New Art Is True Art

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a fervent, almost cult-like embrace of modern art by a group of students, led by their teacher, Whitelaw Savory. They champion "new art" as inherently "true art," directly contrasting it with "old art," which they dismiss as "cold art" and the work of "maladjusted" and "dull" predecessors. This creates a clear dichotomy, positioning the students as radical innovators against a backdrop of artistic tradition they find stagnant and irrelevant. The central tension lies in the students' aggressive rejection of established artistic canons. They see the old masters, from ancient Greece to DaVinci, as fundamentally flawed, their techniques "dull and devious" and their subjects "completely normal." This isn't just a critique; it's a declaration of war on the past, urging a complete break from "statuary in the Met" and "art in the Louvre," which are labeled "fuddy-duddy mausoleums." The most striking aspect of the craft is the relentless, almost chant-like repetition and rhyming scheme that reinforces the students' indoctrination. Phrases like "New art is true art / Old art is cold art" and the back-and-forth between male and female students on "New art / True art" versus "Old art / Cold art" create a hypnotic effect. This sonic mirroring of their ideology makes their pronouncements feel less like reasoned arguments and more like dogma, highlighting the persuasive power of Savory's teachings. This lyrical approach is effective because it captures the intoxicating fervor of youthful rebellion and the seductive simplicity of radical pronouncements. By framing artistic value as a binary choice between the "brave" new and the "cold" old, the lyrics tap into a desire for immediate relevance and a rejection of perceived elitism. The students' absolute certainty, amplified by the song's structure, makes their radical stance feel both compelling and, perhaps, a little unsettling.