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.
Half Asleep
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half a billboard, half a street
That's my window
All-in-all, if you wanna know
Half asleep
Old friends and strangers
They treat me like a little girl
You were always here.
Like back in the black and white spotlight
I'd smoke a pack down
And you were sittin pretty there
Just like you're doing now.
Oh we were so in love or so they'd say.
I coulda gone all the way.
But like everything else. I did it half way.
Half asleep
That's where the dreams and demons meet
Say, stop the laughter.
"Dim the roar. This club's not funny anymore."
Friends used to say that to me (and)
Treat me like a little girl. Oh, but not you dear.
You were always here.
Like back when we'd drift along out of sight.
The band would play; I would sing my heart out
For drunken crowds. It didn't mean a thing.
Oh, we were SO in love and oh,
I'd loved you so.
And it seemed like an hour ago.
And when I'm down and out
I'd try to figure out
"What was it all about the world that always stayed there?"
I'm wondering "oh, how".
I wanna take another breath
Half asleep
La-do-da-do-do-do-do-do
Oh, no, no, no
No keep talkin
Im still here
Don't let them take you away my dear
Someone said "He can't hear you he's half asleep"
Have fun...
The song "Half Asleep" by Ben Folds is a nostalgic and reflective piece about past love and present struggles. The opening lines set the stage for the dream-like state in which the singer finds himself - divided between the world outside his window (half a billboard, half a street) and his inner world. The repetition of "half asleep" echoes the in-between state the singer is in, as if he is caught somewhere between reality and fantasy.
The second verse speaks of old friends and strangers treating the singer "like a little girl," while the subject of his love remained constant. In the bridge, the singer reflects on a time when he and his love were in the spotlight, and how he only gave it his all halfway. The chorus brings the listener back to the present, where the singer is struggling to make sense of the world around him. The line "half asleep, that's where the dreams and demons meet" highlights the vulnerability of the state between awake and asleep.
The final verse begs for someone to stay with the singer, as he knows his grasp on reality is tenuous. The repetition of "la-do-da-do-do-do-do" and "no, no, no" evokes a sense of desperation, as if the singer is trying to hold on to something that is slipping away. The song ends with the singer's fear that he may not wake up again, that he may not get another chance to experience the beauty and pain of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Half asleep
Feeling partially conscious and unaware of my surroundings
Half a billboard, half a street
The view from my window is only partially visible
Old friends and strangers
People I've known for a while and those I don't know treat me the same way
They treat me like a little girl
Others treat me with a lack of respect or consideration
Oh, but not you dear.
However, you have always treated me with kindness and understanding
You were always here.
You've been a loyal friend who has stayed by my side through tough times
Like back in the black and white spotlight
Reminiscing about past moments of fame and success
I'd smoke a pack down
Recounting a habit of smoking cigarettes
And you were sittin pretty there
You were present and looking good while I performed
Just like you're doing now.
You continue to be there for me as I reflect on the past
Oh we were so in love or so they'd say.
We were supposedly in love at one point, according to others
I coulda gone all the way.
I could have given more effort or tried harder
But like everything else. I did it half way.
But as usual, I only did it halfway and failed to give my all
That's where the dreams and demons meet
Being half asleep is where my hopes and fears coalesce
Say, stop the laughter.
I want others to stop laughing at me
"Dim the roar. This club's not funny anymore."
Asking people to quiet down and take things more seriously
Friends used to say that to me (and)
Other acquaintances have made similar requests of me
Treat me like a little girl. Oh, but not you dear.
Treating me as if I'm naive and childlike still happens with some people, but not with you
Like back when we'd drift along out of sight.
Reminiscing about aimless meandering with you in the past
The band would play; I would sing my heart out
Reliving moments of musical performance with enthusiasm and passion
For drunken crowds. It didn't mean a thing.
Performing for audiences who were intoxicated, yet it didn't hold any real value
Oh, we were SO in love and oh, I'd loved you so.
Reflecting on a time when we were truly and deeply in love
And it seemed like an hour ago.
Despite time passing, the memory feels recent
And when I'm down and out
During times of hardship and struggle
I'd try to figure out
Attempting to make sense of my situation
"What was it all about the world that always stayed there?"
Wondering about the meaning and purpose of the unchanging world around me
I'm wondering "oh, how".
Feeling a sense of confusion and uncertainty
I wanna take another breath
Desiring a fresh start or another chance
La-do-da-do-do-do-do-do
Singing a nonsensical melody
Oh, no, no, no
Expressing a sense of disappointment or disbelief
No keep talkin
Asking someone to continue speaking
Im still here
Asserting my presence and perseverance
Don't let them take you away my dear
Urging my dear one to not be taken away or lost
Someone said "He can't hear you he's half asleep"
Being dismissed or ignored by someone because of my disoriented state
Have fun...
Ending the song on a somewhat cryptic sentiment
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ezra C
Man, I'm so bummed out that this and guilty never got fully finished. This one definitely has a lot of potential and honestly sounds great in it's current state.
Ian Horn
One of my favorite demos
Lightclaw
Oh my goodness, this is a definite Ben Folds moment (me when I'm half sleep because I'm narcoleptic????)
Mike Sutter
Hey, is YouTube deleting my comments or are you? If you are that's totally fine, just want to make sure. It might be because I put links in the comments.
Then again, if you delete this one, I guess I wouldn't have any way of knowing if it was you or the site. Lol
Silver St.
Yeah I've had to check the "held for review" section almost nonstop because comments keep getting automatically hidden by YouTube. Links are usually the number 1 culprit, but sometimes they get hidden seemingly randomly. I thought I changed the settings so that there was no automatic comment moderation, but I guess I'll have to check it again. As it is right now, I've unhid every comment that was held for review. So if you have any comments you made that still aren't showing up, there's nothing I can do.
Mike Sutter
@Silver St. No problem, sorry to cause you the headache. I was worried that I had annoyed you by commenting too much.
Silver St.
There's no such thing as too many comments.