Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic-book artist, part of the Anti-folk movement. Several of his musical influences have been acknowledged in his songs such as The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song, concerning the song by Leonard Cohen, and The History of The Fall. Like Cohen, Lewis' lyrics are complex and literate, often combining a depressing world-view with a hopeful message and sharp wit. Born in New York City and growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan Island his songs are also highly informed by his home surroundings, with songs namechecking places such as Williamsburg, the FDR Drive and the East River.
Jeffrey Lewis was born in New York in November 1975. He attended State University of New York at Purchase College and graduated in 1997; his final thesis was on the Alan Moore graphic novel "Watchmen".
After being signed by the British record label Rough Trade in 2001, Lewis released his first official album The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane, and in 2003 he released the album It's the Ones Who've Cracked That the Light Shines Through. Lewis later released the album City & Eastern Songs, in the U.K. in November 2005. All three albums also include his brother, Jack Lewis, who wrote and sang a number of the songs. He has also performed and collaborated with fellow New York Anti-folk singers Kimya Dawson and Diane Cluck.
His latest album, 12 Crass Songs was released on Rough Trade in Europe in September of 2007. As the title suggests, it is 12 covers of the British anarchist punk band Crass. It features vocals, keyboard and recorder from Helen Shriner, bass by both John Kessel and brother Jack Lewis, drums by David Beachamp (live drummer/The Bloodugars) and Raphi Gottesman (who often plays with Jack Lewis). Shwervon's Nan Turner also contributes vocals to various tracks.
Jeffrey Lewis is a Welsh composer. After graduating from University College, Cardiff, he studied composition with Stockhausen, Ligeti, and Boguslaw Schaffer, and electronic composition with Don Banks. His early career was spent as a pianist with the Paris Chamber Ensemble; after his return to the U.K, in 1973 he joined the Department of Music at the University College of North Wales, Bangor.
Something Good
Jeffrey Lewis Lyrics
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he was grumpy one day
so his friends said they'd had enough
so they pushed him in some tar and they rolled him in some hay
a scumbag i knew too
he gave a flower to a girl one night
she thought that he was alright underneath his black heart was
something good, something good inside
something good, something good, something good inside
something good, something good, something good inside
something good, something good, something good inside
stripped down coat off left to die
he thinks that good and evil don't exist
well nice guy nice guy you'll never let...NOT DONE!
The lyrics of Jeffrey Lewis's song "Something Good" tell two contrasting stories of two people - a nice guy and a scumbag. The nice guy is described as someone who is grumpy one day and is pushed into some tar and rolled in hay by his friends. The scumbag, on the other hand, surprises a girl with a flower, and even though he is considered to have a black heart, he has something good inside. The song seems to be making a point about how people are often more complex than they seem, that even if we write them off as good or bad, there's always something more to them.
The lyrics about the nice guy being pushed into tar and hay by his friends suggest that even someone who is generally nice can be the victim of bullying or mistreatment. The scumbag's story, meanwhile, reveals that even people who are considered "bad" or "evil" can have positive qualities. The repeated chorus of "something good, something good inside" emphasizes this point, suggesting that we should look beyond what we see on the surface and try to see the good in people, even those we might not expect it from.
Overall, "Something Good" encourages empathy and understanding, calling for us to look beyond our initial perceptions of people and try to see the complexities of their lives and personalities.
Line by Line Meaning
nice guy i knew
This line introduces the first character, who is described as being nice.
he was grumpy one day
Despite normally being pleasant, this character had a bad day and was in a bad mood.
so his friends said they'd had enough
The character's friends were tired of dealing with his negative attitude.
so they pushed him in some tar and they rolled him in some hay
As a sort of punishment, the friends subjected the character to a messy and humiliating experience.
a scumbag i knew too
This line introduces a second character, who is described less kindly than the first.
he gave a flower to a girl one night
Despite his unappealing personality, this character made a small romantic gesture.
she thought that he was alright
The girl who received the flower was not repulsed by the character's advances.
underneath his black heart was
Despite his outwardly negative traits, there was something redeemable inside the character.
something good, something good inside
This repeated phrase underscores that there is some positive quality within this character.
stripped down coat off left to die
This line introduces a third character who has been left exposed and vulnerable.
he thinks that good and evil don't exist
Despite his dire circumstances, this character has a philosophy about the nature of morality.
well nice guy nice guy you'll never let
This sentence is incomplete, suggesting that there is more to the story that is not revealed in the song. The meaning is unclear without further context.
Contributed by Nathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.