The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I'm in love with you I know
And I know that you love me too
I'm in love with you I know
I'm in love with everyone too
We're all comrades now you know
We're all brothers under the skin
With a few adjustments now
Living in the perfect system
The adjustment's simple there is really no pain
You'll hardly notice anything has changed
Living in a programmed life never really has ups and downs
There's no need for fighting now
There's no reason to wear a frown
In a perfect system
There's no confrontation
Unnecessary friction
To impede our concentration
We've simply done away with
Unnecessary friction
I live in a system
I got an occupation
I get enough nutrition
By eating protein biscuits
Recommended by the system
It's routine regulation
I had an operation . . .
I'm in love with you I know
And I know that you love me too
I'm in love with you I know
I'm in love with everyone too
I can tell by the look in your blank dull eyes
That you agree, but I'm not a bit surprised
Living in a programmed life never really has ups and downs
There's no need for fighting now
There's no reason to wear a frown
I had an operation
With no adverse reaction
They tampered with my brain some
It helped me see the reason
For living in the system
It helped me see the reason
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
In a perfect world there's uniformity
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
In a perfect world there's conformity
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
There's no need for spontaneity
Perfect system we're all brothers to the end
Brothers to the end
Brothers to the end
I know and I know that you love me too
(Brothers to the end) I know I'm in love with everyone too
(Brothers to the end) I know we're all comrades under the skin
(Brothers to the end) I know living in a perfect system
BROTHERS TO THE END
And I know that you love me too
I'm in love with you I know
I'm in love with everyone too
We're all comrades now you know
We're all brothers under the skin
With a few adjustments now
Living in the perfect system
The adjustment's simple there is really no pain
You'll hardly notice anything has changed
Living in a programmed life never really has ups and downs
There's no need for fighting now
There's no reason to wear a frown
In a perfect system
There's no confrontation
Unnecessary friction
To impede our concentration
We've simply done away with
Unnecessary friction
I live in a system
I got an occupation
I get enough nutrition
By eating protein biscuits
Recommended by the system
It's routine regulation
I had an operation . . .
I'm in love with you I know
And I know that you love me too
I'm in love with you I know
I'm in love with everyone too
I can tell by the look in your blank dull eyes
That you agree, but I'm not a bit surprised
Living in a programmed life never really has ups and downs
There's no need for fighting now
There's no reason to wear a frown
I had an operation
With no adverse reaction
They tampered with my brain some
It helped me see the reason
For living in the system
It helped me see the reason
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
In a perfect world there's uniformity
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
In a perfect world there's conformity
(We're all brothers in a perfect world)
There's no need for spontaneity
Perfect system we're all brothers to the end
Brothers to the end
Brothers to the end
I know and I know that you love me too
(Brothers to the end) I know I'm in love with everyone too
(Brothers to the end) I know we're all comrades under the skin
(Brothers to the end) I know living in a perfect system
BROTHERS TO THE END
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This is such an awesome song! I can't believe nobody's commented on it yet...
Anyways, it seems to be about a totalitarianist government in which everyone has their brains tampered with so they just "love" everything and everyone, and mindlessly follow the crowd. It's a world of "routine regulations", where there are no differences, choices, or opinions. No one has any real emotion; it's a bit like the book "The Giver", if you've ever read it. Not to mention a terrific song off of a terrific album!
It's about the costs of living under a totalitarian government (communism, fascism, capitalism, doesn't matter) and the sacrifice of self required of individuals in such a society. A common theme for Mr. Elfman who clearly read Orwell, Kafka, Huxley, and other dystopian visions of 'perfect systems'.
this song is my favorirte song. i like this snong a whole lot and i think persnonally its pretty good i am one of the 99 oingo boingo fans on this website meaning i am pro oingo boingo
Shades of Orwell's "1984." The character in the song may well be Winston Smith.
I agree with the posters below, however Perfect System and Controller make me absolutely certain that Elfman read the book We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. The whole premise of the book is described perfectly by these two songs. A perfect system where people are shadowed by thought police and ultimately everyone has their "imagination excised" in a large scale operation. I posted this same response on Controller bc I want more people to hear of this book, which was Orwell's biggest inspiration for 1984 and imo much more relevant as a warning and more engaging as a fictional book.