Lewis and Sennett are former child actors and were introduced to each other by Tara Subkoff, a mutual friend, in 1993. In 2001, original drummer Dave Rock left the band and was replaced by Boesel.
They began their career on Barsuk Records, releasing Take Offs And Landings in 2001. They moved to Omaha-based indie label Saddle Creek for their second album, 2002's The Execution of All Things. But come time for their third release, More Adventurous in 2004, the band left Saddle Creek for Brute/Beaute, a Warner Bros. imprint.
2004 saw a great increase in recognition for the band, as Sennett and Boesel released an album with their band The Elected and Lewis sang backup on Ben Gibbard's (Death Cab For Cutie) indie electronic side project The Postal Service. Lewis toured with The Postal Service before heading out on two tours in support of Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous in the summer and fall of 2004. The album spent late 2004 high on Billboard Magazine's Heatseekers Chart, success only furthered by appearances on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The band opened for Bright Eyes on the international leg of Conor Oberst's tour for 2005's i'm wide awake, it's morning. In Fall 2005, Rilo Kiley were the opening act for the North American dates of Coldplay's Twisted Logic Tour.
Lewis released her first solo album in January of 2006, with Leigh and Chandra Watson as Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins. The album, entitled Rabbit Fur Coat, was co-produced by Clifford M Ward and Mike Mogis. Furthermore, The Elected released their second album, sun, sun, sun on the same day as Lewis' album.
The 4th Rilo Kiley LP, Under the Blacklight, was released in August 2007. This has a more pop-influenced sound and received mixed reviews.
The band broke up in 2011 after vague statements made by Blake Sennett comparing the band to a "corpse" and referring to disagreements among members.
Asshole
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I couldn't believe my eyes
I really hate my bad eye
And I thought you knew
You woke up my girlfriend
I can't believe my luck
I can't believe my bad luck
You told your friends about me
I'm not as smart as you
And all your stupid questions
I don't laugh at you
(Can't get it out of my head...)
(How can I change you?...)
And I hope things work out well for you
And I'm not coming back
You knew
All along you stole my best line
And you're right
You know I'd go to fucking Hell for you
There I go, believing you again
There I go, believing you again
The song "Asshole" by Rilo Kiley is about the realization of someone's true character. The opening lyrics "You woke up an asshole, I couldn't believe my eyes" shows the singer's surprise at the rude and selfish behavior of the person they were with. The use of the word "asshole" is a strong and direct descriptor, emphasizing the intensity of the situation. The second line, "I really hate my bad eye, and I thought you knew," is a play on words. The singer hates their "bad eye," indicating that they made a mistake with this person and misjudged their character. The line "and I thought you knew" implies that the singer assumed the person would not act this way, suggesting a previous trust in the person.
The next verse introduces the idea of the singer's girlfriend also being affected by the actions of the person they are addressing. "You woke up my girlfriend, I can't believe my luck, I can't believe my bad luck, and I should have known," expresses the disappointment the singer has in not realizing the person's true character earlier. The repetition of "I can't believe my luck" highlights the unfortunate circumstances faced by the singer and their girlfriend. The bridge of the song features an introspective moment where the singer recognizes that they are not as smart as the person they were with, and they don't appreciate the person's "stupid questions." The repetition of "Can't get it out of my head, How can I change you?" emphasizes the internal conflict of the singer, wanting to change the person but realizing it's not possible.
The last verse provides some closure to the situation. The singer hopes that things work out for the person they were with but states that they're not coming back. The line "you knew all along you stole my best line, and you're right" acknowledges that the person had an understanding of the relationship's dynamics and exploited them. Finally, the line "you know I'd go to fucking Hell for you" indicates the depth of the relationship and the singer's willingness to do anything for this person. However, the last two lines of the song "There I go, believing you again" imply that the singer may not have fully learned their lesson and may fall into the same trap in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
You woke up an asshole
You started acting like a jerk from the moment you woke up
I couldn't believe my eyes
I was shocked by the way you were acting
I really hate my bad eye
I dislike something about myself that affects the way I see things
And I thought you knew
I assumed that you were aware of my dislike for that thing
You woke up my girlfriend
You also caused distress to my significant other
I can't believe my luck
I cannot fathom this unfortunate situation
I can't believe my bad luck
I cannot believe I am experiencing this negative turn of events
And I should have known
I now realize that I should have anticipated this outcome
You told your friends about me
You divulged personal information about me to others
I'm not as smart as you
You made me feel inferior to you intellectually
And all your stupid questions
The questions you asked were foolish and made me feel belittled
I don't laugh at you
I do not ridicule you in the same way you do to me
And I hope things work out well for you
I wish you the best for your future endeavors
And I'm not coming back
I will not return to this situation
You knew
You were aware of the ramifications of your actions
All along you stole my best line
From the beginning, you took credit for something I said
And you're right
To a certain extent, you are correct
You know I'd go to fucking Hell for you
I care about you deeply and would do anything for you
There I go, believing you again
Once more, I am falling for your tricks and manipulation
There I go, believing you again
I am consistently being fooled by you
Contributed by Hunter V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sean Beard
FUN FACT: the DJ from Slipknot is laying down the scratches on this jam.
JKsnatchers
The best sad love song
Marley morris
the guitar melody and beat specifically in the very beginning before the scratching is replicated in a released track, anyone have a clue what it is? (i know RK and even jenny reuse the same melodies and stuff but this is like exactly the same as another)
Ivan Francia
are you talking about "small figures"
SisterDorothy Staff
"To get into the biology of it, falling in love is when someone triggers the three chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine in our brains. What is really interesting is that over time our brains literally become immune to a particular person triggering this response. However if upon seeing that person our brains still releases endorphins, due to familiarity and memories created with that person, a feeling of love can be maintained.
This song is when that initial emotion wares off and we fine we don't particularly care for the person we wake up in bed with. What's difficult is that the connection made is still strong and neither particularly wants to end the relationship, they'd do anything for each other despite the fact that they can't stand each other.
I love the duality in this song. There are times the two voices sing in unison and other times when they sound very distant from each other, further illustrating the conflicting emotions. "
alan osterman
@Josh M Ah, the luxury of many years left to live. You can afford to feel this way.
Josh M
I think what you've reminded us of is... Assholes. And I hope things work out well for you.
Josh
I really hate my bad luck!
ScoobyDoobyDrew1122
there i go, believing you again
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