Big A
Jeffrey Lewis Lyrics

Big A, little A, bouncing be
Mocking the alphabet, word and verse structure of typical children's poems, to convey that there's more to politics than empty rhetoric

The system might have got you but it won't get me
Rejecting the idea that one should follow the expectations imposed by society or the government blindly

1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Keeping to the familiar, the four counts suggest that resistance comes from within oneself, not anyone else

External control are you gonna let them get you?
Questioning if a person will allow themselves to be brainwashed by external forces lurking around them

Do you wanna be a prisoner in the boundaries they set you?
Asking a rhetorical question in this line, Jeffrey Lewis means to say there are enforced constraints netting everyone, and one must confront this in order to progress

You say you want to ba yourself, by christ do you think they'll let you?
Suggesting that being who one wants to be, and not conforming to social dictates will be seen as a flagrant abuse of authority

They're out to get you get you get you get you get you get you get you
Highlighting the possibility that those in control will not stop unless targeted and challenged

Hello, hello, hello, this is the Lord God, can you hear?
Creating an insinuated picture that the religious order isn't really sounding divine if they are pushing their beliefs forcefully

Hellfire and damnation's what I've got for you down there
Endemic among religious leaders, the notion of many negative ramifications are proposed if you're not following the religion with utmost dedication

On earth I have ambassadors, archbishop, vicar, pope
Maintaining the satire mode the author as the poem's speaker posits that the hierarchical clergy has an earthly version just like a diplomatic circle would

We'll blind you with morality, you'd best abandon any hope,
Here, Jeffrey depicts that religious institutions try to wield power over people by using morality and judgement as weapons of compliance against society

We're telling you you'd better pray 'cause you were born in sin
This line serves to highlight the fearmongering tactics that religious institutions use to ensure conformity while highlighting that everyone is apparently a sinner from the time they are born

Right from the start we'll build a cell and then we'll lock you in
The line here denotes that early on, any dissenting voice is prevented, and a 'cell' is created that traps people from speaking out against religious orders or other systems

We sit in holy judgement condemning those that stray
Stigmatizing people who choose to dissent from religious orders is one of the methods employed by the institutions to maintain power over the masses

We offer our forgiveness, but first we'll make you pay
Promoting images of hypocritical institutions, this line states that forgiveness can never be free, and the first thing religious institutions do is make people pay to receive it

You say you want to be yourself, by christ do you think they'll let you?
Repeating the line to show that being yourself while refusing to meet social expectations will result in being labeled a disobedient and misbehaving person

Hello, hello, hello, now here's a massage from your queen
Indicating ironic disdain, this line bolsters the concept that the queen has a disconnected view from the UK and is hardly the beacon of hope that she seems

As figurehead of the status quo I set the social scene
Caricaturing the position of the queen, the line reflects the view that the UK is ruled by an anachronistic class-based system that is hopelessly out of touch

I'm most concerned about my people, I want to give them peace
Speaking through the Queen, Jeffrey Lewis intimates that the privileged are disconnected to the struggles of the masses and are more interested in keeping status quo over effecting change

So I'm making sure they stay in line with my army and police
Maintaining the theme of social control, Jeffrey highlights how the Queen relies on force to maintain societal order

My prisons and my mental homes have ever open doors
This line carries sarcasm for those in power, suggesting that even if people seek help with their mental illnesses, their prisons would be readily waiting to receive them instead

For those amongst my subjects who dare to ask for more
Hinting that those who speak out against the status quo are considered a minority and can be treated as such

Unruliness and disrespect are things I can't allow
This line represents the position of the monarchy and the elites at large, viewing any sort of rebellion as inherently wrong and obeying orders as inherently virtuous

So I'll see the peasants grovel if they refuse to bow
Emphasizing the cleavage between the ruling classes and the general people, the line highlights how the elites would rather see people suffer than concede power

Introducing the Prime Sinister, she's a mother to us all
Bolstering the image of the UK establishment, the line twists the narrative by depicting the Prime Minister as a caring woman holding the country together

Like the dutch boy's finger in the dyke her arse is in the wall
Comic relief within the dark humor of the poem, the line laughs at the UK's deep-set status quo and its refusal to change for the better

Holding back the future waiting for the seas to part
Here the poet brings up the idea that the UK is waiting for the waters of time to rise high enough to deal with its systemic ills instead of trying to make real changes to alleviate them

If Moses did it with is faith, she'll do it with an army
Mocking the idea that force always prevails, the line describes a version of the prime minister that uses the military to ensure her will is carried out

Who at times of threatened crisis are certain to be there
Reinforcing the idea militarized figures are always there during cataclysmic events, the line suggests that they have the power to maintain order during times of crisis

Guarding national heritage no matter what or where
Another actor in the UK power structure is invoked here, suggesting that those in power are routinely quick to defend their version of events without questioning alternate viewpoints

Palaces for kings and queens, mansions for the rich
This line carries an implied criticism of the decadent qualities of those in power and their willingness to revel in ostentatious displays of wealth while the poor are left in desperate situations

Protection for the wealthy, defence of privilege
Drawing out the social hierarchy, this line depicts that the wealthy are given immense protection from the powers that be while the poor are left to fend for themselves

They've learnt the ropes In Ireland, engaged in civil war
Shifting focus to Northern Ireland, Jeffrey Lewis shows that the UK elites have a history of using force to maintain their rule and have treated the issues of the Irish poorly, leading to civil war

Fighting for the ruling classes in their battle against the poor
The reason why the UK has had so many social issues is highlighted in this line, emphasizing that the ruling classes have always been at odds with the poor and downtrodden

So Ireland's just an island? It's an island of the mind
Mirroring the sentiment of the Irish, this line indicates that while Ireland might be an island, in the collective mind of the people it's never been about geography but about their struggle for freedom

Great Britain? Future? Bollocks, you'd better look behind
Suggesting the country's best days might be behind it, the line indicates that those in power in the UK will never welcome feedback or criticism

Round every other corner stands P.C. 1984
Evoking Orwell's 1984, the line depicts a society where surveillance is everywhere and the need to self-censor is ever present

Guardian of the future, he'll implement the law
Depicting the police and authority figures as being moderators of our future and enforcing the law brings attention to the fact that people have no control over their own lives

He's there as a grim reminder that no matter what you do
Stating the case that even if one tries hard to stay clear of trouble, it would be no use as the heavily state-assisted forces will always have your name and number

Big brothers system's always there with his beady eyes on you
This line refers to the all-seeing, all-knowing system that is created by institutions to track people at every turn and keep them in line

From God to local bobby, in home and street and school
Displaying a persistent picture of surveillance, Jeffrey Lewis shows that no one is exempt from the watchful eye of the state and that it will invade every facet of someone's life

They've got your name and number while you've just got their rule
This line spells out the power dynamic that exists between people and the ruling institutions in the UK in which the average person is powerless

We've got to look for methods to undermine those powers
Concluding with a call for action, Jeffrey Lewis emphasizes that freedom won't come from waiting but by constantly finding ways to dismantle the power structures that hold people down

It's time to change the tables. The future must be ours
The poem ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that the next generation will be responsible for making the changes that must happen lest society continues to suffer

Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
Reiterating the themes of freedom and choice, the line suggests that true autonomy comes from being one's authentic self and defying societal norms

I am he and she is she but you're the only you
It is a call to celebrate one's authenticity and individuality. The last line reiterates that no matter how others present themselves, everyone should strive to be themselves and live true to their own values.