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
Just One of the Guys
Jenny Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the girls are still staying young
If I get caught being rude in a conversation
With a child bride on her summer vacation
No matter how hard I try to be just one of the guys
There's a little something inside that won't let me
No matter how hard I try to have an open mind
Ooh, how I live it got me here
Locked in this bathroom full of tears
And I have begged for you & I have borrowed,
But I've been the only sister to my own sorrow
No matter how hard I try to be just one of the guys
There's a little something inside that won't let me
No matter how hard I try to have an open mind
There's a little clock inside that keeps tickin'
There's only one difference between you & me
When I look at myself all I can see
I'm just another Lady without a baby
No matter how hard I try to be just one of the guys
There's a little something inside that won't let me
No matter how hard I try to have an open mind
There's a little cop inside that prevents me
I'm not gonna break for you
I'm not gonna pray for you
I'm not gonna pay for you
That's not what ladies do
Oh when you break
When you break
Oh when you break
"Just One of the Guys" is a song by singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis that discusses gender roles and expectations in society. The first verse reflects on the idea that men age in a way that women are not allowed to. Although Lewis is aware of this double standard, she sometimes finds herself making remarks that show her own prejudices. She experiences an internal conflict as she tries to fit in with her male peers, but there's something within her that does not let her conform fully. Lewis continues to struggle with the pressure to be "one of the guys" in her circle of male friends. In the second verse, she reveals that her experience of being a woman in her thirties without a child has left her feeling alone and lost. She bemoans the fact that she has begged and borrowed without anyone coming to her aid. She feels that she has been a "sister" to her own sorrow.
The chorus of "Just One of the Guys" is an admission of defeat in terms of gender expectations. Despite her best efforts, Lewis - like so many other women - can't escape the cultural norms that keep women down. There's a little clock inside that keeps ticking, and that timer is set to society's expectations of what a woman should be. The song highlights the ways in which society attaches certain expectations to people based on their gender, and how difficult it is to escape those expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
All our friends, they're gettin' on
Our friends are reaching a certain age
But the girls are still staying young
However, the women are expected to remain youthful
If I get caught being rude in a conversation
In case I am impolite during a discussion
With a child bride on her summer vacation
Especially with a minor who is vacationing with her husband
No matter how hard I try to be just one of the guys
Despite my attempts to be seen as an equal among my male peers
There's a little something inside that won't let me
A part of me that stops me from fully assimilating
No matter how hard I try to have an open mind
Even if I am earnestly accepting and inclusive
There's a little voice inside that prevents me
A nagging thought that holds me back
Ooh, how I live it got me here
My life circumstances have led me to where I am now
Locked in this bathroom full of tears
Feeling trapped and overwhelmed with emotion
And I have begged for you & I have borrowed,
I have asked for help and relied on others
But I've been the only sister to my own sorrow
Ultimately, I have faced my struggles alone
There's only one difference between you & me
The only disparity is that I am a woman without children
When I look at myself all I can see
I am fixated on this one characteristic
I'm just another Lady without a baby
Which makes me seen as just a common woman without a child
There's a little cop inside that prevents me
An internal monitor that holds me back
I'm not gonna break for you
I will not surrender to your expectations
I'm not gonna pray for you
I refuse to beseech for your favor
I'm not gonna pay for you
I will not cover your costs
That's not what ladies do
It is not fair to enforce old-fashioned gender roles on me
Oh when you break
Perhaps when you, too, falter
When you break
If and when that occurs
Oh when you break
Maybe then you will understand my plight
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jenny Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@liquidstone14
fun fact: every actress in this music video is now Oscar nominated!
@happyalways6733
Yes!!!
Hope KS wins (both Anna and Brie had won)
@tomschutzer9635
I'm not great at math, but besides Jenny, there are 4 others in the video. Stewart, Larson, Hathaway, and...?
@fdub301
@@tomschutzer9635 Tennessee Thomas, who is not Oscar nominated. She’s great tho
@elbenhair
Damn i better audition for the next music video
@nonames4533
Jenny Lewis is an actress... what is she Oscar nominated for? Couldnt be for Troop beverly hills...
@theajroseshow
My favorite music video of 2014, not to mention one of my favorite songs. Hathaway, Larson, and Stewart are all so hopelessly attractive, even as guys. Stewart's "guy" was downright hilarious. And Jenny Lewis' starry suit is dope.
@TheMagicHat35
***** or she just thought the suit was really cool and you're trying to hard to find some unsaid underlying meaning.
@graceguthrie6707
SAME
@MsFuzzipoo
I still want that Lisa Frank Suit/Guitar.