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.
Emotional
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I thought it'd take longer to kill you
And a month is no time at all
No time to reach down and erase you
You're so emotional
In the light of your mom's front room
I'm a thoughtless beast
And it's how you choose to see it
Strength or human needs
You're so emotional
In the light of your mom's front room
I'm so emotional
In the unforgiving light of the moon
And you lost your way home
And it feels familiar
And crickets guide you back
And you hear them calling
And it sounds familiar
And they might help you out
It's so hard
Emotional
In the light of your mom's front room
You're so emotional
In the light of the marquee moon
The lyrics to "Emotional" by Rilo Kiley are about the aftermath of a break-up, and the emotions that come with it. The singer is struggling with the fact that the person they thought they would have more time with is already gone. They feel a sense of surprise at how quickly it happened and regret that they didn't have more time to erase this person from their mind. However, the lyrics of the chorus take a different turn, focusing on the emotions of the other person. The chorus suggests that the other person is also struggling emotionally, and may be projecting their own feelings onto the singer. Each of them sees the other as "emotional", but it is unclear whether this is intended as an insult or an observation.
The second verse of the song continues with this theme, as the singer reflects on their own emotions. They feel like a "thoughtless beast" who is "afraid of everything". They are aware of their own emotional reactions to the situation, but it is unclear whether they see this as a weakness or a strength. Again, the focus shifts to the other person in the chorus, where they are described as emotional "in the light of your mom's front room". This could imply that this person is vulnerable in a familiar setting, or that they are only comfortable expressing their emotions in front of family.
The final verse of the song introduces the idea of finding one's way home. The singer suggests that the other person has lost their way, but that the sound of crickets could guide them back. This could be interpreted metaphorically, as a way of suggesting that the other person needs to find their own path in life. The song ends with the repeated phrase "it's so hard", which could be seen as a reflection on the difficulty of this kind of emotional journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Christ, you're already gone
I am surprised and saddened that you have left so soon
And I thought it'd take longer to kill you
I expected your departure to be more gradual and less sudden
And a month is no time at all
One month feels like a brief and insignificant period
No time to reach down and erase you
I cannot remove your memories or feelings from my mind so quickly
You're so emotional
You display a high level of sensitivity and feelings
In the light of your mom's front room
The setting where you exhibit such emotions is at your mother's home
I'm a thoughtless beast
I feel like a careless and brutish creature
Afraid of everything
I have many fears and anxieties
And it's how you choose to see it
Your perception of me is shaped by your own perspective and opinions
Strength or human needs
You must decide if my actions are guided by my inner strength or basic human desires
I'm so emotional
I am also very sensitive and prone to strong feelings
In the unforgiving light of the moon
My emotions are exposed harshly and honestly under the light of the moon
And you lost your way home
You are lost and feeling alienated or disconnected from your familiar surroundings
And it feels familiar
Your disorientation and confusion are not new experiences
And crickets guide you back
You find reassurance and comfort in the sounds of nature and the guidance of crickets
And you hear them calling
Their sounds are reaching out to you and inviting you to come closer
And it sounds familiar
The crickets' music is familiar and soothing to you
And they might help you out
Perhaps the crickets can offer guidance or comfort to you in your time of need
It's so hard
This situation is extremely difficult and emotionally challenging for both of us
In the light of your mom's front room
Once again, the setting is emphasized as the place where difficult emotions are often present
You're so emotional
Repeated from earlier- your strong feelings are a prominent part of this situation
In the light of the marquee moon
A new setting- at night with bright lights- carries the same emotional weight and significance as the previous scenes described
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Blake Sennett, Jenny Lewis, Pierre DeReeder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind