And it's all the treasures that shine in the street
As we drive right over them
And its all the mornings we missed for sleep
As the sun glides over our apartment
And it's all the subtle change in landscape and business
Reminds you of your limited time
This time you'll listen to the movement in your body
How it keeps on despite you and it frightens you
Cause you're barely alive

You're desperate in finding something else to please you
You've been searching your whole life
Something to mute, change, or just distract you
Something to put inside you to give the illusion of life
Cause you've always been barely alive
Cause you're barely alive
Cause you're barely alive
You've always been barely alive
Have you not?

And the greatest escape that you ever did make
With your arms by your side left it up to fate
And the coast that you've seen though you're watching them weekly
You've cursed all perfect days as you walked away
I can hear you say, â??Jenny, you're barely aliveâ??

a metal rods you put in your fucking jaw to keep you from grinding your teeth at night

Cause you're barely alive
You've always been barely alive
Cause you're barely alive
Always been barely alive


Lyrics submitted by myslumberingheart

Jenny, You're Barely Alive Lyrics as written by Jenny Lewis Blake Sennett

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Jenny, You're Barely Alive song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    holy shit what a good song! so mixtapeable.

    vanessacorpseon June 26, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "the metal rods you put in your fucking jaw to keep you FROM GRINDING YOUR TEETH EVERY NIGHT!" sooo awesome live.

    kamanakaon September 29, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i love how she uses her name in this song/sings directly about herself

    mrs-mojo-risinon November 03, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I LOVE THIS SONG.

    killstaron November 12, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    one of my favourite songs. i especially love the scream. mmm.

    ohh_recklesson February 03, 2005   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I think it's a song open to a lot of interpretation, which is good. It can be 'pinned' onto a lot of different things, but I like how it can reach out and span all sorts of disorders and addictions and problems. It could even address different things at once, what with co-morbidity and all. The greatest accomplishment of this song is how it manages to resonate with people on an instinctive level, no matter what's going on. It provides a sort of connection without giving any real answers. And that's cool with me. :)

    Something interesting about the metal rods (because I've seen a lot of speculation here)... When people grind their teeth chronically it's usually a symptom of something, not the source of a problem. Bruxism is often found in individuals who smoke or drink; who consume a high amount of caffeine; who use drugs, SSRIs and amphetamines in particular; or who suffer from sleep disorders, anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Eating Disorders (more specifically malnutrition), or depression. Most often, it presents itself during sleep, and one popular cure is the insertion of metal rods into the jaw.

    Interesting that all of the topics Rilo Kiley tends to address can cause bruxism. Intriguing.

    Maeleeneon October 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    an amazing song, one of my favorites of theirs

    brokenspoonson January 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Have you not?" Hm. I always thought it was "Help me out"

    zeros and oneson February 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "Have you not?" Hm. I always thought it was "Help me out"

    zeros and oneson February 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It is "help me out."

    oh_doctor_doctoron March 09, 2005   Link

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