read as questioning a future measured mainly by technology, consumption, and convenience. It does not necessarily reject every new invention: rather, it points to a gap between grand promises and everyday needs such as hope, belonging, and space to play. The child may represent young people more broadly, though the lyrics leave his situation unexplained. The final repetition keeps his question unresolved, making the bright future seem uncertain rather than guaranteed.