As of fall 2006, Ben Folds has released five solo LPs. His first album, Fear of Pop: Volume 1, an album of spoken word and instrumental compositions, was recorded and released while Ben Folds Five was still together. Since it was an uncharacteristic release, and officially released under the moniker of 'Fear of Pop', it is widely considered that his first "proper" solo album was Rockin' the Suburbs (2001), on which he played all the instruments by himself. A year later, in 2002, he released Ben Folds Live, a collection of live solo recordings. In late 2003, two solo EPs, Speed Graphic and Sunny 16, were released, with a third entitled Super D released in mid-2004. In 2005, Folds released a second studio album called Songs for Silverman. Most recently Folds has released the album "Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp" a compliation of his EPs, a The Bens track called "Bruised," "Still" from the motion picture of 2006 "Over the Hedge" for which Folds wrote all the songs, his cover of the Dr. Dre song "Bitches Ain't Shit", and, with the kind permission of his good friend Neil Hannon, a cover of The Divine Comedy song "Songs of Love". "Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp" otherwise includes remastered takes from the three internet EPs from 2002-2004. Ben claims that he wanted to have the CD in hard format so he could "put it past him."
Ben resides in Nashville. He often tours the United States, the United Kingdom, other countries in Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Folds' tours are famous for his solo act as "Ben Folds and a piano", often having the audience become involved by "playing" the accompanying instruments (such as the trumpet and saxophone harmonies in "Army") and singing choir-like backing vocals on "Not the Same". His concerts are charismatic, yet calm - an enjoyable experience for most. And although Folds is constantly putting out new songs, his concerts rarely omit classic fan favorites such as "Philosophy," "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces," and "Army." Also, a seemingly fan favorite that started in Chicago, IL was "Rock this Bitch," a song where Folds has to come up an impromptu new tune with the words "Rock this Bitch" in it; though the song seems to be phasing out, it still makes appearances on tours, such as the November 2006 tour and the Spring US College tour of 2007 and 2008.
Folds also produced and arranged the William Shatner album, Has Been (2004); he previously worked with Shatner on the songs "In Love" and "Still in Love" for Fear of Pop.
Folds described his former band, Ben Folds Five, as "punk rock for sissies," and his oddball lyrics often contain nuances of depression, melancholy and self-conflict. Folds also provided a number of songs for film soundtracks. Some of these include "Lonely Christmas Eve" for the Jim Carrey film How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000), and a rendition of the Beatles' "Golden Slumbers" for the film I Am Sam (2001). He (as The Bens) has also done charity compilations, from singing "Wicked Little Town" (from film and stage show Hedwig and the Angry Inch) on the benefit album "Wig in a Box" (2003) to appearing on No Boundaries, a benefit album for Kosovo refugees, with the song "Leather Jacket." (written by Darren Jessee)
On a planned tour of Australia, Folds teamed up with solo artists Ben Kweller and Ben Lee to travel the country together as The Bens, at the suggestion of a fan on Ben Kweller's official website. The trio also went on to record a four-track EP together, entitled The Bens.
In summer of 2004, Folds co-headlined an American tour with fellow rockers Rufus Wainwright and Guster. His second solo studio album, entitled Songs for Silverman, was released in the U.S. on April 26, 2005, featuring Jared Reynolds on bass, and Lindsay Jamieson on the drums, thus returning to the trio format, which had been so successful earlier, in earnest. This album includes the track "Late," a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, and also features backing vocals from "Weird Al" Yankovic on "Time." (Folds had played piano for Yankovic's song "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?" and "Weird Al" directed Folds' music video for Rockin' the Suburbs). In January of 2007 Lindsay Jamieson left the band and was replaced by Sam Smith, of The Comfies on drums.
Folds performed with Rufus Wainwright and Ben Lee in the summer of 2005 as part of the "Odd Men Out" tour. In addition, Folds has performed with many other famous musical names, including Weezer. Folds has also shown the complexity behind his authentic sound by performing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, in March 2005, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, in November 2005. A DVD recording of Folds playing with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was released in December, 2005.
Folds was the first artist to do a "Live at Myspace" concert, held on October 24, 2006 in his recording studio in Nashville, the show was an hour long and had requests from the internet submitted via Myspace's Messenger. It also entailed several stunts, including a suicide attempt, and a falling audience member during "Jesusland". The DVD of the broadcast (almost whole) was released in February of 2007.
Folds supports the independent music scene, creating his own record label (Attacked By Plastic) and doing promotional work for independent record stores across the country.
In 2008, September 16 marked the release of Amanda Palmer's solo album which was produced by Folds. Two days following that release, Ben Folds Five had a one-time reunion concert held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the same place the band was formed. Weeks later, he released his third solo album entitled Way To Normal, released on September 30. Folds also recorded a fake album that was leaked intentionally during the summer to please fans and in an attempt to stop the real album from leaking. The fake tracks were recorded and mixed over a period of only several days. The leak contained 6 fake songs with names similar to the real songs or the album, and three songs from the actual release (except the song Cologne, which was an orchestral version of a song by the same name on the final album).
Since December 2008, Folds has been collaborating with English novelist Nick Hornby, writing the music while Hornby writes the lyrics. This album was originally planned to be recorded over a course of 3 days, the same amount of time in which the fake album was recorded, but Folds has since been recording the album in a more standard format, albeit attempting to retain the live recording format. He has also played several songs from the upcoming album at live shows since mid-2009, and the album is slated to be released on September 27th of 2010.
From December 14 through 21, 2009, Folds was featured as a judge on NBC's a cappella competition The Sing Off alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Shawn Stockman and offered insightful, constructive comments and criticisms to the contestants. On the final show, in a departure from his a cappella purism, showcased his talents and played the roaring, riffing piano background on "Why Can't We Be Friends?" sung by the two finalist groups, Tufts Beelzebubs from Tufts University near Boston and Nota, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He again returned for the show's second season, and has been confirmed to return for the third season in September 2011 alongside Stockman and new judge Sara Bareilles.
Recently Ben Folds was assumed to be the anonymous pianist playing songs to random ChatRoulette users, named "Merton." Although Ben Folds has admitted to NOT being Merton, he paid tribute to the YouTube star at a concert in Charlotte in "Ode To Merton."
Ben Folds recently released his first album since So There, What Matters Most in June of 2023 after a 12 year hiatus.
B*****s Ain't S**t
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bitches ain't shit
[Chorus]
Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks
Lick on deez nutz and suck the dick
lets get the fuck out after you're done
And I hops in my ride to make a quick run
We used to roll around and fuck the hoes at night
Tight than a motherfucker with the gangster beats
And we was ballin' on the motherfuckin' Compton streets
Peep, that shit got deep and it was on
Number 1 song after number 1 song
Long as my motherfuckin' pockets was fat
I didn't give a fuck where the bitch was at
But she was hangin' with a white bitch doin' the shit she do
Suckin' on his dick just to get a buck or 2
And the ends she got didn't mean nothin'
Now she's suing cause the shit she be doin' ain't shit
Bitches can't hang with the streets, she found herself short
So now she's takin' me to court
It's real conversation for your ass
I once had a bitch named Mandy May
Used to be up in them guts like everyday
The pussy was the bomb, had a nigga on sprung
I was in love like a motherfucker lickin' the pro-tung
The homies used to tell me that she wasn't no good
But I'm the maniac in black, Mr. Snoop Eastwood
So I figure niggas wouldn't trip with mine
Guess what? Got gaffled by one time
I'm back to the motherfuckin' county jail
6 months on my chest, now it's time to bail
I get's released on a hot sunny day
My nigga D.O.C. and my homey Dr Dre
Scooped in a coupe, Snoop we got news
Your girl was trickin' while you was draped in your county blues
I ain't been out a second
And already gotta do some motherfuckin' chin checkin'
Move up the block as we groove down the block
See my girl's house, Dre, pass the glock
Kick in the do', I look on the flo'
It's my little cousin Daz and he's fuckin' my hoe, yo
I un-cocked my shit,I'm heart-broke but I'm still loc'ed
Man, fuck that bitch!
[Chorus]
Bitches can't hang with the streets, she found herself short
So now she's takin' me to court
It's real conversation for your ass
[Repeat: x4]
Bitches can't hang with the streets
The song "Bitches Ain't Shit" by Ben Folds is a cover of Dr. Dre's original song, featuring Snoop Dogg, from his 1992 album, "The Chronic." The song is an explicit and controversial commentary on the realities of relationships, specifically regarding women. The lyrics are derogatory and demeaning towards women, describing them as "bitches" who are only interested in sex and money.
The lyrics recount a series of stories about women who have cheated, lied, and sued the artists for money. The chorus repeats the phrase "bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks," solidifying the belief that women cannot be trusted and are only interested in using men for their own gain. The verse also talks about the artists' experiences with women in Compton, California, and how they engaged in promiscuous behavior with them.
Despite the controversial nature of the lyrics, the song was a commercial success and remains a popular track in hip hop. It has been covered by several other artists and has been featured in various TV shows and films. However, due to its derogatory language and questionable content, the song has also been subject to significant criticism from activists and women's groups.
Line by Line Meaning
Bitches ain't shit
Women are not valuable
Bitches ain't shit
Women are not worth anything
Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks
Women are only good for sex and deceit
Lick on deez nutz and suck the dick
Perform oral sex on a man
lets get the fuck out after you're done
Leave immediately after sex
And I hops in my ride to make a quick run
Leave the area quickly after sex
I used to know a bitch named Eric Wright
I used to know a woman named Eric Wright
We used to roll around and fuck the hoes at night
We used to drive around and have sex with multiple women at night
Tight than a motherfucker with the gangster beats
Extremely cool with the gangster music
And we was ballin' on the motherfuckin' Compton streets
We were having fun on the streets of Compton
Peep, that shit got deep and it was on
Things got serious
Number 1 song after number 1 song
Releasing successful music repeatedly
Long as my motherfuckin' pockets was fat
As long as I had a lot of money
I didn't give a fuck where the bitch was at
I did not care where the woman was
But she was hangin' with a white bitch doin' the shit she do
She was hanging out and engaging in bad behavior with a white woman
Suckin' on his dick just to get a buck or 2
Performing oral sex for money
And the ends she got didn't mean nothin'
The money she earned was not important
Now she's suing cause the shit she be doin' ain't shit
She is now taking legal action because her actions were not valuable
Bitches can't hang with the streets, she found herself short
Women cannot handle street life
So now she's takin' me to court
She is taking legal action against me
It's real conversation for your ass
This is a serious message
I once had a bitch named Mandy May
I used to know a woman named Mandy May
Used to be up in them guts like everyday
I used to have sex with her every day
The pussy was the bomb, had a nigga on sprung
The sex was amazing and addictive
I was in love like a motherfucker lickin' the pro-tung
I was deeply in love and infatuated
The homies used to tell me that she wasn't no good
My friends warned me about her
But I'm the maniac in black, Mr. Snoop Eastwood
I am a tough and fearless man like Clint Eastwood
So I figure niggas wouldn't trip with mine
I thought my friends would not have a problem with her
Guess what? Got gaffled by one time
I got caught by the police
I'm back to the motherfuckin' county jail
I am back in jail
6 months on my chest, now it's time to bail
I spent 6 months in jail and now it is time to be released
I get's released on a hot sunny day
I am released on a sunny day
My nigga D.O.C. and my homey Dr Dre
My friends D.O.C. and Dr. Dre come to pick me up
Scooped in a coupe, Snoop we got news
They give me some news
Your girl was trickin' while you was draped in your county blues
Your girlfriend was cheating on you while you were in jail
I ain't been out a second
I just got out of jail
And already gotta do some motherfuckin' chin checkin'
I already have to assert my dominance
Move up the block as we groove down the block
Drive up the street while listening to music
See my girl's house, Dre, pass the glock
See my girlfriend's house and pass me a gun
Kick in the do', I look on the flo'
Kick open the door and look on the floor
It's my little cousin Daz and he's fuckin' my hoe, yo
My cousin Daz is having sex with my girlfriend
I un-cocked my shit,I'm heart-broke but I'm still loc'ed
I put away my gun and am heartbroken but still tough
Man, fuck that bitch!
I hate that woman!
Bitches can't hang with the streets, she found herself short
Women cannot handle street life
So now she's takin' me to court
She is taking legal action against me
It's real conversation for your ass
This is a serious message
Bitches can't hang with the streets
Women cannot handle street life
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDRE ROMELL YOUNG, COLIN FITZROY WOLFE, CORDOZAR CALVIN BROADUS, TRACY CURRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BenFoldsFan421
I remember hearing this song back when I was pregnant with well I can’t remember it was either my daughter Skye in 2006 or my son Benjamin in 2008 all I know is I was sitting there just being pregnant and surfing around on the Internet and I came across this song
I clicked on it at first it sounded kind of well peaceful there was some kind of a wind blowing noise… Kind of like how life in a northern town by the dream academy started it out… That was one of my favorite albums and songs Wayback when I was little so I thought OK and then here comes this really nice piano for like a hot minute
I’m not sure why the opening lyrics to the song made me drop my jaw all into the floor I mean the title is bitches ain’t shit… You know it’s probably going to be the word bitch in there and the word shit all up in there
Nevertheless… The man of the hour his own self comes on and starts singing what is lovely brilliant voice… And that’s when things kind of swerved off into what the Frick? Land
I couldn’t believe my ears here is Ben Folds talking about bitches ain’t shit and other intimate kind of awkward things? Of course I giggled because even though I was in my late 20s… I still kind of found that amusing but also weird and then the song progressed and I’m just like Bro wait a second LOL.
I don’t know why the song made me just puked last her everywhere but for some reason it was so funny I’m surprised I did not laugh myself directly into premature labor or somethingb
@BenFoldsFan421
Oh my God you guys LOL as amusing as I found this song there was a time when it was quite problematic
I would go and make a playlist of random Ben Folds music and put it on shuffle so whatever song was going to show up next would be a big giant surprise
Now this was fantastic if it was battle of who could care less or evaporated or smoke
Any of the songs on songs for Silverman or something like that… But
The minute I hear that wind noise blaring out of the speakers that automatically triggered a mad scramble to smash the shut up button before all of the lyrics in the song commenced
I had a bit of concern that at least at the present moment with my little kids they didn’t necessarily need to be educated about what people do when they be rolling around at night or that hoe could mean something not related to being a garden implement or how Santa Claus chuckles… And what kind of people can or cannot hang with the streets
Eventually though they got to be of an age where it didn’t really matter anymore… Although my daughter pointed out that Mr. Ben Folds was a bit rude because the n Word had a nasty habit of coming around quite frequently… My son informed me that they were bad words all up in the song…
Now both my kids are teenagers and my daughter seems to think it’s hilarious to randomly sneak up behind me with her chrome book that the school gave her to do her work on with that song cute she go sneaking up on me yeah here goes the wind noise and well I don’t know LOL it’s kind of crazy so there’s a real conversation for your ass
@ml4173
Whenever you feel sad, just consider that someday this will be considered classical music.
@shtuck87
I saw Ben in concert a few years ago, he did this song and I sang right along. According to his autobiography however, he regrets making this cover. I still love it
@TheLatinGQ
My grandmother would sing this song to me before bedtime.
@confusion9608
2 years wa
@thehunzz
HA! Your grandma used to sing it to me too...just not exactly before bedtime.
@sethkreid
She sounds nice
@sharpstreet7431
Thank God for role models...
@javedalam5549
Hahahhahahhahaa
@strisselstudios3932
This song got me through a break up. Thank you for this Ben.
@misssoftyhole
We played this beautiful song at my grandma's funeral today. Bitches can't hang with the street. I guess we all know that now.