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.
Sword
Rilo Kiley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not two years ago today
And if you haven't noticed
Been waitin' for you to take me away
If nothin' warrants nothin'
I'll galdly give you away
For every goddamned moment
It's all in the movies I've seen
It's all in the movies I've seen
Lawrence of Arabia
He failed eleven plus
I never went to college
I'm sure it's obvious
I know it's off the subject
And I'm startin' to feel uncomfortable
'Cause when I talk about you
It's just like the movies I've seen
There I go I fucked it up for you I know
I should let you go
That's my reasoning
But there's no reasoning
With a melodramatic fool like me
Aw, fuck it, here's your love song
That you been askin' for
It's the best I could do without
Sayin' I love--
The first verse of Rilo Kiley's "Sword" is about someone who died by suicide by "falling on his sword" a couple of years ago, and the singer has been waiting for someone to take them away ever since. The second verse mentions Lawrence of Arabia, a historical figure known for his bravery in World War I, who reportedly failed the entrance exam for a college program called the "eleven plus." The singer then reflects on their own lack of higher education and how it's "obvious." The singer acknowledges that they're getting off-topic as they talk about the person they're addressing, admitting that their perception of love and relationships is shaped by "the movies I've seen," rather than reality. At the end of the song, the singer gives in and presents a love song, albeit one that doesn't outright say "I love you."
Line by Line Meaning
He fell on his sword
He sacrificed himself for someone or something else
Not two years ago today
Recently, but not too long ago
And if you haven't noticed
If you haven't realized yet
Been waitin' for you to take me away
I've been waiting for you to rescue me or take me with you
If nothin' warrants nothin'
If there's no valuable reason or outcome
I'll galdly give you away
I will gladly let you go
For every goddamned moment
For every single moment
There's something of mine that gets in the way
There's always something I do wrong that messes things up
It's all in the movies I've seen
My romanticized views and expectations are influenced by the movies I've watched
Lawrence of Arabia
Referencing a character in a movie
He failed eleven plus
Referring to a character's failure in a movie
I never went to college
I didn't go to college
I'm sure it's obvious
I know it's probably apparent
I know it's off the subject
I know this isn't related, but...
And I'm startin' to feel uncomfortable
I'm starting to feel uneasy or awkward
'Cause when I talk about you
Because when I mention you
It's just like the movies I've seen
I compare our relationship to the unrealistic perfection of romantic movies
There I go I fucked it up for you I know
I messed things up for you, I'm aware
I should let you go
I should allow you to leave
That's my reasoning
That's why I think it's the right decision
But there's no reasoning
But in reality, there's no logical explanation or justification
With a melodramatic fool like me
With someone who tends to overdramatize and act foolishly like me
Aw, fuck it, here's your love song
Forget it, I'm giving in and writing you a love song
That you been askin' for
The song you've requested
It's the best I could do without
It's the best I can do without saying the L-word
Sayin' I love--
Saying I love you
Contributed by Nicholas I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.