Bummed out again by your only business friend
The smell of fear is thicker than you think
Don't do it, don't jump

Changed shape to fit, in the end you just feel sick
A million love songs under anaesthetic
Hey don't do it, don't jump

Lewis, save yourself the pain, you'll never get there
Lewis, save yourself the pain, it never really mattered

We never noticed, we never understood
He just get crushed to fit, he never even smelt out the best
It's the best, it's the best day of your life

Lewis, save yourself the pain, you'll never get there
Lewis, save yourself the pain, it never really matters

No, I swear, I swear, I swear
Oh, mistreated, a low corporate
Mistreated, a low corporate

I don't want to talk about it
I don't want to talk about it
I don't want to talk about Lewis, Lewis, Lewis
I don't want to talk about Lewis, Lewis, Lewis



Lyrics submitted by shut

Track duration: 03:20


Lewis (Mistreated) song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think the way Thom sings it, it's almost as if Lewis jumps right before Thom can finish his sentence.

    "Lewis don't...jump" in that pause it kinda seems like he jumped, sad really.

    The rest of the song is probably him talking to someone about Lewis committing suicide, and then Thom gets angry and refuses to talk anymore, it happens when people who have had someone close to them die, they don't want to talk about it.

    This is all coming from first hand experience, knowing how depression and suicide comes about.
    Flag Shizzleron March 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Maybe it's a reference to Patrick Lewis, character from the book, In the skin of a lion...
    Flag Hamwagonon May 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I see it as a story about a guy named Lewis. Obviously. And he is in a crappy job, with a crappy life. He's just like everyone else in life, so normal and just trying to fit in. Unfortunately no one even knows he exists. He decides, "Hey I'll kill myself." But then Thom Yorke starts talking to him and telling him that he can never do it. He doesn't have the guts to do it, and maybe he's doing it just for attention. Thom Yorke later sings "I dont wanna talk about Lewis," maybe meaning he's sick of hearing Lewis say he really will "kill himself".
    Just my interpretation =D
    Flag bigfatliar40on November 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ditto Shes My Alcatraz

    Rock (and Radiohead) is greatest when it puts together great creative art, poignancy, and the power that is evident in songs like this. Great layered sophisticated music/art can be served up in a dish of kick ass rock and roll and guitar riffs, and radiohead have proved that and continue to prove that altho more sporadically than I would crave.
    Flag steveproston September 14, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think this song is about a man named Lewis.
    He works in a dead end office job and he's looking for a new job, and Yorke's all like, "Dude don't do it you're better off like this than like all those other people doing other things."

    ....

    I don't actually know what this song is about but I love it anyway.
    Flag ShinyDemonon August 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My Iron Lung has some of the best Radiohead songs on it...
    Flag atomsplitteron April 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"which album is this from? i thought i had them all :S"

    My Iron Lung EP
    Flag jmr27on February 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i want this song soo bad, my name's lewis to!
    Flag veloxon January 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:which album is this from? i thought i had them all :S
    Flag veloxon December 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:hahaha... okay i know this is really mean, but, what if it was about his younger brother who also used to be in a band? (they\'ve split up recently... wonder if andy was sick of being asked about thom?)

    anyway, i personally thought they were a pretty decent band, though an unfortunate name (\"unbelievable truth\"... \'i can\'t wait\' is good in my opinion)

    well i doubt it is written about his brother because that would be a pretty mean and discouraging message... but it\'s still an amusing thought to me... poor andy... look up pictures of him people, it\'s eerie! it\'s like thom yorke gained 20 pounds plus some glasses... WEIRD.
    Flag pollyethyleneon April 23, 2005   Link

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