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.
Morning Song
Jewel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let the world spin outside our door
You're the only one that I want to see
Tell your boss you're sick, hurry, get back in I'm getting cold
Get over here and warm my hands up, boy, it's you they love to hold
And stop thinking about what your sister said
Stop worrying about it, yes the cat's already been fed
Come on darlin', let's go back to bed
Put the phone machine on hold
Leave the dishes in the sink
Do not answer the door
It's you that I adore
I'm gonna give you some more
We'll sit on the front porch, the sun can warm my feet
You can drink your coffee with sugar and cream
I'll drink my decaf herbal tea
Pretend we're perfect strangers and that we never met
My, you remind me of a man I used to sleep with
That's a face I'd never forget
And you can be Henry Miller and I'll be Anais Nin
Except this time it'll be even better
We'll stay together in the end
Come on darlin', let's go back to bed
Put the phone machine on hold
Leave the dishes in the sink
Do not answer the door
For you, I'd be a poor man's wife
I'm gonna give you some more
Let the phone ring, let's go back to sleep
In Jewel's charming "Morning Song," she paints a delightfully lazy picture of a couple's morning routine. The lyrics invite listeners to imagine themselves in the couple's comfortable world, where they're at their most relaxed and affectionate. The singer expresses a desire to ignore the commotion outside and just stay in bed, wrapped up in the warmth of love. The verses engage in playful wordplay, pursuing tangents and coming back to the core of the song--the joy of this moment. The lines "And stop thinking about what your sister said / Stop worrying about it, yes the cat's already been fed" could be construed as an attempt to soothe her lover's insecurities, easing any pressure or qualms he may be feeling about their relationship. These verses allude to passion and desire, as well as a shared personal joke between the two lovers.
The song's infectious melody, complemented by Jewel's signature vocal inflections, makes it a pleasing listen. While the lyrics evoke intimate moments between two lovers, the instrumentation suggests a more melancholic or contemplative mood, offering a subtext that is somewhat at odds with the lyrics. In combination, the music and words make the song a pleasant and relaxing experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Let the phone ring, let's go back to sleep
Ignore everything else and come sleep with me
Let the world spin outside our door
Let's forget the rest of the world and focus on each other
You're the only one that I want to see
You're the most important person to me right now
Tell your boss you're sick, hurry, get back in I'm getting cold
Call in sick and come back to bed with me, I'm feeling lonely and cold without you
Get over here and warm my hands up, boy, it's you they love to hold
Come here and hold me, I feel safe and loved in your arms
And stop thinking about what your sister said
Don't let others’ opinions bother you, let's focus on us
Stop worrying about it, yes the cat's already been fed
Don't worry about the little things, everything is taken care of, come back to bed
Come on darlin', let's go back to bed
Let's forget everything and just sleep in each other's arms
Put the phone machine on hold
Disconnect yourself from the rest of the world for a while
Leave the dishes in the sink
Don't worry about the mundane chores, let's just relax
Do not answer the door
The outside world can wait, let's just be together
It's you that I adore
I love you more than anything else in this world
I'm gonna give you some more
I want to give you more of myself and more love
We'll sit on the front porch, the sun can warm my feet
We'll enjoy each other's company and the warmth of the sun
You can drink your coffee with sugar and cream
You can enjoy your morning coffee with your favorite additives
I'll drink my decaf herbal tea
I'll enjoy my morning tea to relax and unwind
Pretend we're perfect strangers and that we never met
Let's rekindle the initial spark and attraction we had for each other
My, you remind me of a man I used to sleep with
You bring back the passion and memories of our past encounters
That's a face I'd never forget
You're unforgettable to me
And you can be Henry Miller and I'll be Anais Nin
We can explore new passions and experiences together
Except this time it'll be even better
Our love and connection has grown stronger with time
We'll stay together in the end
We'll always be there for each other no matter what
For you, I'd be a poor man's wife
I'll be there for you through thick and thin, no matter what our financial situation may be
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Jewel Kilcher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sarah Brown
Listening to this song I can literally smell the first house my husband and I lived in. 20 years and two kids later, I still feel the same way.
christopher2215
Someone else already said this, but she's an incredible storyteller. Thanks, Jewel!
Kelli V
Tremendous storyteller, Jewel is
John Doe
My ex used to have this song on a loop back in 1997. Was on before we crashed out at night and it’d play first thing in the morning as we were waking up.
Brian Irish
Beautiful song
Brian Irish
So love this
Mahsun Çelebi
Good voice
Joshua Castillo
🖤
Big Texas Mike
Who's my favorite rapper? Jewel! how about country artist? the same folk? you can guess it pop? rock? blues? I guess you really can't differentiate when you're confronted with he divine now can ya'?
jesse schoening
Gam