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
The Voyager
Jenny Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was tripping
"When you getting better?"
It's a jagged line
Nothing lasts forever when you travel time
I've been sippin' that Kool-Aid at the cosmos
'Cause the voyager's in every boy and girl
The voyager's in every boy and girl
When it finally hit me I did not cry
'Cause I was at the 7-Eleven flippin' through The New York Times
I saw it printed in black and white
The voyager goes up in smoke
The voyager's in every boy and girl
If you wanna get to heaven, get out of this world
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
You scared me straight
Right into your arms
Ah-oh
Ah-oh-oh
Ah-oh
Ah-oh-oh
Ah-oh
The voyager's in every boy and girl
If you wanna get to heaven, get out of this world
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
I'm the voyager
The lyrics of Jenny Lewis's The Voyager describe the experience of losing one's mind and seeking escape through time travel. The first stanza speaks of receiving a letter after already having lost the mind, indicating a possible disconnect with reality. The line "when you getting better?" implies that someone close to Lewis may have expressed concern for her. The metaphor of time as a jagged line and nothing lasting forever highlights the theme of impermanence that permeates throughout the song.
Lewis then sings about "sipping that Kool-Aid at the cosmos," indicating her desire to escape her current reality by travelling through space and time. She emphasizes the universality of this desire by stating that "the voyager's in every boy and girl," suggesting that every human being secretly wishes to escape their reality. The line "if you wanna get to heaven, get out of this world" reinforces the notion that this desire to escape is a human longing for something more permanent and eternal.
The second stanza is more introspective, as Lewis processes the realization that the voyager, the object of her desire, has been destroyed. She does not cry, but rather experiences a moment of clarity while flipping through The New York Times at a 7-Eleven. The voyager going up in smoke represents the destruction of her own dreams and hopes. She repeats the phrase "you're the voyager" at the end, but it is unclear whether she is addressing herself or someone else, perhaps the person who scared her straight and brought her back to reality.
Line by Line Meaning
By the time I got your letter, I had lost my mind
When I received your letter, I was in a state of complete confusion and disorientation.
I was tripping
I was experiencing intense feelings of confusion and disorientation that felt similar to the experience of being on a psychedelic drug trip.
"When you getting better?"
It's a jagged line
You asked me when I would start feeling better, but recovery does not follow a straight path and is full of setbacks and difficulties.
Nothing lasts forever when you travel time
I've been sippin' that Kool-Aid at the cosmos
Time is constantly moving forward and everything is in a state of change, and I have been embracing this idea of cosmic exploration and the vastness of the universe.
'Cause the voyager's in every boy and girl
If you wanna get to heaven get out of this world
The voyager's in every boy and girl
The journey of discovery and exploration is present in everyone, and true enlightenment can only be achieved by transcending the physical world.
When it finally hit me I did not cry
'Cause I was at the 7-Eleven flippin' through The New York Times
I saw it printed in black and white
The voyager goes up in smoke
When I finally realized the truth, I did not cry because I was distracted by mundane activities like reading the news, but the realization was that everything eventually comes to an end, even grand journeys of discovery.
You scared me straight
Right into your arms
Your presence was a source of comfort and stability, and helped me address my fears and find direction.
The voyager's in every boy and girl
If you wanna get to heaven, get out of this world
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
The journey of self-discovery and enlightenment is open to everyone, and you are just as capable and worthy of finding true understanding.
Ah-oh
Ah-oh-oh
Ah-oh
Ah-oh-oh
Ah-oh
These repeated vocalizations represent the singer's emotional state and a sense of existential questioning throughout the song.
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
You're the voyager
I'm the voyager
Both the singer and the listener have the potential to be voyagers and explore the mysteries of the universe and the self.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jenny Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Otaku_Nerds
I remember when I first heard this song, such an epic and brilliant masterpiece.
@leslielees5438
My absolute favorite
@yashk1964
How did this not top the charts for weeks on end is beyond my comprehension. This song is fucking beautiful. Thank you Ms. Lewis.
@crestonperry2891
Miss Jennifer is totally underrated! This is one of my favorites! She is awesome.
@denissesantiago7767
She has an amazing voice!
@yashk1964
This song isn't about suicide or death or drugs. It's about the Voyager 1 space mission. It's a motivational song. Space is the heaven she's singing about. It's about becoming an astronaut or something special.
@cupcakesx22
Yea it's still going..14 billion miles out
@diyeiogt
Brings tears to my eyes. So beautiful, emotive, captivating. Been fan since early Rilo Kiley and this is one of Jenny's best songs. Ultimately we will all die and realizing that will scare you straight. Haunting yet comforting in a way.
@Theoppositesex
I heard this song on FM 89.9 here in Los Angeles. When it came on the air it stole my heart within the first ten seconds.
@Misfitdoll67
Even though it could be interpreted as a suicide/death song, I think she's saying that if you want to see and experience wonderful things you have to leave your comfort zone, leave home, etc. Just go do it.