Foster started her own label – now called Fosterchild Records - in 2003. Her debut release, Everybody’s Girl, garnered national radio success at the Triple A format, as well as positive reviews, praising her no-frills, unfiltered lyrics. Songwriting awards followed and she has also secured some impressive Film/TV placements, with songs placed in the popular television soap opera All My Children as well as a recent placement in an American Pie movie sequel.
The title track of Foster’s 2006 sophomore CD, The Underdogs, won “Song of the Year” at the Out Music Awards. Foster grew up in a very conservative, Houston, TX, suburb.
Foster credits another outsider, Ani DiFranco, for inspiration in her business model. “Ani did it her way, and she inspired me to do it my way. I’ve created a fairly unique situation. I’ve built a team of people I trust at my label and also, a community of fans,” Foster proudly notes. “It’s always challenging to take off the artist hat and put on the business hat, but it’s a challenge I embrace. My music means too much to me to blindly put it in someone else’s hands.”
Foster’s new album, "Thirty-Nine," was slated for a 2009 release, and a four-song EP, "Songs From Thirty-Nine," is currently available. The video for the single "Closer To Nowhere" recently reached #1 on the LOGO Channel (MTV Network) charts.
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SONGWRITING AWARDS
1) "CLOSER TO NOWHERE" - WINNER, TRIPLE A CATEGORY, INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
2) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - GRAND PRIZE, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS
3) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - BEST FEMALE ARTIST, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS
4) "THE UNDERDOGS" - SONG OF THE YEAR, OUT MUSIC AWARDS
5) "AMEN" - WINNER, GOSPEL CATEGORY, USA SONGWRITING CONTEST
6) "SHE" - WINNER, POP CATEGORY, 2001, JOHN LENNON SONGWRITING CONTEST
7) "SHE" - WINNER, POP CATEGORY, 2001, GREAT AMERICAN SONGWRITING CONTEST
8) "EVERYBODY'S GIRL" (FULL RECORD) - WINNER, BEST DEBUT RECORDING - FEMALE, 2004, OUT MUSIC AWARDS
9) "IN BETWEEN POSES" - WINNER, 1st ANNUAL AWARDS, BEST FEMALE ARTIST, INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS 10) "TAKING BOB DYLAN" - WINNER, NASHVILLE SONG & LYRIC CONTEST
All This Time
Jen Foster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm on edge with this uncertainty
I know I have made it hard to get to know me
It's terrifying you may not like what you see
And I know that you would love to break me down
But some things are just too hard to talk about
All this time I've been lyin', been lyin' to you
So afraid that you'd leave me if you knew the truth
All this time I've been lyin', where you goin', where you goin'?
Please don't leave, I never meant to hurt you
I'm just locked up in this solitary pain
I learned young that keeping secrets is a virtue
What happened to me - I can't bring myself to say
And I know that if I say it, it is true
And I'm scared that you would leave me if you knew
All this time I've been lyin', been lyin' to you
So afraid that you'd leave me if you knew the truth
All this time I've been tryin' to reach out to you
All this time I've been lyin', where you goin', where you goin'?
As you leave I say a quiet prayer for mercy
One more time, just turn around and look at me
And as I pray, you say you never would desert me
"In fact, come with me I was just going out for groceries."
And the stars fade out in the sky tonight
And the dawn breaks in and spreads the light
The lyrics to Jen Foster's song All This Time explore the fear and anxiety of revealing one's innermost secrets and vulnerabilities to a romantic partner. The singer is pleading for their partner to stay and not leave them alone with their thoughts and secrets. The singer acknowledges that they have been lying to their partner and that they have made it difficult for their partner to get to know the real them. The singer is terrified that if they reveal their true self, their partner will leave them.
The singer has been keeping secrets since they were young and has been taught that keeping secrets is a virtue. The singer alludes to a traumatic experience that they cannot bring themselves to speak about. They are scared that once they say it, it will become true and their partner will leave them. In the end, the singer expresses their relief as their partner stays with them and offers to take them grocery shopping. The stars fade away as the dawn breaks, signifying a new beginning for the singer's relationship.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of vulnerability and fear that can come with revealing one's past and true self. It emphasizes the importance of trust in a relationship and the need for partners to be honest with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you please tell me just where you're going
Asking for clarity and honesty in a relationship
I'm on edge with this uncertainty
Feeling anxious and unsettled due to the lack of information
I know I have made it hard to get to know me
Acknowledging that personal issues and secrets make it difficult for others to understand and connect with the singer
It's terrifying you may not like what you see
Feeling scared that revealing the true self may result in rejection and abandonment
And I know that you would love to break me down
Feeling vulnerable and exposed to criticism and judgment from others
But some things are just too hard to talk about
Understanding that some personal issues and traumas are difficult to confront and discuss
All this time I've been lyin', been lyin' to you
Admitting to the dishonesty and deception in the relationship
So afraid that you'd leave me if you knew the truth
Revealing the fear of rejection and abandonment if the truth is revealed
All this time I've been tryin' to reach out to you
Expressing the attempt to communicate and connect with the partner
Please don't leave, I never meant to hurt you
Pleading for the partner to stay and clarifying the lack of intention to cause harm
I'm just locked up in this solitary pain
Describing the emotional imprisonment and suffering experienced by the singer
I learned young that keeping secrets is a virtue
Acknowledging the toxic idea instilled in the artist's upbringing that keeping secrets is a good thing
What happened to me - I can't bring myself to say
Revealing the difficulty of confronting and vocalizing past traumas and experiences
And I know that if I say it, it is true
Understanding the power and validity of speaking truth
And I'm scared that you would leave me if you knew
Expressing the fear of abandonment and rejection if truth is revealed
As you leave I say a quiet prayer for mercy
Feeling helpless and resigned to the partner's departure, pleading for empathy and kindness
One more time, just turn around and look at me
Desiring a last moment of connection and interaction before separation
And as I pray, you say you never would desert me
Feeling relieved and comforted by the partner's assurance of loyalty and support
"In fact, come with me I was just going out for groceries."
Extending an invitation and offering companionship
And the stars fade out in the sky tonight
Describing the end of a phase or relationship
And the dawn breaks in and spreads the light
Alluding to a new beginning and the hope for a brighter future
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: J. KOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind