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
Sing a Song for Them
Jenny Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you sing a song, sing the song for them
For the bats and belfry and the fairies on Main Street
For the deadbeat daddies and the Boulevard freaks
For the little girls with the carousel eyes
And the brick-a-brak finding housewives, losing their minds
Sing the song for them, if you sing a song
If you sing a song, sing the song for them
To the never-made-its, and the unrecognized
To the alley rats and the tenement flies
To the weekend tweakers, the blond and the blind
To the ex-thrill seekers in the methadone lines
Sing the song for them
If you sing a song, sing the song for them
To who you are, and will never be
To the shaking hand of the maker we?re all going to meet
Sing the song for them
If you sing a song, sing the song for them
"Sing a Song for Them" by Jenny Lewis is a song that encourages the listeners to sing a song for every kind of individual, from the bats and fairies to the deadbeat fathers and ex-thrill seekers. The song goes on to plead with the listeners to sing it for the alley rats and tenement flies and the never-made-its and the unrecognized. The lyrics are a reminder that every individual, regardless of their situation or status, deserves recognition and respect.
The song's central message is to remind the listeners to be kind to everyone, to never judge someone's worth based on their circumstances. The song encourages the listeners to recognize those who are often forgotten or overlooked, perhaps because they are struggling with addiction or homelessness. It also asks listeners to see those who have never achieved their dreams, and who feel forgotten and unrecognized. At the heart of it all, the song hopes to inspire the listeners to give hope to the hopeless and the powerless.
Line by Line Meaning
If you sing a song, sing a song for them
Encourage the listener to sing a song specifically for the often overlooked and marginalized members of society.
For the bats and belfry and the fairies on Main Street
Dedicate the song to the mythical beings and creatures that inhabit the space around us.
For the deadbeat daddies and the Boulevard freaks
The song must also cater to the society's undesirable members such as absent fathers and the individuals living on the streets.
For the little girls with the carousel eyes
The song should also speak to the dreamers and visionaries, often represented by little girls with bright eyes.
And the brick-a-brak finding housewives, losing their minds
It should also speak to the working women who spend their days toiling away and dealing with their own struggles.
To the never-made-its, and the unrecognized
The song should cater to those who never made it or got recognition for their hard work.
To the alley rats and the tenement flies
The forgotten individuals who are forced to live the streets and the buildings that are often labeled as slums.
To the weekend tweakers, the blond and the blind
To those who engage in mindless activities over the weekends and those who can't see or refuse to see the world's realities.
To the ex-thrill seekers in the methadone lines
Those who seek the thrill of the drugs and end up dependent on them deserve to be accounted for as well.
To who you are, and will never be
To the listener, sing this song as if you're singing it to yourself, as someone addressing their current and future selves.
To the shaking hand of the maker we?re all going to meet
Finally, the song should speak to the reality that we are all going to end up meeting our maker, therefore, it shouldn't be exclusive for any one person or group.
Sing the song for them
Reiterate the importance of singing the song for everyone, without any exceptions.
If you sing a song, sing the song for them
End the song with one final call to action - reminding the listener to sing the song for everyone.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jenny Lewis, Johnathan Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind