Effington
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And our football team.
Effington could be a wonderful effing place
I can see it from the highway and I'm wondering
Are they effing in their yards?
Effing in their cars?
Effing in the trailers in the back roads and the parking lots
Maybe I should ditch this little white rental on the interstate,
Start a new effing life in Effington.
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep on moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
And not stop 'til I get to Normal.
[Chorus]
I want to live in Effington.
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington, in Effington, oh
I've got this movie in my mind of Effington
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
[Chorus]
If there's a God he is laughing at us
And our football team.
And then the people who live in Normal
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effington
That's what Normal people do
Do Normal people do it too?
Normal people do it, people do it, people do it
[Chorus]
In Effington, in Effington, in Effington!
The opening lines of the song suggest that there is some kind of greater power that is laughing at the singer and his football team, possibly indicating that their struggles and successes are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Effington, a town that the singer sees from the highway, could be a potentially great place ("a wonderful effing place") but the repetition of "effing" throughout the lyrics suggests that the town is mundane and unremarkable, with people going about their everyday lives and possibly engaging in sexual activities in their yards, cars, trailers, and parking lots, as hinted by the curious question "Are they effing in their yards?."
The second verse explores the singer's contemplation of starting a new life in Effington, perhaps seeking a change from his current existence. He considers changing his name, growing a beard, and starting a family, but ultimately decides to keep moving on towards Normal, Illinois. The chorus expresses the singer's desire to both live and die in Effington, indicating an attraction to its unremarkable but potentially comforting environment. The last verse suggests that the singer sees himself as something of an outsider, creating movies in Effington that will be sold to the "Normal" people who, he imagines, live more typical and mundane lives.
Line by Line Meaning
If there's a God, he is laughing at us
And our football team.
The singer believes that life is amusingly ironic, and that a higher power is amused at the trivial things we hold dear, like football.
Effington could be a wonderful effing place
I can see it from the highway and I'm wondering
Are they effing in their yards?
Effing in their cars?
Effing in the trailers in the back roads and the parking lots
Of Effington?
Making my way to Normal, Illinois.
The singer imagines that Effington could be a great place to live, and wonders if the residents are engaging in sexual activity in various locations throughout the town, including trailers and parking lots. He is on his way to Normal, Illinois.
Maybe I should ditch this little white rental on the interstate,
Start a new effing life in Effington.
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep on moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
And not stop 'til I get to Normal.
The singer is considering starting a new life in Effington, including changing his identity and starting a family, but ultimately decides to keep moving towards Normal.
[Chorus]
I want to live in Effington.
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington, in Effington, oh
The singer expresses his desire to live and eventually die in Effington, and requests that he be buried there.
I've got this movie in my mind of Effington
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
The singer imagines a film about Effington with a particular soundtrack.
[Chorus]
Repeats the chorus.
And then the people who live in Normal
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effington
That's what Normal people do
Do Normal people do it too?
Normal people do it, people do it, people do it
The singer imagines that he will make movies about Effington that the people of Normal will be interested in watching. He questions whether Normal people engage in the same activities as those in Effington, ultimately concluding that they do.
[Chorus]
In Effington, in Effington, in Effington!
Repeats the chorus, emphasizing the desire to be in Effington.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS, BENJAMIN SCOTT FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jm Van Veen
So rare that exceptionally good music and lyrics can make you laugh. But it always does.
ChantalxLee
One of my favourite Ben Folds song. Love the A Cappella version.
Kent Hawley
Been to both Normal and Effingham (the real name) many times. It's always interesting to see the impression people get about places (and other people) just from the name or a quick drive by the town. And living in Effingham wouldn't be too bad at all. :)
Tim Adams
Man this song rocks! Why such a low watch count?! Come on YouTube Algorithm!!
Bond James Bond
Those are some tight fucking harmonies!
Max Raptor
the dolphin flourish on 1.30 is my new favourite noise
baffinnh
I am laughing so hard cuz I live in Effingham New Hampshire....since it ends with "ham" I often say Fing Bacon...or Effing chicken thanks for a great piece and getting me laughing.
Andrew Kraut
I used to live in Normal, IL. :D
Al Jared
@Andrew Kraut Woah, how are you verified??
monkeyfaceyou
i listened to this album a lot (and reinhold messner) and i think i broke up with my girlfriend by accident :/