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.
Don't Change Your Plans
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I won't be on this planet for very long
I really like it here
I'm quite attached to it; I hope I'm wrong
All I really want to say
You're the reason I want to stay
I loved you before I met you
Because there was nothing left
I sat here on my suitcase
In our empty new apartment
'til the sun went down
And I walked back down the stairs
With all my bags and drove away
You must be freaking out
All I know is I got to be
Where my heart says I ought to be
It often makes no sense, in fact
I never understand these things I feel
Don't change your plans for me
I won't move to LA
The leaves are falling back east
That's where I'm going to stay
You have made me smile again
In fact I might be sore from it
It's been awhile
I know we've been together
Many times before
I'll see you on the other side
Don't change your plans for me
I won't move to LA
The leaves are falling back east
That's where I'm going to stay
All I really want to say
You're the reason I want to stay
But destiny is calling
And I told them when my time is up
I'm out of here
All I know is I got to be
Where my heart says I ought to be
It often makes no sense, in fact
I never understand these things I feel
I love you, good bye
I love you, good bye
The song "Don't Change Your Plans" by Ben Folds Five is a melancholic tune that centers around the idea of mortality and the singer's realization that he may not have a lot of time left on earth. He expresses his love for the earth, the people in his life, and a specific individual. The lyrics convey a sense of tension, as the singer knows he must leave but doesn't want to hurt the people he loves. He sits in his empty apartment before leaving and reflects on his feelings, trying to make sense of them.
The singer then directly addresses a loved one and tells them not to change their plans for him. He loves them and wants them to continue on with their life. The singer leaves for a place where his heart feels he should be, even though it may not make sense to others. The final lines serve as a goodbye to his loved one, expressing his love for them one last time.
Overall, the lyrics of "Don't Change Your Plans" are an introspective look into mortality, expressing the singer's love for the people and places in his life while acknowledging the inevitable end. It's a message to a loved one, urging them to continue on with their life and not change for him.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I get the feeling
Occasionally I have a sensation
That I won't be on this planet for very long
That my time on Earth may be limited
I really like it here
I genuinely enjoy being alive
I'm quite attached to it; I hope I'm wrong
I'm fond of Earth and I hope my intuition is incorrect
All I really want to say
The message I want to convey
You're the reason I want to stay
You are the motivation for me to continue living
I loved you before I met you
I felt affection towards you before we met
And I met you just in time
We formed a connection at the opportune moment
Because there was nothing left
There was nothing else to fill the void
I sat here on my suitcase
I perched on my luggage
In our empty new apartment
Within our vacant and new home
'til the sun went down
Until dusk descended
And I walked back down the stairs
I descended the stairway
With all my bags and drove away
I left with all my possessions
You must be freaking out
You may be experiencing distress
All I know is I got to be
I am certain that I must be
Where my heart says I ought to be
In the location that my heart desires me to be
It often makes no sense, in fact
It is frequently irrational to me
I never understand these things I feel
I always find these emotions difficult to comprehend
Don't change your plans for me
Do not alter your arrangements on my account
I won't move to LA
I have no intention of relocating to Los Angeles
The leaves are falling back east
Autumnal foliage is descending in the eastern region
That's where I'm going to stay
That is the location where I will reside
You have made me smile again
You have caused me to smile once more
In fact I might be sore from it
Indeed, my face could be aching due to excessive smiling
It's been awhile
It has been a significant amount of time
I know we've been together
I am aware that we have spent time together
Many times before
Numerous occasions in the past
I'll see you on the other side
I will encounter you in the future
All I really want to say
The message I wish to impart
You're the reason I want to stay
You are the factor that makes me want to continue living
But destiny is calling
However, fate is summoning me
And I told them when my time is up
And I instructed them that when my duration has ended
I'm out of here
I will depart from here
I love you, good bye
I cherish you, farewell
I love you, good bye
I adore you, adieu
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind