Jewel is the daughter of Nedra Carroll, an artist and personal manager, and Atz Kilcher, an elementary school music teacher, folk singer and social worker. Her mother of Irish descent and her father is of Swiss-German origin. She is the cousin of actress Q'Orianka Kilcher. She spent most of her young life in Homer, Alaska, United States, living with her father. The home she grew up in did not have indoor plumbing; it had a simple outhouse instead. She and her father sometimes earned a living by singing in bars and taverns. It was from these experiences she learned to yodel, a quality demonstrated in many of her songs. Her father was a Mormon, but they stopped attending the church shortly before she turned eight. Yule Kilcher, her grandfather, was a state senator involved in drafting Alaska's constitution for its admission into a state from a territory in 1959.
During high school, Jewel was known to spell her name "Jule" or "Juel," but she attributes this to simply playing with her name.
Jewel learned to play the guitar while at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan, United States where she majored in operatic voice. She started writing songs at the age of seventeen.
For a time, she was poverty-stricken and lived in her van while traveling about the country doing street performances and small gigs. She gained some recognition by singing at the Innerchange Coffeehouse and Java Joe's in San Diego, California, United States. Her friend Steve Poltz's band, The Rugburns, played at the same venues. Jewel later collaborated with Poltz on some of her songs, including "You Were Meant For Me" (He also appeared in the second, best-known, video for this song). The Rugburns opened for Jewel on her Tiny Lights tour in 1997. Poltz appeared in Jewel's band on the Spirit World Tour 1999 playing guitar.
In 1993, Michael Balzary (better known by the stage name – Flea) of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers met Jewel after he saw her perform at a local cafe. He went back to her van where she was living, where she sang a few of her songs to him. He described her singing voice as being "beautiful" and "breathtaking".
Jewel was discovered by Inga Vainshtein in August 1993, when a musician from a local San Diego band, Rust, whom Vainshtein was managing at the time, called to tell her about a girl surfer who sang at a local coffee shop on Thursdays. Vainshtein drove to Innerchange coffee shop with a rep from Atlantic Records, and after the show they called Danny Goldberg, the head of Atlantic Records west coast operations, and asked him to pay for Jewel's demo. Vainshtein eventually became Jewel's manager, and was instrumental in creating a major bidding war, which led to Jewel's deal with Atlantic Records. She cut her debut album, Pieces of You, when she was nineteen and it was released in 1995. Jewel recorded "Pieces of You" in a studio on Neil Young's ranch, and was backed by his band, The Stray Gators, who played on Neil Young's "Harvest" and "Harvest Moon" albums. Part of the album was cut live at the Innerchange Coffeehouse in San Diego where she had risen to local fame. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 for an impressive two years, reaching number four at its peak. The album spawned the Top 10 hits "You Were Meant for Me", "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "Foolish Games". The album was a huge success and eventually sold over 12 million copies in the United States. alone, more than all of her subsequent albums put together.
Due to her successes, she was chosen to sing the American national anthem at the opening of the Super Bowl in January 1998 in San Diego. She was introduced as "San Diego's own Jewel!" However, she was criticized for lip-syncing the anthem to a pre-recording. This was especially noticeable due to her missing her cue and not mouthing the first words.
In November 1998, Jewel released her second album, Spirit. The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 4 million copies in the United States. The songs "Hands" and "Down So Long" hit the Top 10. Other singles followed, a new version of "Jupiter (Swallow The Moon)", "What's Simple Is True", the theme song to her upcoming movie, and the charity single "Life Uncommon".
A year later, In November 1999, Jewel released Joy: A Holiday Collection. The album sold over a million copies and peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200. She released a cover of "Joy to the World" from the album.
In November 2001, the album This Way was released. The album peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 1 million copies in the United States, standing as her most critically acclaimed album to date. Jewel hit the Top 10 with the song "Standing Still" and the Top 40 with the song "Break Me". Other singles released were "This Way" and "Serve The Ego", the latter giving Jewel her first number one club hit.
In 2003, Jewel released the album 0304. She writes in the liner notes, "I wanted to make a record that was a modern interpretation of big band music. A record that was lyric driven, like Cole Porter, that also had a lot of swing. And a lot of it is thanks to Lester, because when I told him I wanted to make a record that combined dance, urban, and folk music, he didn't look at me like I was crazy." While some fans considered 0304 an innovative album that held to the tradition of her previous albums, others felt that it was too much of a departure from the style of her previous albums. Following the limited success of "Serve the Ego", Jewel moved to a more pop-oriented sound with the release of the single "Intuition". The song, which strays from her usual folk style with simple guitar instrumentation, starts off with a French accordion and experiments with pop beats using synthesizers. The song was successful, reaching #5 on the Billboard Adult Top 40. However, a number of Jewel's fans criticized her for abandoning her traditional folk style in exchange for a new pop sound. Accusations of "selling out" for personal gain, among other things, were made. Despite the different sound style, the song is lyrically similar to her previous work. It has a number of references to culture, including mentioning celebrities such as pop star Jennifer Lopez, model Kate Moss, magazines, film culture and commercialism.
On May 2, 2006, Jewel released her sixth album, Goodbye Alice In Wonderland. The album received mixed reviews, but still managed to debut at #8 on the Billboard Albums Chart. The album sold 82,000 copies in its first week out. The lead single "Again and Again" has had moderate success on Adult Top 40 Radio, peaking at #16. The second single, "Good Day", was released to radio in late June but failed to gain any traction on the radio airplay charts. Later, a video for "Stephenville, TX", her next single, has been seen on Yahoo! Launch.
As of December 2006, the album barely sold 270,000 copies. It is notable in that it is the only Jewel album not to achieve Gold certification, even though it has been hailed as arguably one of her best albums. As one music critic, Timothy Duggan, notes: "This album showcases Jewel's unique talent as a lyricist, alongside a definite growth in her musicianship. It is what 'Pieces of You' might have been had Jewel had the musical knowledge then that she has now. A very satisfying work, all in all". Rolling Stone however, called the album "overdone and undercooked" with a rating of 2 stars out of 5.
In early February 2007, Jewel recorded a duet with Jason Michael Carroll, "No Good in Goodbye (With Jewel)", that was featured on Carroll's debut CD, "Waitin' in the Country". She also made a promotional appearance on the T in Boston for the Verizon Yellow Pages, playing songs on a moving subway car and then doing an hour-long acoustic concert in South Station for a large crowd of adoring fans. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Jewel confirmed that she is no longer affiliated with a record label, confirming rumors that Atlantic Records failed to renew her contract after the lackluster sales of her then-latest album. She also hinted that she would like to do a country album next. She is working with John Rich of Big & Rich fame. He says that she is "probably one of the greatest American singer-songwriters we have had". He also said that "every label in Nashville" is talking to her now.
In November 2007, Jewel was signed to Valory Records, a newly formed division of the independent Big Machine Records label. Her first country album, Perfectly Clear, is currently scheduled for release on June 3, 2008; its lead single, Stronger Woman was released to country radio on January 17, 2008, and has entered the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. As of the April 26, 2008 country charts, the single was #13 on the charts, which is its peak position thus far.
She will tour with Brad Paisley, Chuck Wicks, and Julianne Hough on Paisley's 2008 tour.
Official site: www.jeweljk.com
2. Jewel is also japanese heavy metal band. Activity (1984-1989, 2000-2001).
3. Jewel is also a raw black metal band from Canada.
Fat Boy
Jewel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sees his reflection, doesn't know what to do
He feels little inside and filled with pride
Oh, fragile flame
No one sees the same
Fat boy goes about his day
Trying to think of funny things to say
Like, "this is just a game I play"
And, "I like me this way"
Oh, fragile flame
When no one feels the same
Hush, sleep, don't think, just eat
Your daddy's little boy
Your mama's pride and joy
You know they love ya
But not because they hold ya
Fat boy says, "wouldn't it be nice
If I could melt myself like ice
Or outrun my skin and just be pure wind"
Oh, fragile flame
Sometimes I feel the same
Jewel's song "Fat Boy" tells the story of a boy who is struggling with his body image, and how he copes with it. She portrays the character as a sensitive and vulnerable person who is aware of the way others view him. We see this in the opening lines, where the boy goes to the pool and sees his reflection, but doesn't know what to do. He knows that he doesn't fit into the mold of what society considers attractive, so he feels little inside and filled with pride.
In subsequent verses, Jewel portrays the fat boy trying to go about his day and be funny, as if it's just a game he's playing. He tells himself that he likes himself the way he is, but deep down, he feels the pain of being different. He longs to be thin, to melt away his body like ice, or to become pure wind and outrun his skin. These are vivid metaphors for the desire to escape one's physical self, to shed the burden of being overweight and become something else entirely.
The chorus of the song, with its haunting melody and simple lyrics, conveys the sense of loneliness and isolation that the fat boy feels. The flame is a metaphor for his fragile sense of self, which flickers and fades in the face of societal pressure and expectations. The repeated line, "when no one feels the same," highlights his sense of alienation from others and his awareness that he doesn't fit in.
Line by Line Meaning
Fat boy goes to the pool
The overweight person visits the swimming pool.
Sees his reflection, doesn't know what to do
Looking into the water, he doesn’t recognize himself and feels confused.
He feels little inside and filled with pride
Despite his internal struggle, he still tries to take pride in himself and his actions.
Oh, fragile flame
This line highlights the vulnerability and sensitivity of the person.
No one sees the same
His unique perspective and experiences set him apart from others.
Fat boy goes about his day
He carries on with his routine despite his insecurities.
Trying to think of funny things to say
He attempts to mask his discomfort by using humor.
Like, 'this is just a game I play'
He tries to convince himself and others that his pain is all just a game or joke.
And, 'I like me this way'
He tries to convince himself, and the world, that he is happy with his appearance and personality.
When no one feels the same
He feels isolated and misunderstood because his experience is unique to him.
Hush, sleep, don't think, just eat
He uses food to pacify the pain and discomfort he feels internally.
Your daddy's little boy
This line implies that there is an unhealthy attachment to his father.
Your mama's pride and joy
This line implies that there is an unhealthy attachment to his mother.
You know they love ya
He understands that his parents love him.
But not because they hold ya
However, the love they show might not be enough to fix or help his internal turmoil.
Fat boy says, 'wouldn't it be nice
He imagines how his life would be different if he could change.
If I could melt myself like ice
He wants to disappear or to be something different entirely.
Or outrun my skin and just be pure wind'
He wants to shed his skin and be free from the limitations of himself.
Sometimes I feel the same
The person acknowledges that others might feel the same way he does.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Jewel Kilcher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MattJonesIsWeird
"Sometimes I feel the same"
gets me every time
@borderlinescott
I feel like she wrote this knowing my childhood.
@MattJonesIsWeird
Scott Jannush awww * hugs *
@littlebitsandbryan9980
Me too with the song Daddy
@horseyhorselips3501
I have reason to believe this song is related to the Picture in Jewel’s second book called Chasing down the Dawn. With the Caption “Glamour on the Road, Somewhere USA” I was in Big Joe’s bar the night Sean Penn took that picture and Jewel was drinking Jack Daniels out of the bottle looking at Me And I watched her piss her pants. If you have that book check out the picture and you can see for yourself her pants are WET !!!!!
See I’m the Strange Fruit 🍎 that Fell in the Song “Enter from the East”
I’m her Biological Father the Stranger from the East and Atz gave me his Sisters hand in marriage at an LRY Conference in Toronto Canada September 1,1973
@horseyhorselips3501
Cheri Curry in 47 years of Jewel’s Life she has Not Ever Talked to Her Father, for I’m Her Biological Father
@triggerwarning3010
Cancelled!!!!!