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.
Eddie Walker
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put the name tag on your smock
We've come to see you, Eddie Walker
We may pack a little tight, the girl up front says, it's alright
And look there's more of us still getting off the bus
We wish you'd come back home with us
Eddie Walker, this is your life
This ones you when you were small
And you're learnin' how to walk
They'd pick you up and you keep falling down
There you are with Aunt Louise, you're bouncing on her knees
Remember all those trees behind the garden
They're gone, oh, they all got cut down when she died
Eddie Walker, this is your life, you never had a son or a wife
You sure had a hell of a time, oh, Eddie Walker, this is your life
This one's you and Mary Jo
Well, she couldn't come, she says, hello
No, Eddie Walker and she doesn't hate your guts
It's just the whole thing's shook her up
How they picked you up and you kept falling down
Eddie Walker, this is your life, no, Eddie Walker, this is your life
You never had a coat or a tie, you never had a reason to cry
An' this whole stack and all of these
Are just a mist or overseas
We're gonna leave you, Eddie Walker
The song "Eddie Walker" by Ben Folds Five is a touching ballad that tells the story of a man who never quite figured out how to walk through life. The lyrics seem to be narrated by someone who knew Eddie Walker, probably a friend or a relative. They visit Eddie, who works in a factory, and bring him a name tag to wear on his smock. They've come to see him, to let him know that he's not alone in the world, and that someone cares.
The lyrics describe Eddie's life through a series of images - him learning to walk as a child, his moments with his aunt Louise, and his failed romantic relationship with Mary Jo. The song is a tribute to Eddie's life, but it is also a reminder that sometimes life is unfair. Eddie did not have a family of his own, nor did he have many of the things that people typically associate with success, such as a coat or a tie. But the singer reminds Eddie (and the listener) that he had something much more valuable: a hell of a time.
The song is a poignant reminder that we should not judge people by their material possessions or their accomplishments. Eddie may not have had a lot, but he lived his life with passion and joy, and that is something we could all learn from.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you smile, you look so shocked
Please don't be shocked, Eddie. We are here for you and want to make you happy
Put the name tag on your smock
You should be identified properly so everyone knows who you are
We've come to see you, Eddie Walker
We are here to spend time with you and to show you how appreciated you are
We may pack a little tight, the girl up front says, it's alright
We might be a tight crowd, but it's okay with the girl up front
And look there's more of us still getting off the bus
Even more people are arriving to celebrate your life with you
We wish you'd come back home with us
We want you to come back home with us and continue to be a part of our lives
Eddie Walker, this is your life
This is your life and we're here to celebrate it with you
This one's you when you were small
This picture is of you when you were a child
And you're learnin' how to walk
You were still learning how to walk in this picture
They'd pick you up and you keep falling down
Your loved ones helped you whenever you fell, but you kept trying until you could stand on your own
There you are with Aunt Louise, you're bouncing on her knees
This picture is of you bouncing on Aunt Louise's knees and having a good time
Remember all those trees behind the garden
Think back to the beautiful trees that used to be behind the garden
They're gone, oh, they all got cut down when she died
Unfortunately, the trees were cut down when Aunt Louise passed away
Eddie Walker, this is your life, you never had a son or a wife
Your life may not have included a spouse or children, but it has been full of love and experiences
You sure had a hell of a time, oh, Eddie Walker, this is your life
You've had a great time throughout your life and we're celebrating your accomplishments
This one's you and Mary Jo
This picture is of you and Mary Jo
Well, she couldn't come, she says, hello
Mary Jo couldn't make it, but she sends her greetings
No, Eddie Walker and she doesn't hate your guts
Mary Jo doesn't hate you and hopes you're doing well
It's just the whole thing's shook her up
The event has made her emotional and she's not sure how to handle it
Eddie Walker, this is your life, no, Eddie Walker, this is your life
We're reminding you again that this celebration is all about your life
You never had a coat or a tie, you never had a reason to cry
You may not have had fancy clothes or shed many tears, but you've still had a meaningful life
An' this whole stack and all of these
All of these photos
Are just a mist or overseas
Could represent a distant memory or something that's no longer within reach
We're gonna leave you, Eddie Walker
We'll be leaving soon and we hope you enjoyed the celebration
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FOLDS, Ben Folds
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind