She is also a former child actress.
Music
In 1995, she formed the indie rock band Rilo Kiley along with her friends Pierre De Reeder, Blake Sennett and Dave Rock (later replaced by Jason Boesel). Beginning with a country sound, Rilo Kiley gravitated toward a downbeat indie rock sound, and with their 2004 album More Adventurous found widespread success. Critics such as Pitchforkmedia attributed this to the "wise" decision to front Lewis on most of the songs (on earlier albums, Sennett contributed about half the vocals). The song "Portions for Foxes" was a hit, and in 2005 the band was picked up by Warner Bros., putting them on a major label for the first time. They opened for Coldplay on their U.S. tour in 2005.
In 2002, Lewis was asked to contribute some female vocals for The Postal Service, whose album Give Up was an international success. Lewis performed in the video for the hit "We Will Become Silhouettes", and toured with the band in 2003. Lewis also contributed vocals to several tracks on the 2004 Cursive album The Ugly Organ.
In 2004, Conor Oberst invited Lewis to record a solo record for record label Team Love. Described by Lewis as "a kind of soul record," Rabbit Fur Coat, released in January 2006, features contributions from musicians Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie on a cover of The Traveling Wilburys song "Handle With Care". The Watson Twins provide accompaniment and the album is billed as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. Lewis toured with the Watson Twins in support of the album in early 2006.
September 2008 sees the relase of a second solo album, titled Acid Tongue.
She has also provided vocals on tracks for The Elected and Johnathan Rice.
Infamous for her quirky clothing and ever constant red hairstyle, Lewis has become a fashion icon in the indie music world.
Lewis was given an "Esky" for Best Temperature Raiser in Esquire's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue.
Influences
In the April 2006 issue of Spin Magazine, Lewis lists the "Music That Changed My Life" in a full page article, noting predominately late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop as an important influences on her musical development. Albums such as N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton, De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising and Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique are listed in the article, as well music by Too Short, Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep, Souls of Mischief and Freestyle Fellowship. In the same article, she is quoted as saying "I'm an Easy-E girl" showing her adoration for the deceased hip-hop producer and former member of the group N.W.A.. She remembers an encounter with Freestyle Fellowship member Aceyalone, "I actually saw them in the early '90s at a Hollywood Club. I went by myself, and Aceyalone picked me out and freestyled about me. Maybe it was part of his shtick - to dis the enthusiastic but lonely white girl. I must've looked like such a poser."
Acting
She made her debut in a Jell-O commercial, then starred as a child in a number of films during the 1980s. Jenny was featured in the 1996 made-for-TV movie Talk To Me with Yasmine Bleeth. Three of her more notable screen credits were Troop Beverly Hills, The Wizard, and Pleasantville. She also had small roles on such TV shows as Baywatch, Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Roseanne, Mr. Belvedere, and Brooklyn Bridge. She continued acting until 2001.
Must visit links:
Official Site
Best Fan Site
Best Rilo Kiley Site
Bad Man's World
Jenny Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a bad man's world
It's a bad man's world
Was I born as a promise to keep the peace
Or meet the shame
Before you split, one thing left
To give me my ordinary name
Give me my ordinary name
I've got something left to prove
Got a bullet left, but I can't decide
Which scorpion I'm going to shoot
[Chorus]
Will it be me, will it be you?
It's a bad man's world
It's a bad man's world
I'm a bad, bad girl
It's a bad man's world
I will never forgive you
For what you put us kids through
Remember that night
You tried to take your own life?
When I found you
You were a shade of blue
Success is a state of mind
With a little bit of follow through
And then you failed at that, too
It's a bad man's world
It's a bad man's world
I'm a bad, bad girl
It's a bad man's world
[Chorus]
It's a bad man's world
Was I born as a promise to keep the peace
Or meet the shame
Before you split, one thing left
To give me ordinary name
Give me my ordinary name
Now that I'm still standing,
I've got something left to prove
Got a bullet left, but I can't decide
Which scorpion I'm going to shoot
[Chorus]
I will never forgive you
For what you put us kids through
Remember that night
You tried to take your own life?
When I found you
You were a shade of blue
Success is a state of mind
With a little bit of follow through
And then you failed at that, too
It's a bad man's world
It's a bad man's world
I'm a bad, bad girl
It's a bad man's world
[Chorus]
In the song "Bad Man's World" by Jenny Lewis, the lyrics portray a sense of anger and resentment towards a father figure who has caused immense pain and suffering in the singer's life. The repeated line of "It's a bad man's world" emphasizes the feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness that comes with growing up in a world where some people are capable of causing such harm.
The singer questions her own existence, wondering if she was born just to keep the peace or to suffer the shame brought on by her father. She also speaks of finding her identity with an "ordinary name" and the desire to prove herself. The line "Got a bullet left, but I can't decide which scorpion I'm going to shoot" reveals the inner turmoil and conflict within the singer, as she contemplates whether to take revenge or not.
The chorus "Will it be me, will it be you? It's a bad man's world" highlights the idea that in a world where bad things happen, anyone can become the villain. The lyrics suggest that even the singer herself may have the capability to do harm if pushed too far. The song ends with the haunting reminder that success is a state of mind and that even when there is a little bit of follow-through, failure is still possible.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a bad man's world
The world is controlled by men who perpetrate evil and cause suffering.
It's a bad man's world
The patriarchal society is riddled with malice and darkness.
It's a bad man's world
The world is dominated by men who impose their will through violence and cruelty.
Was I born as a promise to keep the peace
Was I brought into this world to end conflicts or experience dishonor.
Or meet the shame
Or experience humiliation and degradation because of others' actions.
Before you split, one thing left
Before you leave, there is something that must be done.
To give me my ordinary name
To give me a name that is not associated with any grandeur, but rather commonness.
Give me my ordinary name
Let me have a name that reflects normality rather than any exalted status.
Now that I'm still standing,
Now that I have survived despite facing tragedy,
I've got something left to prove
I have something to prove to myself and others that I can overcome adversity.
Got a bullet left, but I can't decide
I have one opportunity left, but I'm undecided about how to proceed.
Which scorpion I'm going to shoot
Which malevolent person who causes harm and suffering I am going to confront.
Will it be me, will it be you?
Who will fall to the darkness and perpetrate evil?
It's a bad man's world
The world is under the control of men who perpetuate evil and darkness.
It's a bad man's world
The world is dominated by patriarchal systems that promote cruelty and injustice.
I'm a bad, bad girl
I am a woman who has been labeled as bad or rebellious by society due to challenging the status quo.
I will never forgive you
I will never forget how you inflicted suffering on children.
For what you put us kids through
For the torment and agony that you caused us when we were children.
Remember that night
I recall that occurrence with vivid accuracy.
You tried to take your own life?
When you attempted suicide, why did you not think of us?
When I found you
When I stumbled upon you in that state of weakness and despair,
You were a shade of blue
You were an unnatural color, signifying how close you were to death.
Success is a state of mind
Achieving success depends on one's mindset.
With a little bit of follow through
With a small amount of drive and determination to see things through.
And then you failed at that, too
And yet you still failed to achieve success, despite how little effort it required.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind