After exploring the flute (elementary school) and the tuba (junior high), Jenny finally stepped up to the guitar at the age of fourteen.
She graduated from State University of New York at Purchase with a degree in studio composition.
Her album Batten the Hatches was self-released in 2005. In 2006, a song from that album, Fuck Was I, appeared in the second season premiere of Showtime's Weeds, resulting in Batten the Hatches being re-released on April 10, 2007 with new artwork and an extra track, Drinking Song on the Canadian indie label Nettwerk. "Fuck Was I" was also released on the soundtrack album Weeds: Music from the Original Series, Vol. 2.
In addition to her solo career, she is in the band The Robot Explosion, a side project with fellow musicians and friends Bess Rogers, Andrew Futral, and Saul Simon-MacWilliams. She also takes part in an online podcast through MySpace with Bess Rogers and Andrew Futral, titled 'Once More With Feeling' (named after the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer).
Youngs released her second album, Transmitter Failure, on May 26, 2009. Youngs' third album An Unwavering Band of Light, was released on February 7, 2012.
She recently toured with Regina Spektor (whose phone message also appears on Voice on Tape) and has opened a few shows for Amanda Palmer.
Youngs covered Have You Forgotten by Mark Kozelek for American Laundromat Records' upcoming charity CD Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies due out in Spring 2010. Tanya Donelly, Dean & Britta, Say Hi, Julie Peel, Stars, The Real Tuesday Weld, and others are contributing to the project which helps children with cancer and rare blood disorders.
Clean Break
Jenny Owen Youngs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Cut to me, I don't need anymore
Can go, don't bother with the table
We can do it on the floor
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Don't need for anesthetic, oh
And no more laughing gas
Just sterilize the scalpel
And let's get this over with
We got muscle to transect
If I come to, I still feel you
Creeping in my skin
It's back, I lie under the knife
And start over again
Cannot buy no vitamins
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
In Jenny Owen Youngs's song "Clean Break," the singer wants to end a relationship completely and decisively. She wants to avoid "feeling the ache" of heartbreak or "keeping the rush" of passion alive. She urges her partner to make a "clean break" and a "fast cut," likening the end of their relationship to a surgical procedure. She wants to be cut off entirely, without anesthetic or laughing gas, and for the "muscle to transect" so that she can start over again.
The surgical language of the song serves as a metaphor for the emotional pain of a breakup. The singer wants the relationship to end cleanly so that she can more easily move on with her life, but she also acknowledges that the pain of heartbreak can linger even after the relationship is over. The line "If I come to, I still feel you / Creeping in my skin" suggests that the singer is aware that the emotional scars of the breakup may take time to heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Make it a clean break
Let's end things cleanly without any mess or complications.
Make it a fast cut
Let's end things quickly and painlessly.
Don't wanna feel the ache
I don't want to experience any emotional pain or heartbreak.
Don't wanna keep the rush
I don't want to keep the excitement and rush of the relationship going.
Cut to me, I don't need anymore
I'm done with this relationship and I don't want anything more from it.
Can go, don't bother with the table
We don't need to sit down and have a formal conversation about this. We can just end things right now.
We can do it on the floor
We can end things anywhere, it doesn't matter where.
God knows I am sure
I'm positive about my decision and I know it's the right thing to do.
Don't need for anesthetic, oh
I don't need any numbing or pain relief to get through this breakup.
And no more laughing gas
I don't want to use any distractions or escape mechanisms to avoid the reality of the situation.
Just sterilize the scalpel
Let's keep this breakup straightforward and sterile, without any unnecessary mess.
And let's get this over with
I'm ready to move on and be done with this relationship.
We got muscle to transect
We're strong enough to end things and move forward, no matter how hard it may be.
If I come to, I still feel you
If I wake up from this breakup, I'll still feel the impact you had on my life.
Creeping in my skin
The memory of you will be etched into my mind and body, and it will be hard to forget.
It's back, I lie under the knife
The pain of losing you will continue to haunt me and I'll be forced to confront it.
And start over again
I'll have to start over and work through the aftermath of the breakup.
Cannot buy no vitamins
There's no quick fix or cure for the pain of a breakup.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JENNIFER OWEN YOUNGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James !
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Cut to me, I don't need anymore
Can go, don't bother with the table
We can do it on the floor
God knows I am sure
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Don't need for anesthetic, oh
And no more laughing gas
Just sterilize the scalpel
And let's get this over with
We got muscle to transect
If I come to, I still feel you
Creeping in my skin
It's back, I lie under the knife
And start over again
Cannot buy no vitamins
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Alisha Batth
Brilliant song. I LOVE her voice. And she is SO gorgeous! <3
pazso
Excellent work Jenny. And Molly too! Wow!!
madetohealxx
So awesome! I will bake a Clean Break cake for my Transmitter Failure release party, for sure.
Henrik Hellberg
One of her best songs by many great songs. Thanks J.O.Y.
Colin McKenzie
So god damned talented. Big up JOY!
James !
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Cut to me, I don't need anymore
Can go, don't bother with the table
We can do it on the floor
God knows I am sure
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Don't need for anesthetic, oh
And no more laughing gas
Just sterilize the scalpel
And let's get this over with
We got muscle to transect
If I come to, I still feel you
Creeping in my skin
It's back, I lie under the knife
And start over again
Cannot buy no vitamins
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
Make it a clean break
Make it a fast cut
Don't wanna feel the ache
Don't wanna keep the rush
breakfree
gahhh, it's like falling in love with your music all over again.
Hungover52
The world needs more women like JOY. Seriously. And I love that the director went all Dexter on this shit. Beautiful fucked up scary Jenny. So glad I've found your music.
TuberOnTheLoose
When I saw her perform this song live she introduced it by refering to an episode of X Files where bugs were crawling under people's skin.
Chips In bed
love this song