MTV FANATIC Interview Transcript: Sarah interviews Jewel

First transcription base draft by Kevin Nguyen
Corrections and second draft by Albert Wang


July 22, 1998


Sarah: I've been reading your poetry a lot lately and I was wondering if
your poetry was inspired by things you've gone in your own life or if
it's experiences you see other people go through?

Jewel: It's both. I think a lot of them are very personal and specific to
my life.

(Foolish Games video plays)

And then a lot of times it's observational.  Me in airports watching
people, or things like that.  Whereas in my music I'll often write in the
first person, like "Daddy," but it isn't about me.

Sarah: I heard you were doing a movie, "Ride with the Devil," and I was
wondering if you would like to tell us about the movie?

Jewel: I really wanted to change. I was getting kinda bored with music.
Especially just being on the same record for four or five years or however
long it was. So I really wanted a new challenge and it was definitely a
challenge and it was really hard and I chose a really hard dramatic role
instead of just something light and funny.  Uh, so it was good. I'm ready
to go back to music though.

Sarah: Since you've been doing writing poetry, singing, and the acting, I
was wondering which of them you prefer?

Jewel: I'm glad I'm a writer. Being able to express yourself is a very,
very valuable tool. It helps me become a better person.

Sarah: You've written many songs and I was wondering what song is your
most auto-biographical song you've written to date?

Jewel: they all are, in a way. You know what I mean?

Sarah: Yeah.

(YWMFM video clip plays)

Sarah: I was reading your poetry book and I read this poem, Sara Said, and
my name is Sarah and I read this poem first just because, I, uhm, at first
was kinda, I was really taken aback at first just because I was reading
it, and I was reading about how a 15 year old girl was uh, couldn't say no
to a guy and was going through all this turmoil. And I was adopted, in my
family. And I always kinda resentful towards my biological parents. But
when I read that I was kinda thinking that maybe it just wasn't just the
fact that they just like gave me up, maybe it was just the fact there were
problems, and there were things, you know, so I was being selfish,
thinking, you know, "she just gave me up". And it gave me a lot of peace,
of understanding that I should be more opened minded about things and I
shouldn't just be like...


Jewel: I know, it's hard as parents. You always feel they should be, like,
super human. You know what I mean?  Because they're dealing with your
life.  They can mess you up or they can make you great.  We're so
vulnerable to them.  At the same time, it's like, "God they're human." You
know what I mean?  It's like you can't help but feel like "Okay, I know
how you feel" but it doesn't make it all right. But I can understand it a
little better.

Sarah: Yeah.

Jewel: You know?

Sarah: But I was wondering where you got your inspiration for that
specific poem of yours?

Jewel: It's funny, when I was doing the book I was little worried about
putting the really frank poems in, like Sara Said. I decided like, what I
loved as a kid was honest writing. Like Anais Nin or what like Burkowsky
[said] whatever it was, I liked people saying things that were real.  I
wrote that song just cause you know when I was a kid there were lots of
kids having sex, like at 12. And I was like (Jewel stunned) "12?"  I was
playing barbie dolls.  (Sarah agrees by saying right, right). But at the
same time, you know, it was just like... I had... You know, I went to this
school when sex ed was really common. I'm sure you did too.  They teach
you how to put condoms on, the whole nine yards.  But they didn't teach me
about like valuing myself.  And I look at women, I guess because I grew up
in bar rooms too, I see a lot of women and the waitresses and how they
just are so flattered for any attention, even if it's sweaty drunk
attention.  Whereas I was taught at a very young age to value myself
more, just as myself, not like a religious thing, not [as] anything but
almost like a more just... you know to be careful with yourself.  And be
careful who you give yourself to, whether it's, you know, romantically,
physically, or even emotionally.  So to me it's about that, not just sex,
but just sort of like being careful with yourself.


Sarah: I was wondering, so how do you write your songs? Do you sit down
and write them or does it takes weeks and you just come back to it?

Jewel:  You know I always wrote, like I wrote this first album Pieces of
You, really accidentally.  It was just like a creative adventure.

(Another YWMFM clip)

Jewel: I didn't think I was a song writer.  It was just on six...  I wrote
Who Will Save Your Soul when I was your age, about sixteen.  And now that
I'm touring all the time, picking up my guitar is harder.

Sarah:  Well you obviously know a lot about the Everyday Angels, the group
on the internet.  I was kinda wondering do you consider them more than
just the fans?

Jewel: I was really freaked out about the whole "fan thing ".I remember
talking to my mom about it.....my moms my manager....I'm like--"I don't
know about this...."--'cause I was never like that. But I get inspired by
people, so I decided like I'm going to try to inspire people & NOT have
them idolize me.

Sarah: You started performing very young with your family.  Do you um have
any specific time that you remember that was like really great or just
sticks out?

Jewel: I remember one of the first times I ever got up on stage, I would
wear leader hoes (laughs) and I had really long hair and it was braided,
and I would get so nervous that I would laugh in the middle of it or I'd
start to hiccup.  So I'd yodel (yodels with hiccups)  Six or something you
know?

Sarah: So how has you career change over the time that you've been a
performer?

Jewel: I think that if um I hadn't spent all those years bar singing with
my dad, I didn't think I could've toured solo like I did. You know opening
up for Peter Murphy, The Ramones, or Everclear in front of 20,000 kids, if
I hadn't had all those years of bar experience. (determined) Just like
"You will listen and I am gonna get you damn it!"  You know?

Sarah: Thank you for, for really everything you've done for everybody. I
mean, really, really it's cool. And you may not realized it but you really
inspired so many people and it's really made a difference, especially in
my life.

Jewel (wrinkles her nose and looks up demurely): No embarrassing the
artist.

Sarah: Thank you for everything it was really nice.  Bye!

Jewel: Tell everyone 'hi'.

Sarah: I will.  Thank you so much.



End of Interview