Howard taught Ben how to play the drums when he was just a seven-year-old. For the next year, the father and son would jam together almost every night after Howard got home from work. With Howard singing and playing guitar and Ben keeping the beat, the duo would play songs by The Beatles, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, and other artists of the 60s. Howard also has been a long-time friend of Bruce Springsteen associate Nils Lofgren, the two having gone to high school together.
When Ben turned eight, someone showed him how to play the chestnut "Heart And Soul" on the piano. The youngster immediately began to create his own songs using the same chords. By the time he was 9 he had a dozen original compositions under his belt and entered a songwriting contest sponsored by Billboard magazine. Kweller won honorable mention.
In 1993, Kweller became friends with another young local musician, drummer John Kent, and the two formed the band Radish with bassist Ryan Green. The trio played locally in and around Greenville, Texas and recorded two independent releases, ''Hello'' (1994) and ''Dizzy'' (1995), with Martin Baird at Verge Music Works recording studio in Dallas, Texas. Around the time of ''Dizzy's'' release, Ryan Green decided to leave the band and focus his attention on school. Lorin Hamilton filled in for a few months until Bryan Bradford AKA Bryan Blur joined on for most of the band's career. Ben sent a copy of ''Dizzy'' to Nils Lofgren. Nils was impressed with Radish and recommended them to Roger Greenawalt who was producing Lofgren's album at the time, ''Damaged Goods''. Greenawalt took Radish into a studio where they recorded a demo tape which was subsequently shopped around to record labels nationwide, After an unexpected bidding war, Radish eventually signed to Mercury to release the album Restraining Bolt.
Radish made appearances on ''The Weird Al Show'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and ''Late Show with David Letterman'', but despite the much-hyped signing, the band failed to strike big success. Radish earned a large cult following in the United Kingdom with their top 40 hit "Little Pink Stars". The band toured several times in Europe including opening slots for Faith No More and Main Stage at Reading Festival '97. Radish released two singles. In 1998 Radish became a quartet featuring Joe Butcher (Polyphonic Spree, UFOFU) on lead guitar and Debbie Williams on bass. Radish went to Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama to record the follow-up to ''Restraining Bolt'', provisionally titled ''Discount Fireworks''. The band recorded with record producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, The Lemonheads). While mixing ''Discount Fireworks'' in NYC, Kweller and Kent met bassist Josh Lattanzi who would become Radish's 5th and final bass player. As a result of Polygram's merger with Universal Music Group, the 18-song album was never released and Radish soon secured a release from their contract with Mercury Records.
At age 19, Ben Kweller moved to New York with his girlfriend Liz Smith, where he began his solo career. He played acoustic shows and self-released four EP's, comprising some of the unreleased Radish ''Discount Fireworks'' recordings and other songs recorded in his apartment on a laptop computer. It was one of these EPs, ''Freak Out, It's Ben Kweller'', that caught the attention of Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, and Dando invited Kweller out on tour with him, playing across America and Europe. Jeff Tweedy, Juliana Hatfield and Guster also began to notice Kweller and took him on tour with them
In 2001 Ben Kweller became ATO Records's first worldwide signing and released a 5-track EP entitled ''EP Phone Home''. In March 2002, ''Sha Sha'', Kweller's first solo studio Album was released. ''Sha Sha'' included the very radio-friendly and popular single "Wasted & Ready". The album featured John Kent on drums, Josh Lattanzi on bass, and showcased a wide variety of sound from Quirky Pop music to Folk to Punk. The album grew in popularity with a grassroots effort based on his website and a promotion group called teamBK, which promoted via word-of-mouth advertising. To support the release of the album and EP, he put together a live band, initially comprising Lattanzi on bass, Fred Eltringham on drums, and Mike Stroud on guitar and keyboards. Towards the end of the ''Sha Sha'' album cycle, the four-piece performed on PBS's Austin City Limits
In 2003, Kweller toured Australia with Ben Folds and Ben Lee as The Bens. The trio produced an eponymous four-song EP, with each member taking lead vocals on one song, and a final song in which they all contributed vocals. In an interview on October 14 2006 Ben hinted that The Bens may do another album. Later in 2003, Kweller provided lead vocals on the song "I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today" from Guster's album ''Keep It Together''. Kweller and Guster co-wrote the song after a late night jam at Gusters' Brooklyn studio. The song is prominently featured in the movie The Wedding Crashers.
''On My Way'' (2004), Kweller's second album, went in a new direction. The album, produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon), was recorded 'live' - there were limited overdubs and no use of headphones. After the release of On My Way, Kweller embarked on more touring, playing to his largest audiences ever, including a US tour co-headlining with Death Cab for Cutie. By this point, the lineup of his live band had changed to include John Kent on drums and Jason Roberts on guitar and keyboards, after Mike Stroud left to concentrate on his own band Ratatat and Fred Eltringham left to play drums in The Wallflowers.
In 2006 he recorded his third album, ''Ben Kweller'' with record producer, Gil Norton. Unlike the previous studio albums, Kweller played all the instruments on this record himself. Kweller continued to tour to support his self-titled album, and expanded his band into a five piece, which grew to include Dan Horne on bass, Mark Stepro on drums, Jay Barclay on guitar and organ, and Jason Roberts on lead guitar. Kweller continued to play guitar and piano on this tour, but it also gave him the opportunity to just sing on certain songs.
His tie-in "Trio on the Train Track Tour" included a new live band comprising Chris Morrissey on bass and Mark Stepro on drums. During the Australian leg of the tour, the band was composed of Jay Barclay on guitar, Dan Horne on bass and Mark Stepro continuing on drums.
As part of his 2006 tour, Kweller played the Austin City Limits Music Festival, where he was plagued by a severe nosebleed for the entirety of his set. After covering his guitar in blood, he attempted to stop the flow by inserting a travel-size tampon thrown onto the stage by a fan, which expanded painfully during a performance of "This Is War." After attempting to play "Falling" at the piano, which also became covered in blood, Kweller was forced to end the set early.
In the Spring of 2007, Kweller co-headlined with his label-mates Gomez. He continued through the summer with his own string of headlining dates which eventually ended at another appearance at ACL fest. This time no bloody nose, however, commemorative T-shirts were sold at the merch booth with fake blood stains that said "ACL 2007: The return of Ben Kweller".
Immediately following his performance at ACL, Kweller began recording his fourth full-length LP, ''Changing Horses'' in Austin, Texas on September 21, 2007. The album features the trio on the train tracks, and Pedal Steel/Dobro player Kitt Kitterman. In 2008, Kweller re-signed with ATO Records who released ''Changing Horses'' in early 2009.
Kweller's fifth studio album, entitled "Go Fly A Kite," was his first release produced solely by his own record label, The Noise Company. In earlier interviews, Kweller had stated that it would be released as early as March or April of 2011. However, after that the manager of The Noise Company stated that the album was now set to come out either late January or early February of 2012. Kweller confirmed on stage at Stubbs in Austin on 4/16/11 that the delay in release is a result of Kweller's parting ways with his former record label, ATO Records, and his desire to release the recording independently. Kweller had also stated the album would be very electric and energetic while dealing with some darker topics. It will be accompanied by a comprehensive world tour and several media appearances. The album was released in February of 2012.
In 2013 Kweller announced via facebook that he would be doing a "split" record with Waylon Jennings.
More info here: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/content/nrn/vinyl-kweller-jennings.htm
Falling
Ben Kweller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The neon light from the building lets
You know you're home
You'd go way back when if you wanted to be my friend or you'd call me I'd
Understand, it's true
I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
Ba ba ba ba ba ba
Wait there, I'll be right back
Down in Times Square it's a heart attack
All the feeling makes you feel so new
Trees fall and so do men
Even the walls start caving in and you feel like
There's no pretend for you
But I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
We could talk if days weren't so fast
And mistakes just leave it so unsure
Want to hold you like never before
'Case we're falling and I love you more and more
Do you feel like you're falling down?
Do you feel like you're falling down?
I don't feel like I'm falling, falling, falling down
I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
Ba ba ba ba ba ba
Do you feel like you're falling down?
Do you feel like you're falling down?
I don't feel like I'm falling, falling, falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
The lyrics of Ben Kweller's song "Falling" express a sense of stability and confidence in the midst of uncertainty and chaos. The opening lines establish a scene of a cold wind blowing in Dallas and the comforting neon lights of the city, indicating that the singer is back in a familiar place. The line "You'd go way back when if you wanted to be my friend" suggests that the singer values authentic connections and loyalty. However, the singer also acknowledges the fleeting nature of time and the uncertainty of life, referencing the metaphorical falling of trees, men, and even walls. Despite this, the singer insists that they do not feel like they are falling down and encourages others to simply "say 'hello' to the ground" as a subtle reminder to stay grounded and not become overwhelmed by the chaos of life.
The second verse has a more urgent tone, with the singer describing the overwhelming feeling of being in Times Square and experiencing a heart attack of emotion. However, the singer once again emphasizes their sense of stability, saying they do not feel like they are falling down. The final verse expresses a desire for deep connection and a fear of loss, but the singer continues to assert their sense of stability and confidence in the face of uncertainty. The song as a whole gives a message of resilience and finding stability in the midst of chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind is cold alright back in Dallas
The singer comments on the weather in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, emphasizing the cold winds that are part of his memories there.
The neon light from the building lets
You know you're home
As the singer heads back home, he notices the familiar glow of a neon sign outside a building, which brings back feelings of comfort and belonging.
You'd go way back when if you wanted to be my friend or you'd call me I'd
Understand, it's true
The singer reflects on how friendships from his past could be rekindled if the other person made an effort to reach out, as he would be understanding and welcoming.
I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling
No, I don't feel like I'm falling down
Just say "hello" to the ground
The singer reassures himself (and the listener) that despite life's ups and downs, he doesn't feel like he's losing his footing or failing. The line "Just say 'hello' to the ground" is a cheeky nod to the idea of grounding oneself and staying present.
Wait there, I'll be right back
Down in Times Square it's a heart attack
All the feeling makes you feel so new
Trees fall and so do men
The singer may be addressing a loved one or friend who is waiting for him as he gets caught up in the chaos and energy of Times Square in New York City. He remarks on how the intensity of the experience makes everything feel fresh and exciting ("All the feeling makes you feel so new"), but also acknowledges the fragility of life ("Trees fall and so do men") which could lead to fear and anxiety ("it's a heart attack").
Even the walls start caving in and you feel like
There's no pretend for you
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Times Square, the singer describes a feeling of being closed in and overwhelmed ("walls start caving in"). However, he notes that this environment does not allow for pretending or hiding from oneself, suggesting that there can be authenticity in facing difficult moments.
We could talk if days weren't so fast
And mistakes just leave it so unsure
Want to hold you like never before
'Case we're falling and I love you more and more
The singer expresses a desire for a deeper, more intimate connection with someone, but notes that the fast pace of life and the uncertainty that comes with mistakes can make it difficult to establish. He declares his love and implies that even in the midst of uncertainty, there is still joy and meaning to be found in falling - either in love or in life generally.
Do you feel like you're falling down?
Do you feel like you're falling down?
I don't feel like I'm falling, falling, falling down
The singer poses a question to someone, perhaps asking if they are struggling or feeling unsteady. He then repeats his assertion that he himself does not feel like he's losing his balance. The repetition of the phrase "falling, falling, falling down" suggests the possibility of a descent into chaos, but this is avoided due to the singer's inner sense of stability.
Just say "hello" to the ground
This line, repeated throughout the song, is a catchy sort of mantra that emphasizes the idea of staying grounded and present in the midst of life's turbulence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN KWELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind