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.
They Always Knew
Jeffrey Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
gig they played, nobody came
tape they mailed, test they failed
not accepted, drove and wrecked it
bad review, photo too
got caught up in bad luck
heart breaken, mistaken
funny lookin', nothing cookin'
hit rock botom then fell deaper
wrote a keeper, lost the tape
and even lost the piece of paper
empty benches, monkey wrenches
common sense sez "leave the trenches"
what a life, it ain't right
a hopeless fight, no end in sight
but- they always knew they'd make it!!
dented mics, rented mics
he meant, she meant
dis - agreements
legal hassless, label battles
lyrics choken, strings broken
fight they fought, tix they bought
flight they flew, show they threw
people saw, sound was raw
don't forget, now place yr bets
would be a tragedy to miss 'em
a travesy of the system
such devotion, no promotion
small fish in a giant ocean
saw the gypsy, she was tipsy (crystal ball was full of whiskey)
say, should they give it a go, hey?
Ball said all signs point to no way!
but - they always knew they'd make it !!
The song "They Always Knew" by Jeffrey Lewis describes the struggles that musicians face as they try to make a name for themselves in the music industry. In each verse, Lewis provides a vignette of a different challenge faced by a band or artist trying to make it. These challenges range from not being paid for art to facing legal battles with labels to having audiences not show up to gigs.
Despite all of these challenges, Lewis ends each verse with the refrain "But - they always knew they'd make it!!" The song is a tribute to the perseverance and resilience of musicians who continue to work towards their dreams in the face of adversity.
The chorus features a playful and ironic dialogue between the band and a fortune teller. The band asks if they should "give it a go" and pursue their dreams, and the fortune teller responds with a resounding "no way!" Despite this negative answer, the band remains confident and determined to succeed.
Overall, "They Always Knew" is a song that celebrates the unwavering spirit of musicians who pursue their passions despite all obstacles in their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Art they made, didn't get paid
They created art but didn't receive any payment for it.
gig they played, nobody came
They performed a gig but nobody showed up to watch.
tape they mailed, test they failed
They mailed a tape but it failed the test.
not accepted, drove and wrecked it
Their art was not accepted and they were so upset they drove and wrecked something.
bad review, photo too
They got a bad review and a bad photo taken.
got caught up in bad luck
They got caught up in a string of bad luck.
heart broken, mistaken
They were heartbroken and felt like they had made a mistake.
funny lookin', nothing cookin'
They didn't look quite right and they couldn't seem to get anything going.
got sold cheap, then sold cheaper
They were sold at a low price and then at an even lower price.
hit rock bottom then fell deeper
They hit rock bottom and then their situation got even worse.
wrote a keeper, lost the tape
They had written something great but then lost the tape it was on.
and even lost the piece of paper
They couldn't even find the piece of paper they had written something great on.
empty benches, monkey wrenches
There were no people sitting in the benches and there were obstacles and difficulties.
common sense sez 'leave the trenches'
It was reasonable to give up and stop trying.
what a life, it ain't right
Their life was hard and it wasn't fair.
a hopeless fight, no end in sight
Their struggles seemed never-ending and without resolution.
but- they always knew they'd make it!!
Despite all of these struggles, they were always confident they would be successful.
dented mics, rented mics
The mics they had were damaged or rented.
he meant, she meant
There were misunderstandings and disagreements.
dis - agreements
There were disagreements or problems with communication.
legal hassles, label battles
They had legal issues and problems with labels.
lyrics choken, strings broken
The lyrics weren't working and the strings on their instruments were broken.
fight they fought, tix they bought
They fought hard and bought tickets for shows.
flight they flew, show they threw
They flew to different places for shows and threw great performances.
people saw, sound was raw
People saw them perform, but the sound was still unrefined.
don't forget, now place yr bets
Don't forget how far they've come and place bets on their future success.
would be a tragedy to miss 'em
It would be a huge mistake to overlook them or not support them.
a travesty of the system
The system was flawed and it was tragic that they weren't getting the recognition they deserved.
such devotion, no promotion
They were devoted to their art but still weren't getting promoted.
small fish in a giant ocean
They were small in comparison to all of the other artists out there.
saw the gypsy, she was tipsy (crystal ball was full of whiskey)
They saw a fortune teller who was drunk and not very reliable.
say, should they give it a go, hey?
They were wondering whether they should keep trying or give up.
Ball said all signs point to no way!
The fortune teller said that it didn't look good for them.
but- they always knew they'd make it !!
Despite all odds, they always believed they would succeed.
Contributed by Annabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.