When I was a little boy
Living in the last century
I thought about
Living in the future
Then it occurred to me
I turned around
The future was now
The future was all around me
Nothing like I imagined
It was totally confounding

21st century life
I got swept away
I got 21, 000 things
That I got to do today
21st century life
Well what can I say?
The new world
Got me feeling so dirty
Think I need
To get down and play

Well now
I turned on the TV
Just in time to hear
What the Pope said
Pope said
And just a few
Tiny words later
Somebody wants
The man dead
What about famine
And disease
Well they said
It’s too bad
(Oops)
Because
I’m never alone
It’s not just a phone
It’s a stereo

21st century life
I got swept away
I got 21, 000 things
That I got to do today
21st century life
What can I say?
The new world
Got me feeling so dirty
Think I need
To get down and play

Now I’m not a little boy
I’m in the 21st century
Well you might think
We’ve come
A really long way
But there’s still
No equality
I watched the news
On my computer screen
Talking about
Buying my weed
Out of a vending machine
You tell me I’m free
But how can it be
When you’re always
Watching me on the CCTV

21st century life
I got swept away
I got 21, 000 things
That I got to do today
21st century life
What can I say?
The new world
Got me feeling so dirty
Think I need
To get down and play

21, 21, 21
I’m talking
About 21, 21