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
The Underdogs
Jen Foster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Music by Jen Foster
Second grade, Billy Simms
Playing out by the jungle gym
All the boys laughed at him
For some sort of speech impediment
And they knocked him down
And they kicked our asses
'Cause we were the underdogs
Seventh grade, Cindy Sloan
Eating in the lunchroom all alone
They called her strange, but I could see
She was just different like me
So I asked her over
And she blew me off
It made perfect sense to me
'Cause we were the underdogs
When everyone's above you, there's nowhere you can go
When nobody calls you, 'cause it's all in who you know
When the self-righteous say they're for you, telling you to win this fight
Nobody understands you, no they don't know what it's like
Freshman year, Judson Tate
He didn't have a Homecoming date
He asked me out, we never kissed
We told each other our big secret
He said he fell for James
And James broke his heart
And I understood him
'Cause we were the underdogs
When everyone's above you, there's nowhere you can go
When nobody calls you, 'cause it's all in who you know
When the self-righteous say they're for you, telling you to win this fight
Nobody understands you, no they don't know what it's like
Senior year, Billy Simms
Returns to school with a grin
He's the star of the football team
And suddenly everyone wants to be his friend
But I remember when
He was just a boy like me
And I hope that we both know
We're still the underdogs
In "The Underdogs" by Jen Foster and Kathy Scott, the listener is taken on a journey through four different stages of the singer's life. In each of these stages, the singer is faced with situations in which they feel like they don't fit in, and they identify with other "underdogs" who are facing similar struggles. The three characters discussed in the song - Billy Simms, Cindy Sloan, and Judson Tate - each face different challenges such as speech impediments, being different, and struggling with their sexuality respectively.
Despite the challenges each character faces, the singer of the song shows compassion and empathy towards them. In the first verse, the singer intervenes when Billy Simms is being bullied for his speech impediment, and despite getting beaten up for it, the singer stands up for what is right. Similarly, in the third verse, the singer supports Judson Tate, who has been heartbroken by his crush on James. Throughout the song, the singer recognizes that the struggles these characters face are not unique to them and that finding solace in each other can help them overcome their challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Second grade, Billy Simms
Starting from her school years, Jen Foster recalls certain situations where she saw people being ridiculed.
Playing out by the jungle gym
Billy Simms was being a normal child, enjoying his time outside.
All the boys laughed at him
For some sort of speech impediment
And they knocked him down
Other kids made fun of Billy Simms because of his speech impediment and even physically attacked him.
And I pushed them off
And they kicked our asses
Jen Foster tried to protect Billy but they ended up getting beaten up by the other kids because they were the weaker ones, the underdogs.
Seventh grade, Cindy Sloan
Jen moves on to recall another memory from her school years.
Eating in the lunchroom all alone
Cindy Sloan was eating her lunch all by herself, with no friends by her side.
They called her strange, but I could see
She was just different like me
The other kids thought Cindy was weird, but Jen saw that she was just different from the norm, just like Jen herself.
So I asked her over
And she blew me off
Jen tried reaching out to Cindy but was rejected by her.
It made perfect sense to me
'Cause we were the underdogs
Jen understood Cindy's situation and her decision to not hang out with her, as they were both underdogs in their own ways.
When everyone's above you, there's nowhere you can go
When nobody calls you, 'cause it's all in who you know
When the self-righteous say they're for you, telling you to win this fight
Nobody understands you, no they don't know what it's like
The chorus highlights the common theme throughout the song, that it's tough being an underdog – people don't understand you or support you, and you're limited in your actions by external factors you can't control.
Freshman year, Judson Tate
Jen's memory now takes us to her first year of high school.
He didn't have a Homecoming date
He asked me out, we never kissed
Judson Tate didn't have anyone to take to Homecoming, so he asked Jen out on a date. They went out, but nothing romantic happened between them.
We told each other our big secret
He said he fell for James
And James broke his heart
During their date, Judson reveals his big secret to Jen – he had feelings for a boy named James but got heartbroken when James didn't feel the same way.
And I understood him
'Cause we were the underdogs
Jen could relate to Judson's heartbreak and understood him because they were both underdogs in their own way.
When everyone's above you, there's nowhere you can go
When nobody calls you, 'cause it's all in who you know
When the self-righteous say they're for you, telling you to win this fight
Nobody understands you, no they don't know what it's like
The chorus plays again, emphasizing the song's main theme.
Senior year, Billy Simms
Jen's final memory brings us back to Billy Simms, the boy who was ridiculed in second grade.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LOUIS ROBERT ELIOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind