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.
Things We Don't Need Anymore
Jenny Owen Youngs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But not for us my dear
I can't recall a single thing
Worth celebrating this year
Watch the clock and pace the floor
Shut my eyes and slam the door
Tear down the lights
Christmas morning is here again
I'm choking back all my tears again
I won't last through the year again
Without you
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Holy night, the stars shine bright
Left my heart underneath the tree
You won't be home to open it
So I'll put it back inside me
Watch the clock and pace the floor
Shut my eyes and slam the door
Burn the mistletoe
We don't need it anymore
Christmas morning is here again
I'm choking back all my tears again
I won't last through the year again
Without you
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Christmas morning is here again
I'm choking back all my tears again
I won't last through the year again
Without you
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
The lyrics of "Things We Don't Need Anymore" by Jenny Owen Youngs convey a sense of sadness and loss during the holiday season. The song speaks to the pain and loneliness that can be felt when someone is missing from our lives. The title alone suggests a desire to let go of the things that we used to cherish, but no longer serve a purpose in our lives.
The first verse starts off with a reference to the traditional Christmas carol "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," but emphasizes that this song is not for the singer and her loved one. She reflects on the past year and is unable to find anything worth celebrating. The second verse shows her restlessness as she watches the clock, paces the floor and shuts her eyes, trying to ignore the reality of her situation. She wishes to tear down the lights, burn the mistletoe, and throw away all the festive decorations because they serve as a constant reminder of what she has lost.
The chorus repeats the same lines, emphasizing the singer's pain and inability to cope with the absence of her loved one during the holidays. She feels like she won't make it through the year without them and expresses two wishes that will never come true. The second half of the song talks about the pain of being alone during the holiday season and how she will keep her love hidden away in her heart as her gift to herself.
Overall, "Things We Don't Need Anymore" expresses the deep sense of heartache that many people feel during the holiday season when they are missing someone they love. This poignant song speaks to the human experience of loss and grief, and the difficulty of navigating life without the people we hold dear.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark the herald angels sing
The carolers sing joyously, but there is no contentment for us.
But not for us my dear
The herald angels sing in celebration of someone other than us, my dear.
I can't recall a single thing
I cannot recall anything worth commemorating this year.
Worth celebrating this year
There is nothing worthwhile to celebrate this year.
Watch the clock and pace the floor
I observe the ticking of the clock and anxiously march back and forth.
Shut my eyes and slam the door
I'm defeated and cannot tolerate the situation; so I shut my eyes and slam the door.
Tear down the lights
I pull the lights down, indicating that they are no longer necessary.
We don't need them anymore
We don't need these things anymore, so tearing them down is acceptable.
Christmas morning is here again
Christmas morning has arrived again.
I'm choking back all my tears again
I'm trying to inhibit my tears from gushing, as I always do on this day.
I won't last through the year again
I won't last through the year again without you.
Without you
Without you, I am unable to survive.
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Here are two desires that will never be actualized.
Holy night, the stars shine bright
The night of Christ's birth, the stars twinkle brightly.
Left my heart underneath the tree
I have left my heart beneath the tree, waiting to be reunited with you.
You won't be home to open it
You won't be at home to unwrap my heart-shaped gift.
So I'll put it back inside me
So, I'll place it back inside myself, waiting for that day when you'll be here.
Burn the mistletoe
I burn the mistletoe, signifying that I don't need a kiss if it's not from you.
Christmas morning is here again
It's Christmas morning again.
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Here are two desires that will never be actualized.
Here's two wishes that'll never come true
Here are two desires that will never be actualized.
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Megan Ripka
Awe. I wish I had listened to this a week ago. Christmas is always hard because my boyfriend of 6 years is an extreme introvert, so being around my family is so hard for him it drives a wedge into our day. I, wanting to see my family with him, He would rather sit at home by himself every year. This year was especially hard because his family has shattered. At 21, he has lost both of his parents and we are a province away from his 14 year old brother. (one of three) This would have helped.
Nicolas Carillat
I love it! Thank's Jenny and i wish u a merry christmas
Elly Wagner
As I listen to this musical masterpiece, I cannot help but realize that at this time, there ARE NO DOWN VOTES, something i have never seen on YouTube, or the internet, for that matter.
Chris Caulder [The Mixtape / Ousted Productions]
Best Christmas song ever. I heard this song on Radio 104.5 in the Philly area on Christmas Eve, 2010. Since then, been in love with Jenny Owen Youngs and her fantastic songwriting.
CirqueKeir
Listening to this in August because being emotional is an all the time thing when it comes to JOY and me.
JonisKanonis
The best christmas song ever!
Vanessa Vegter
more of this Jenny!
tommadeska13
Christmas came a few days early this year.
Jared Al
I agree