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.
Close Call
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To a gypsy mother and a bucket of tears
Her good looks could've sailed a ship
But her will alone could've sunk it
Funny thing about money for sex
You might get rich but you'll die by it
Gonna be a close call
Tell me now, what would you do
Hanging back with the brooms
Hustlin', pick pocket,
That's the way to get rich
It's gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Business men with good sense
If you live at all, you're gonna die by it
Funny thing about money for sex
You might get rich but then
It's gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
Gonna be a close call
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
The song "Close Call" by Rilo Kiley tells the story of a woman who was born to a gypsy mother and a father burdened by tears. Despite her striking beauty, her iron will proved to be her downfall. The first verse illustrates this by referencing the dangers of trading money for sex, pointing out the superficial gain one might get from it while warning of the potential consequences. The chorus suggests that there will be a close call, indicating danger and possibly an uncertain outcome. The verse that follows seems to suggest a life of crime as the only option for success, with the use of terms such as "hustling" and "pickpocketing". The subsequent chorus is used repeatedly to emphasize this sense of danger and uncertainty.
Throughout this song, Jenny Lewis (the lead singer of Rilo Kiley) reflects on the idea that regardless of how one may acquire wealth, it will eventually result in dire circumstances. The theme of a "close call" is repeated several times to stress the precarious nature of such a lifestyle. Furthermore, the song seems to warn young people against recklessly trading in on their good looks, and instead, developing a strength of character that will help them avoid pitfalls along the way. The song also implies that there is always a line between success and failure, with the distinction being only a hair's breadth away.
Line by Line Meaning
She was born on a bright new pew
She was born to a family that had high expectations for her
To a gypsy mother and a bucket of tears
Although her mother was wandering and emotional, her family was nevertheless tearful, passionate, and deeply in touch with their emotions
Her good looks could've sailed a ship
She was very attractive and would've made a good wife, just like the idea of sailing can be idealized and romanticized
But her will alone could've sunk it
However, her stubbornness, strong will to go against expectations, and self-reliance could be seen as negative qualities, and sabotage her potential marriage prospects
Funny thing about money for sex
The irony is that you might make a lot of money, but at the cost of part of your dignity and self-respect
You might get rich but you'll die by it
You may accumulate wealth, but it may ultimately bring you more stress, troubles, and death
It's gonna be a close call
There's going to be a narrow margin between success and failure
Tell me now, what would you do
Asked in a cynical manner, implying that people are willing to do anything for money
Hanging back with the brooms
Doing low-paying manual labor which involves mundane cleaning tasks
Hustlin', pick pocket,
Turning to crime as a way to get money
That's the way to get rich
Morally dubious ways to enrich oneself
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Musical interlude
Business men with good sense
Wealthy men with sharp business acumen
If you live at all, you're gonna die by it
No matter what you do in life, you will ultimately die, so you have to make the most of it and not let money control you
Gonna be a close call
Once again echoing the sentiment that things could easily go either way and that it's a delicate balance between success and failure
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Musical interlude
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Musical interlude
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Musical interlude
(oooh, aahhh, ahhh)
Musical interlude
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Blake Sennett, Jenny Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind