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.
Boxing
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has happened lately
When I take a good swing
And all my dreams
They pivot and slip
I drop my fists and they're back
Laughing Howard
My intention's become not to lose what I've won
Lost the fight from my eyes
[Chorus]
Boxing's been good to me, Howard
Now I'm told, you're growing old
The whole time you knew
In a couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good to you?
Howard, now I confess I'm scared and lonely and tired
They seem to think I'm made of clay
Another day, not cut out for this
I just know what to say, I say
[Chorus]
Well sometimes I punch myself as hard as I can
Yelling nobody cares hoping someone will tell me how
Wrong I am
[Chorus]
Has boxing been good
Has boxing been good to you?
The lyrics of Ben Folds Five's song, 'Boxing' paint a vivid picture of a boxer who has lost his motivation and drive. The singer describes how he has lost his will to win, as his 'ambition has given way to desperation.' He acknowledges he is 'scared and lonely and tired' and seems to be at the mercy of his opponents. The lyrics are emotive, with the boxer feeling like he is fighting a losing battle against time and his own limitations. He admits to being overwhelmed and unsure of his future, which he seems to believe is bleak.
The chorus of the song is a direct exchange between the singer and Howard, who is referenced throughout the song. Though the singer asks whether boxing has been good to Howard, the question really rings true for himself. In the chorus, the singer seems to be questioning whether boxing was the right choice for him, considering that he is 'scared and lonely and tired.' The repeated phrase throughout the chorus, 'Boxing's been good to me, Howard' suggests that the boxer is trying to convince himself, and Howard, that he has made the right choice. However, the underlying theme of the song seems to be one of doubt and regret.
Overall, the song seems to explore the complexities of success and failure in the boxing arena, which is likely an allegory for life in general. The fighter is questioning whether his success was worth it, and whether continuing to box is a good idea given how much he has lost along the way. Ultimately, the lyrics of 'Boxing' seem to offer a poignant reflection on the perils of striving for greatness, and the cost that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Howard, the strangest thing
Something strange has been happening to me lately, Howard.
Has happened lately
This strange thing has occurred recently.
When I take a good swing
When I make a strong effort towards something,
And all my dreams
All of my aspirations,
They pivot and slip
Seem to move away from me.
I drop my fists and they're back
I give up and let them go.
Laughing Howard
You, Howard, laugh at me for giving up.
My intention's become not to lose what I've won
My goal is now just to hold onto what I have achieved so far.
Ambition has given way to desperation and I
My drive to accomplish more has been replaced by feelings of hopelessness and
Lost the fight from my eyes
I’ve lost the determination to keep fighting.
[Chorus]
The following lines are the chorus
Boxing's been good to me, Howard
Boxing has been beneficial to me, Howard.
Now I'm told, you're growing old
Now I hear that you’re getting old.
The whole time you knew
All along, you knew that
In a couple of years I'd be through
In a couple of years, I would no longer be successful in boxing.
Has boxing been good to you?
Have you had a positive experience with boxing, Howard?
Howard, now I confess I'm scared and lonely and tired
Howard, I need to confess that I am afraid, sad, and exhausted.
They seem to think I'm made of clay
People seem to treat me as if I am disposable.
Another day, not cut out for this
Another day where I feel like I’m not suited for this lifestyle.
I just know what to say, I say
I’ve become good at hiding my true emotions in the face of my struggles.
[Chorus]
The following lines are the chorus
Well sometimes I punch myself as hard as I can
Sometimes I hurt myself to try to feel something.
Yelling nobody cares hoping someone will tell me how
I yell, hoping someone will acknowledge my pain.
Wrong I am
Can someone tell me what’s wrong with me?
[Chorus]
The following lines are the chorus
Has boxing been good
Is boxing really as beneficial as we make it out to be?
Has boxing been good to you?
Howard, do you truly believe that boxing has been good to you?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cwallace5642
It’s just great musicianship, I feel like Ben Folds’ songwriting skills are another level.
@eddiehauser6661
I would agree, he's always been on my short list of greatest songwriters, probably top ten, or if not top ten just barely missing it, and that's pretty high praise considering how many amazing songwriters there are/have been. To me, he' just has that total package. I consider him what I like to call a "melody machine" where it seems like he could write a great melody in his sleep! Writes great music in general, specifically for the piano, great lyrics to fit the great melodies, and is also extremely versatile in the sense that he can write these really upbeat, kind of silly songs with legitimately funny lyrics. but can also write these big emotional, tear jerking, heart string pulling type songs. As a fellow songwriter who can't do any of that very well, I realize how special of a talent he is
@stageactor1958
Must've felt amazing to play your own songs with an orchestra. Holy shit. Congrats, Ben. And Thank You!
@supersayre
I am am absolute sucker for this man with an orchestra. Tremendous.
@QuincyKane
Ben, you're an amazing songwriter :)
@Gadzooki
Man I'm about to say something bad about my favorite musician an amazing orchestra, but this song doesn't need orchestration, it's perfect as a piano piece. Sorry Ben, it's still haunting and beautiful, thanks for the hug years ago past gig.
@Jayne_Maya
Still love it ❤️
@wafflemaker6590
Hell of an orchestra
@matgee8892
I currently have tickets to Ben Folds and WASO on my desk. It's many months away but is one of those things keeping me going.
@andretheshadow
I saw him with the local symphony orchestra where I live, and it was goddamn fantastic. A bargain at twice the price. Enjoy!