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.
It's A Hit
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform,
And run for office on election day,
Fancy himself a real decision maker,
And deploy more troops than salt shakers.
But it's a jungle when war is made,
And you'll panic and throw your own shit at the enemy.
Look, it's a sheep in wolf's clothing.
A smoking gun holding ape.
Any asshole can open up a museum.
Put all of the things he loves on display
So everyone could see them.
The house, a car, a thoughtful wife
Ordinary moments in his ordinary life.
But if she breaks a smile, she'll give you away
Cause no one wants to pay to see your happiness.
No one wants to pay to see your day to day
And I'm not buying it either
But I'll try selling it anyway.
Any idiot can play Greek for a day
And join a sorority or write a tragedy
And articulating all that pain
And maybe you'll get paid.
But it's a sin when success complains,
And your writers block-it don't mean shit.
Just throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
Gotta write a hit
I think this is it.
It's a hit.
And if it's not,
Then it's a holiday for hanging
Yeah it's a holiday for hanging
Yeah it's a holiday for hanging
Yeah it's a holiday for hanging
Yeah shoo-bop-shoo-bop my baby
Any fool can play executioner for a day,
And say with fingers pointed in both directions
'he went thataway',
It's only a switch or syringe,
Aww, exempt from eternal sins.
But you still wear a cross,
And you think you're gonna get in.
Ah, but the pardons never come from up-stairs.
They're always a moment too late,
But it's entertainment
Keep the crowd on their toes,
It's justice, we're safe.
It's not a hit, it's a holiday
Shoo-bop-shoo-bop my baby
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
I'm a holiday for hanging,
I'm a holiday for hanging,
I'm a holiday yeah
I'm a holiday for hanging,
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
The lyrics of Rilo Kiley's "It's A Hit" seemingly aim to highlight the duplicity, greed, and conformism of contemporary society. The song opens with the singer reminding us how easy it is to play human and do things that humans do, like running for office or going to the dry cleaners, but war makes things a lot harder. Here, the singer notes that when faced with a war, even the most civilized of humans can panic and resort to primitive behavior, which is typically associated with animals like monkeys (hence the mention of the chimp). The metaphorical use of the chimp connects with the song's theme, in which people are shown to be utterly primitive despite their displays of humanity and modernity. This section of the song might be interpreted as a critique of modern politics, particularly how elected officials quickly become corrupt and fail to accomplish much of what they promised.
The second verse of "It's A Hit" focuses on the pitfalls of success and how people present their ordinariness as something unique while complaining about their successes. Here, the song is a commentary on social media and how we are all trying to become someone who we're not. Therefore, even if we portray our ordinary lives on social media, we do so in a way that seems special and unique. However, the central message conveyed by the song is that nobody wants to pay for it. People want to see drama, heartbreaks, and pain, the things that others can relate to, and thus, something real. The significance of the last verse relates to people who commit sins in the name of religion. Throughout the song, the singer likens people to animals, so the cross-clad people referred to in this section are obviously akin to sheep. However, instead of realizing this, they wear their religious affiliations boldly and believe that they will be receiving some form of pardon for their wrongdoings. But the singer warns that religion cannot save them, and when the time for judgment arrives, it is often too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Any chimp can play human for a day.
Anyone can pretend to be something they are not, just like a chimp pretending to be a human.
Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform,
Taking advantage of what makes you different from other creatures to perform tasks suited for humans.
And run for office on election day,
A chimp can even run for a position in power, just like any human being.
Fancy himself a real decision maker,
A chimp in this scenario envisions himself as capable of making important choices like a true leader.
And deploy more troops than salt shakers.
This phrase highlights the absurdity of a chimp leading a nation and making critical military decisions.
But it's a jungle when war is made,
The battlefield is often comparable to a jungle, wild and dangerous.
And you'll panic and throw your own shit at the enemy.
In times of panic, people can become irrational and resort to primitive actions, similar to how a chimp throws feces.
The camera pulls back to reveal your true identity.
Our true selves can be exposed in moments of crisis and chaos.
Look, it's a sheep in wolf's clothing.
Someone who appears tough and strong is really just vulnerable and weak when they face true adversity.
A smoking gun holding ape.
A metaphor to convey how foolish it is to trust a chimp with something as powerful as a gun.
Any asshole can open up a museum.
Anyone can be pretentious and create something meant to showcase their interests, even if nobody cares about them.
Put all of the things he loves on display
This phrase emphasizes how the museum is just an extension of the owner's ego, showcasing things they value.
So everyone could see them.
The owner wants others to know and appreciate their interests and possessions.
The house, a car, a thoughtful wife
The exhibit contains items that we see often in society as symbols of success or status.
Ordinary moments in his ordinary life.
Despite having these possessions, the museum owner's life is still ordinary.
But if she breaks a smile, she'll give you away
The slightest deviation from the expected, even a smile, can reveal the truth behind the facade.
Cause no one wants to pay to see your happiness.
People are more interested in the struggles and failures of others, rather than their happiness and success.
No one wants to pay to see your day to day
Routine and mundane activities are not interesting enough to warrant attention or admiration.
And I'm not buying it either
The singer is not impressed or fooled by the act of showing off possessions.
But I'll try selling it anyway.
Even though the artist thinks showcasing possessions is way overrated, they still acknowledge that people still try to do it.
Any idiot can play Greek for a day
Anybody can pretend to be smart and well-educated, like someone who immersed themselves in ancient Greek teachings and culture.
And join a sorority or write a tragedy
It is easy to fit in with a certain group or create something that seems like it would be important, such as writing a tragedy.
And articulating all that pain
Expressing one's emotions to others through art or speech.
And maybe you'll get paid.
If people are impressed and impacted by what is being said, the artist can get paid for their work.
But it's a sin when success complains,
Complaining about success, the desired outcome of one's actions, is insulting, ungrateful, and a waste of time.
And your writers block-it don't mean shit.
Writer's block, or the inability to write, is not an excuse to not produce meaningful work.
Just throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
Give anything that comes to mind a try when facing an obstacle in hopes that at least something will resonate with the audience.
Gotta write a hit
It is necessary to produce something well-received, even if success cannot be guaranteed.
I think this is it
The songwriter wrote this song, which they think will be a success.
It's a hit.
The song is a smash hit, becoming widely popular.
And if it's not,
Despite the hope that the song becomes well-regarded, there is always a possibility of failure.
Then it's a holiday for hanging
If the song is unsuccessful, the songwriter will be hung out to dry.
Yeah it's a holiday for hanging
The failure would be a spectacle for others to see and celebrate, mocking the attempts of the songwriter.
Any fool can play executioner for a day,
Anyone can pretend to enforce justice, even if they do not have the qualifications to carry out the act.
And say with fingers pointed in both directions
Pointing fingers and blaming others is easy, rather than taking responsibility for one's actions.
'he went thataway'
Passing blame and deflecting guilt to make someone else take the fall.
It's only a switch or syringe,
Taking someone's life seems simple enough when the tools are right in front of you, like using a switch or a syringe.
Aww, exempt from eternal sins.
Despite taking someone's life, the executioner thinks their actions will be forgiven in the afterlife.
But you still wear a cross,
Wearing a religious symbol, despite taking part in such an act, can be justified through claims of forgiveness and redemption.
And you think you're gonna get in.
The executioner is overconfident in their salvation and thinks their sins are forgivable.
Ah, but the pardons never come from up-stairs.
Salvation does not come from being granted a pardon, as it is something that cannot be bought or earned by any action a person takes.
They're always a moment too late,
The chance to be pardoned always comes too late for anyone to take advantage of it.
But it's entertainment
The world's cruelness can be entertaining for people, making light of the darkness in the world.
Keep the crowd on their toes,
Keeping things under wraps creates a sense of anticipation in people, who want to know what will happen next.
It's justice, we're safe.
The executioner is a symbol of authority and justice, providing security and safety for those who are protected under their custody.
It's not a hit, it's a holiday
If something is unsuccessful, it becomes a laughing stock, almost like a holiday.
Shoo-bop-shoo-bop my baby
A nonsensical phrase, maybe just to add an extra element of whimsy or humor to the song.
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
This phrase brings the song full circle, repeating the chorus that celebrates failure and disappointment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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