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.
Let Me Back In
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm leaving you, I'm going home
And all you can do is just watch me go
I've put you down, talked you up, defended your honor
And then packed it in and picked it up
And all you can do is watch me go
The Keys, the Alps, the Black Hills and Budapest
With my heart in a sling, tail between my legs a-swinging
I'm sorry for leaving
But when the palm trees bow their heads
No matter how wrong I've been
L.A., you always let me back in
And you can bury me when my body breaks
In the earth that created me, in the Golden State
By my mama and her brother and their mama too
'Cause I had a dream I was carried on backs
Of a thousand green birds
And they carried me to a place without words
And there was nothing, but there was everything
And it sounded like this
But when the palm trees bow their heads
No matter how cruel I've been
L.A., you always let me back in
And when the palm trees bow their heads,
No matter how cruel I've been,
L.A., you always let me back in, in
Oh back in, in
Oh back in, in
The lyrics to Rilo Kiley's song Let Me Back In express a sense of nostalgia towards the city of Los Angeles ("L.A.") and how it has always been a place of refuge for the singer, even though they have left and returned several times. The opening lines, "Let it be printed, let it be known, I'm leaving you, I'm going home, and all you can do is just watch me go," suggest that the singer has made a decision to leave a person or situation. However, the following line, "I've put you down, talked you up, defended your honor," implies that they have invested a lot of time and energy in this relationship or situation, making the decision to leave all the more difficult.
The next few lines detail the different places the singer has been to, from the Eastern seaboard to Budapest, but ultimately it is L.A. that they keep returning to. The palm trees mentioned throughout the song are a symbol of L.A. and represent a sense of homecoming for the singer. The chorus, "But when the palm trees bow their heads, no matter how wrong I've been, L.A., you always let me back in," shows that no matter how much the singer has messed up, L.A. is a forgiving and welcoming place.
The song ends with a dream-like sequence, where the singer is transported to a place without words, and there is nothing but everything. This suggests that the singer has finally found peace and contentment, which is symbolized by L.A. and its palm trees.
Line by Line Meaning
Let it be printed, let it be known
I'm making it clear that I'm leaving you and going home
And all you can do is just watch me go
You can't stop me from leaving
I've put you down, talked you up, defended your honor
I've praised you and defended you in the past, but now I'm leaving you
And then packed it in and picked it up
I've gathered my things and I'm leaving
From the Eastern seaboard, the landlocked Midwest
I've traveled from the East Coast to the Midwest
The Keys, the Alps, the Black Hills and Budapest
I've traveled far and wide
With my heart in a sling, tail between my legs a-swinging
I feel ashamed and embarrassed about leaving
I'm sorry for leaving
I regret leaving
But when the palm trees bow their heads
When I return to L.A.
No matter how wrong I've been
Regardless of my mistakes
L.A., you always let me back in
L.A. always welcomes me back
And you can bury me when my body breaks
When I die
In the earth that created me, in the Golden State
In California where I was born
By my mama and her brother and their mama too
Next to my family
'Cause I had a dream I was carried on backs
I had a dream that I was carried
Of a thousand green birds
By a thousand green birds
And they carried me to a place without words
They took me to a place of peace
And there was nothing, but there was everything
It was a peaceful place, but it had everything I needed
And it sounded like this
It was a beautiful and peaceful sound
Oh back in, in
I'm looking to go back to L.A.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Romy Igoe
Probably the most criminally underrated band ever; well, here in the U.K. at least.
Joe Chabot
everywhere. someone really should go to jail
CgGoil
I have just learned about this band. I cant believe how i didn’t knew before. They are amazing!!
tipthescales34 uhuh
@CgGoil I'm so excited for you. Jenny is amazing. Enjoy!!!
Bryan Smith
In the U.K.? In the USA as well.
Mark Stephens
Totally. How did we miss this band?
Leo1988 TMNT
All of Jenny's music makes me feel like I'm in a dream.
Tina Banina
One of the hardest working bands, I’d say. ❤
Hayley
I started listening to Rilo Kiley in early 2005, when I was 12/13. The first time I heard them, it changed my life forever. Seriously. I had never heard music like that before and I was in awe. I listened to "It's A Hit", "Does He Love You?, and "Portions For Foxes", which were the only songs on their website available to listen to and played them over and over and begged my parents to drive me to the record store (Rest in Peace, Rasputin Music in Newark, CA) where I bought all three of their then-available albums and listened to them and only them for months. I've gotten to see Jenny a few times, but I was 15 when Rilo Kiley last did shows----I was JUST starting to be allowed to go to concerts---obviously I couldn't drive or take public transport alone in the Bay Area at that age. They've been my favorite band for almost 20 years and if they reunite, I'll be the first to buy a ticket. That would be a dream.
Randy '"Jimmie James" Bowles
I was 58 when I discovered them on Austin City Limits. -- 58! But they changed my life, too. I saw them twice in Seattle. I saw Bruce Springsteen in 1975, the very week he was on the cover of Time and Newsweek magazines, when I was 26. Well, I had as much fun at the two Rilo Kiley shows as I did at the Springsteen shows. Oh, for reunion!