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.
Bastard
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A brown box, mothballs and bowling shoes
And his opinion so you'd never have to choose
Pretty soon, you'll be an old bastard too
You get smaller as the world gets big
The more you know you know you don't know shit
"The whiz man" will never fit you like "the whiz kid" did
It's okay if you don't know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
Close your eyes close your ears young man
You've seen and heard all an old man can
Spread the facts on the floor like a fan
Throw away the ones that make you feel bad
Kids today gettin' old too fast
They can't wait to grow up so they can kiss some ass
They get nostalgic about the last ten years
Before the last ten years have passed
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
Tears land on a hand on the chest
The old bastard had a paradigm arrest
He got smaller as the world got big
The more he knew he knew he didn't know shit
"The whiz man" never fit him like "the whiz kid" did
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
It's okay if you don't know everything
The song "Bastard" by Ben Folds is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and a warning to those who think they have everything figured out. The lyrics describe an old man who has passed away, leaving behind his possessions and his opinions. The singer warns the listener that they will one day become an "old bastard" themselves and that they should not act like they know everything when in reality they don't.
The lyrics "You get smaller as the world gets big, The more you know you know you don't know shit" illustrate the idea that as we get older we realize there is so much we don't know and that we become more humble as a result. The line "Spread the facts on the floor like a fan, Throw away the ones that make you feel bad" suggests that it's important to be discerning with the information we receive and to let go of negative or unhelpful beliefs. The chorus, which repeats the refrain "It's okay if you don't know everything" emphasizes the need to be comfortable with uncertainty and to avoid pretending to have all the answers.
Overall, "Bastard" is a poignant and insightful song that encourages listeners to be humble, open-minded, and discerning when it comes to knowledge and opinions.
Line by Line Meaning
The old bastard left his ties and his suit
The old man left behind his material possessions, including his nice clothes
A brown box, mothballs and bowling shoes
He left behind some mundane items like a box, mothballs, and old shoes
And his opinion so you'd never have to choose
He left behind his opinions, maybe in an attempt to guide those who come after him
Pretty soon, you'll be an old bastard too
The artist acknowledges that we all get older and leave things behind, just like the old man in the song did
You get smaller as the world gets big
As we live in the world, we realize how insignificant we are in comparison to the huge world around us
The more you know you know you don't know shit
As we learn more, we realize how much we still don't know and how little we truly understand
"The whiz man" will never fit you like "the whiz kid" did
As we grow older, we lose the energy and enthusiasm we had as kids, making it more difficult to be a "whiz" at things
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
Why pretend to know things when you really don't?
It's okay if you don't know everything
It's okay to admit when you don't know something and to continue learning
Close your eyes close your ears young man
The artist advises shutting out the chaos of the world and focusing on oneself
You've seen and heard all an old man can
As someone who has lived for a long time, the old man has seen and heard many things in his lifetime
Spread the facts on the floor like a fan
Sort through facts and information, like fanning out a deck of cards
Throw away the ones that make you feel bad
Discard information that negatively impacts your mental health or well-being
Kids today gettin' old too fast
The singer observes a trend of young people growing up quickly and taking on adult responsibilities early
They can't wait to grow up so they can kiss some ass
Some young people are eager to grow up and impress others or gain power, even if it means sacrificing their own values
They get nostalgic about the last ten years
Some young people look back fondly on the recent past, even though they haven't had much time to form lasting memories
Before the last ten years have passed
Despite this nostalgia, they don't realize how quickly time is passing them by
Tears land on a hand on the chest
Someone is deeply emotional, crying and holding their chest in pain
The old bastard had a paradigm arrest
The old man had an epiphany or realization that completely shifted his worldview or belief system
He got smaller as the world got big
As the old man aged and gained new perspective, his place in the world seemed to shrink or become less significant
The more he knew he knew he didn't know shit
The old man learned that there was still so much he didn't understand, even after years of living
"The whiz man" never fit him like "the whiz kid" did
Even if the old man was once "a whiz kid," he couldn't recapture that kind of energy or passion in his later years
So why you gotta act like you know when you don't know?
The singer reiterates the importance of not pretending to know things you don't understand
It's okay if you don't know everything
It's always okay to admit that you still have things to learn
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jorcktheoutcast8007
I'm 7 and I've been listening to Ben Folds Five for 15 years
@lucasgendron4947
Great parenting
@bstd__
Blair Beaumont wtf
@atravelerofbothtimespace4172
that is NOT true.
@mathewchubey7471
You can’t do math, so good parenting
@TeeterTuckin
Mathew Chubey It’s a joke so you’re obviously great at understanding sarcasm. Don’t even think about backtracking and saying “I was only pretending to be retarded.”
@plambeth3698
The song that symbolizes my midlife angst. This 47 yr old bastard has been listening to Ben since the mid 90's. This and steely Dan are the artists I come back to when it's time for introspection coupled with great hooks
@KafinSulthan
Same right here. Nothing can top Folds' and the Dan's tunes as reminders of how foolish one can be, at least for me.
@geordiemack4143
The Dan and Ben rock big time! Love em too
@Zachajaws10
I’m 4 and I’ve been listening to Ben folds for 17 years