1. The System are e… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four artists with this name.
1. The System are electrosoul/R&B duo David Frank and Mic Murphy.
The duo recorded their biggest hit "Don't Disturb This Groove" in 1987 and later that decade featured another notable track entitled "Coming To America" as featured in the movie of the same name. "You Are In My System" was another hit from the band. They also worked as producers for acts like Chaka Khan ('I Feel For You'), Phil Collins ('Sussudio') and Mtume ('Juicy Fruit'). In 2013, they released a new album, "System Overload".
2. The System are an anarcho-punk band formed in the summer of 1980 having messed around in various other bands since 1978. In 1981 they met a band called Flux Of Pink Indians, who helped them make their fist single - The Warfare EP. This was very successful and contained their anthem - The Dogs Of War. By Mid 1981 they were touring with Flux Of Pink Indians and the legendary Crass. They followed up with their second single - The System Is Murder. By This Time they were being recognized all over the UK, Europe and the USA.
3. In 1994 Anders Remmer (aka Dub Tractor), Thomas Knak (aka Opiate) og Jesper Skaaning (aka Acustic) met around the compilation series 'Boredom Is Deep And Mysterious', which they were compiling for April Records. After having used the name D.A.W.N. for a while, they changed their name to Future 3.
With their cool minimalism and their intelligent mix of dub and ambient, Future 3 made quite an impact on the electronic scene at that time.
After Kruder & Dorfmeister listed Future 3ยดs debut album 'We Are the Future 3' as one of their top 5 albums of all time, the trio were catapulted into the collective consciousness of lovers of electronic music. Since the early Future 3-days, the trio has found pleasure in experimenting with different electronic genres of the day, from the melodic dub-ambient on the debut 'We are the Future 3' to the understated escapades into drumยดnยดbass on their breakthrough hit: 'The Boy From West Bronx' from 1998ยดs 'Stay With'.
Where 'Like...' from 2001 was close to being pop-electronica (with vocals by Jonas Bjerre of Mew among others), the 'System' album from 2002 (released on Scape) saw the trio break away from the melodicism that had characterized their work since the beginning. The sound on the album was so strikingly different that the group felt a new name, System, was necessary.
Due to each group member's solo output and label involvement, new group-material from Denmarks 3 electronic pioneers has become a quite rare experience. Many of Anders Remmerยดs Dub Tractor releases on City Center Offices as well as Thomas Knakยดs Opiate releases on April, Morr Music and Raster Noton (with Alva Noto as Opto) has long been acclaimed as milestones in modern electronic music. Thomas Knak has also been busy with his Hobby Industries label, producing for Bjรถrk on the Vespertine album as well as remixing for Efterklang, Sketch Show and Ryuichi Sakamoto. And then there is Jesper Skaaningsยดs Acustic project, which was featured on Rump in 2005 with the 'Welcome' album.
In a way Systems 'Tempo EP' continues the sound of the System album on Scape, only this time presented in a slightly faster tempo, hence the title. Itยดs no secret that the group have been listening to two-step and dub-step, but instead of being a rip off of the genre, System incorporates the UK-styles into their own sound universe, creating something that sounds much more like System than like Skream.
4. The System are a little-known UK group masterminded by Bob Lamb, a cult figure in Birmingham's music history (he played as a drummer throughout the late sixties and into the late seventies for a number of progressive rock bands and helped produce UB40 and Duran Duran's earlier works). The short lived group released only one album โLogic' and a single in 1983 on the obscure electronic French label โRomantic Recordsโ. This distinctively forward thinking new wave/synth pop album was met with poor reception and eventually dwindled into obscurity. Nonetheless the album's revolutionary exploration in sound and outstanding production value in addition to the bandโs gift of writing deeply emotive, yearning pop tunes, make it sound though perhaps more relevant today than many other far more successful albums of it's time. The System EP was reissued on Music From Memory in 2016.
Promises Can Break
The System Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, baby just touch my hand, and tell me you can't no no
Don't just walk away, no no
When we took so much love to make it
For just another day, I'll do anything to make you stay
(Bridge)
So babe, do what you promise me
When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see
(Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
(2)
Baby, last night was our imagination
Don't let it slip away, we've only just begun
Baby, I can understand, if you got someone else to be your man
Baby, what you're runnin' from, if you're sayin' that I'm the only one
(Bridge)
So babe, do what you promise me
When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see
That dreams can slip away
(Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Oh, Promises Can Break
(2nd Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... dreams can slip away
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
The System's song "Promises Can Break" is about a person who is trying to convince their partner to stay with them, even if they promised otherwise. The first verse talks about how much love they have put into this relationship and how much they want the other person to stay. They are asking their partner to look into their eyes and touch their hand and tell them that they do not want to be together anymore. However, they do not want their partner to walk away just like that, as they have put in a lot of effort to stay together.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that maybe the relationship was just a figment of their imagination, but they shouldn't let it slip away so easily. They are trying to understand why their partner is running away and if they have found someone else. They are still maintaining that they are the only ones for each other.
The bridge talks about how promises and dreams can slip away, which is the main theme of the song. The refrain is repeated multiple times, emphasizing how promises can break and how dreams can slip away.
Overall, the song is about the fragility of promises and how they can easily be broken, leading to lost dreams and failed relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Look in my eyes, and tell me you don't want me
I want you to be honest with me and tell me that you don't have any interest in me.
Oh, baby just touch my hand, and tell me you can't no no
If you're not interested, then please touch my hand and tell me that you can't reciprocate my feelings.
Don't just walk away, no no
Please don't just leave without giving me a chance to understand why you don't have feelings for me.
When we took so much love to make it
Our love took a lot of effort and investment to build, and it shouldn't be so easily dismissed.
For just another day, I'll do anything to make you stay
If it's just a matter of time, I'm willing to put in the effort to make it work and keep our relationship going.
(Bridge) So babe, do what you promise me When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see That promises can break
I'm asking you to keep your promises to me, but I understand that sometimes it's difficult to do so, and now I see that promises can be broken.
(Refrain) Oh... Promises Can Break Oh... Promises Can Break
The chorus repeats the idea that promises can be broken and that this is a sad truth.
(2) Baby, last night was our imagination Don't let it slip away, we've only just begun Baby, I can understand, if you got someone else to be your man Baby, what you're runnin' from, if you're sayin' that I'm the only one
Last night we shared something special, and I want to hold onto that feeling. I understand if you're seeing someone else, but if you're telling me that you only want me, then what are you afraid of?
(Bridge) So babe, do what you promise me When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see That dreams can slip away
Again, I'm asking you to keep your promises, but now I realize that sometimes dreams don't come true and slip away from us.
(Refrain) Oh... Promises Can Break Oh... Oh, Promises Can Break
The chorus repeats the idea that promises can be broken and that this is a sad truth.
(2nd Refrain) Oh... Promises Can Break Oh... Promises Can Break Oh... dreams can slip away Oh... Promises Can Break Oh... Promises Can Break
The song ends by reiterating that promises can be broken and that dreams can slip away, bringing a sense of sadness and disappointment.
Writer(s): Michael Austin Murphy, David Martin Frank, Paul Pesco
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andre Hernandez
Look in my eyes, and tell me you don't want me
Oh, baby just touch my hand, and tell me you can't no no
Don't just walk away, no no
When we took so much love to make it
For just another day, I'll do anything to make you stay
(Bridge)
So babe, do what you promise me
When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see
That promises can break
(Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
(2)
Baby, last night was our imagination
Don't let it slip away, we've only just begun
Baby, I can understand, if you got someone else to be your man
Baby, what you're runnin' from, if you're sayin' that I'm the only one
(Bridge)
So babe, do what you promise me
When promising can't stay with me, but now I'll see
That dreams can slip away
(Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Oh, Promises Can Break
(2nd Refrain)
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... dreams can slip away
Oh... Promises Can Break
Oh... Promises Can Break
nathan cruz
Found the original vinyl at the thrift store for $1.95 and was speechless at first, then followed by excitement. Murphy and David are an amazing duo. Very underrated and experimental. Hence the name of their album X-periment! I wish I was a teenager when this came out. What an amazing era of music.
Diva61
It truly was!
Virgo Queen
I STILL HAVE ALL THEIR MUSIC ON VINYL
eric bush
Mic's Voice and the lyrics dreams can slip away ย and David's synths give a devastatingly emotional effect to this song
Steve Chabalik
They were bloody BRILLIANT.
eric bush
@stevechabalik6985ย criminally underrated and yes Brilliant
Ronald James
Is it me or were these guys collective works just that good? So simple yet dynamic. Great vocals and music. Amazing! I'll always be a fan.
Mia Johnson
This song still kicks. Havent heard it on the air in years .....come on radio stations... bump this.. ..๐๐ป๐ก
Pam Sanford
This song is so underrated that it is a shame. The system was very versatile and talented that they were robbed of the many times they should of gotten air play on the radio..
Don Q
Very Well stated!!