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.
Systematic Death
Jeffrey Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
System, system, system - the surgeons knife
System, system, system - hacking at the cord
System, system, system - a child is born
Poor little fucker, poor little kid
Never asked for life, no she never did
Poor little baby, poor little mite
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System, system, system - send him to school
System, system, system - force him to crawl
System, system, system - teach him how to cheat
System, system, system - kick him off his feet
Poor little schoolboy, poor little lad
They'll pat him if he's good, beat him if he's bad
Poor little kiddy, poor little chap
They'll force feed his mind with their useless crap
Force feed his mind with their useless crap
System, system, system - they'll teach her how to cook
System, system, system - they'll teach her how to look
System, system, system - they'll teach her all the tricks
System, system, system - create another victim for their
Greasy pricks
Poor little girly, poor little wench
Another little object to prod and pinch
Poor little sweety, poor little filly
They'll fuck her mind so they can fuck her silly
Fuck her mind so they can fuck her silly
System, system, system - he's grown to be a man
System, system, system - He's been taught to fit the plan
System, system, system - forty years of jobs
System, system, system - Pushing little buttons,
Pulling little knobs
Poor fucking worker, poor little serf
Working like a mule for half of what he's worth
Poor fucking grafter, poor little gent
Working for the cash that he's already spent (x2)
He'll selling his life, she's his loyal wife
Timid as a mouse, she's got her little house
He's got his little car and they share the cocktail bar
She likes to cook his meals, you know, something that appeals
Sometimes he works til late so his supper has to wait
But she doesn't really mind cos he's getting overtime
He likes to put a bit away just for that rainy day
Cos every little counts when the cost of living mounts
They do the pools each week hoping for that lucky break
Then they'd take a trip abroad, do all the things they can't afford
She'd really like to have a fur, he'd like a bigger car
They could buy a bungalow, with a Georgian door for show
He might think of leaving work, but no, he wouldn't like to shirk
He'd much prefer to stay and get his honest days pay
He's got a life of work ahead, there's no rest for the dead
She's tried to make it nice, he's said thankyou once or twice
System, system, system - deprived of any hope
System, system, system - taught they couldn't cope
System, system, system - slaves right from the start
System, system, system - til death do them part
Poor little fuckers, what a sorry pair
Had their lives stolen, but they didn't really care
Poor little darlings, just your ordinary folks
Victims of the system and its cruel jokes (x2)
The couple views the wreckage and dreams of home sweet home
They'd almost paid their mortgage when the system dropped its bomb
The song "Systematic Death" by Jeffrey Lewis is a commentary on how society and its systems can restrict individuals and prevent them from truly living. The song is broken into several sections, each describing different stages of life and how the system affects them. The lyrics describe how the system forces individuals to conform to certain expectations and ideals and how this can lead to a lack of hope and purpose.
The first verse highlights the cycle of life and death, using the image of a surgeon's knife to represent the way in which the system cuts short or restricts individuals' lives. The second verse describes a child crying out for food while their parents fight, exposing the impact of poverty and family issues on individuals' lives. The third verse discusses how the education system forces children to conform, teaching them how to cheat and kicking them off their feet.
The fourth verse speaks about how the system objectifies and sexualizes women, forcing them to conform to certain beauty standards and perform certain roles. The fifth verse examines the life of a worker, describing how they are overworked and underpaid, and how they suffer through to retirement with no other option but to keep working. The final verse speaks to the couple's dreams of home sweet home, but how their mortgage is lost when the system "drops its bomb", leaving them with nothing to show for their efforts.
Overall, "Systematic Death" exposes the way society and its systems restrict individuals and prevent them from living fulfilling lives, highlighting the need for change and revolution.
Line by Line Meaning
System, system, system - death in life
The systematic processes of society are killing the life out of individuals.
System, system, system - the surgeons knife
The cruel and calculated way in which society operates is like that of a surgeon's knife.
System, system, system - hacking at the cord
The system is cutting the cord that connects individuals to their fair share of opportunities and resources.
System, system, system - a child is born
The system is born into a child's life from the very beginning.
Poor little fucker, poor little kid
The child is born into circumstances that they did not choose and have no control over.
Never asked for life, no she never did
The child did not have a say in being brought into this world.
Poor little baby, poor little mite
The child is innocent and vulnerable to the world around them.
Crying out for food as her parents fight (x2)
The child is exposed to the dysfunction and conflict caused by the system and its effects on their parents.
System, system, system - send him to school
The system sends children to school as a means of social control and assimilation into the system.
System, system, system - force him to crawl
The system forces children to conform and obey without question or choice.
System, system, system - teach him how to cheat
The system teaches children that cheating and cutting corners is a way to get ahead in life.
System, system, system - kick him off his feet
The system punishes children who do not conform and pushes them out of the system.
Poor little schoolboy, poor little lad
The child is now a boy, but still vulnerable to the system's effects.
They'll pat him if he's good, beat him if he's bad
The child's behavior is conditioned by rewards and punishment, often at the expense of their individuality and dignity.
Poor little kiddy, poor little chap
The child is now a young man, but still subject to the system's expectations and demands on their mind and body.
They'll force feed his mind with their useless crap
The system indoctrinates young people with knowledge and skills that have little value or relevance in their lives and communities.
System, system, system - they'll teach her how to cook
For girls, the system teaches them how to be domestic and subservient through education and cultural norms.
System, system, system - they'll teach her how to look
The system pressures girls and women to conform to narrow beauty standards and objectify themselves for the approval of men.
System, system, system - they'll teach her all the tricks
The system trains girls and women to manipulate and compete with each other for the attention and favor of men and other authorities.
System, system, system - create another victim for their
The system perpetuates gender inequality and victimizes girls and women through its social and economic structures and practices.
Greasy pricks
The men who benefit from and perpetuate the system are exploitative and morally repugnant.
Poor little girly, poor little wench
The girl is now a young woman, but still subject to the system's expectations and demands on her mind, body, and sexuality.
Another little object to prod and pinch
The system objectifies and dehumanizes women for the sexual pleasure and control of men.
Poor little sweety, poor little filly
The young woman is still vulnerable and dependent on the system for her survival and success in life.
They'll fuck her mind so they can fuck her silly
The men in power use their influence and authority to manipulate and exploit women for their own pleasure and gain.
System, system, system - he's grown to be a man
The boy is now a man, but still subject to the system's expectations and demands on his mind, body, and labor.
System, system, system - He's been taught to fit the plan
The system molds men to conform to narrow and hegemonic notions of masculinity and success in life.
System, system, system - forty years of jobs
The system requires men to work long and often unfulfilling jobs to survive and support themselves and their families.
System, system, system - Pushing little buttons,
The work that men do in the system is often monotonous, alienating, and non-creative.
Pulling little knobs
Men are expected to do menial and often hazardous work that puts their health and safety at risk.
Poor fucking worker, poor little serf
The man is a working-class person who is exploited and oppressed by the system's structures and practices.
Working like a mule for half of what he's worth
The man's labor is undervalued and underpaid by the system, which profits off his work and misery.
Poor fucking grafter, poor little gent
The man is still subject to the system's class hierarchies and cultural norms that privilege certain groups over others based on race, gender, and wealth.
Working for the cash that he's already spent (x2)
The man's labor is often consumed by the debt and expenses that he has accumulated over time, leaving him little room for financial stability or upward mobility.
System, system, system - deprived of any hope
The system robs people of their hope and agency through its structures and practices that reinforce poverty, inequality, and oppression.
System, system, system - taught they couldn't cope
The system teaches people to internalize their failures and inadequacies as their own fault, rather than seeing them as the result of systemic injustices and barriers.
System, system, system - slaves right from the start
The system makes people dependent and subservient to its structures and practices from the moment of their birth, leaving little room for individual freedom or autonomy.
System, system, system - til death do them part
The system keeps people in its grip until the end of their lives, never loosening its hold on them or granting them true liberation or empowerment.
Poor little fuckers, what a sorry pair
The man and woman are now a couple, but still subject to the system's expectations and demands on their lives and relationship.
Had their lives stolen, but they didn't really care
The couple has internalized the system's values and norms to such a degree that they no longer see their exploitation and oppression as a problem or injustice.
Poor little darlings, just your ordinary folks
The couple is just like any other working-class person or family, struggling to make ends meet and survive in a cruel and unforgiving world.
Victims of the system and its cruel jokes (x2)
The couple, like so many others, is a victim of the system's cruelty and indifference to their suffering and struggles.
The couple views the wreckage and dreams of home sweet home
The couple, like many others, have internalized the values of homeownership and family as a means of achieving the American Dream.
They'd almost paid their mortgage when the system dropped its bomb
The couple has been working hard to pay off their mortgage, but the system's financial crises and economic downturns have left them vulnerable to foreclosure and displacement.
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.