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.
Jackson Cannery
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to be lonely
When seconds pass slowly
And years go flying by
You gotta stop the bus
We get off here
Enough's enough
And I'm leaving this factory
And I won't be able to bring it home
And all I want, come on,
Is all I need, yeh is free
Cause I'm a factory
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
But big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Millionaires and mill rats live side by side here
Messed up my brother's mind
He's far from earth
Tell me what's he worth
The same as you
The same as me
In this factory
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please?
That's what she said to me
But big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
It's four in the morning
Mother don't know
That I'm going far away
She's whispering to the moon
I hope he don't join you soon
Baby boss
Climbs up from his soapbox
Great Caesar's ghost
Knows what's best for me
He says stop the bus
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
The lyrics of "Jackson Cannery" by Ben Folds tell a poignant story of a man who has had enough of the suffocating and unfulfilling factory life, and decides to leave it behind. The song talks about how the man feels trapped and unhappy, and longs for the simple things in life - like freedom, food on the table, and a peaceful existence. The line "All she wants is food on the table / And I won't be able to bring it home" suggests that he is the breadwinner of the family and is unable to provide for them anymore. The line "I'm a factory" shows how he identifies himself with his job, which is a common phenomenon in oppressive and dehumanizing work environments.
The song also touches upon themes of social and economic inequality, and how the millionaires and mill rats (low-paid workers) coexist in a segregated and hierarchical society. The line "Messed up my brother's mind / He's far from earth / Tell me what's he worth / The same as you / The same as me / In this factory" highlights the fact that workers are undervalued and not given the dignity they deserve. The reference to "Big Brother" in the line "Big brother got the keys / And I got Jackson Cannery" suggests a surveillance state where the workers are constantly monitored and controlled. Finally, the song ends on a note of ambiguity - the singer leaves his home at four in the morning while his mother is asleep, and it remains unclear whether he is going to a better place or not.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop the bus
I need to get off this ride
I want to be lonely
I need some space
When seconds pass slowly
Time seems to drag on
And years go flying by
Life passes by quickly
We get off here
This is where I need to be
Enough's enough
I'm fed up
And I'm leaving this factory
I'm quitting my job
All she wants is food on the table
My spouse just wants financial stability
And I won't be able to bring it home
I can't provide for my family
And all I want, come on,
I just want
Is all I need, yeh is free
I just want freedom
Cause I'm a factory
I feel like a machine in my job
Did Mother Nature tell you
Did nature teach you
Boy you come and go as you please
You can do whatever you want
That's what she said to me
That's what I believe
But big brother got the keys
Those in power control us
And I got Jackson Cannery
I'm stuck in this dead-end job
Millionaires and mill rats live side by side here
There's a stark contrast between the wealthy and poor in this area
Messed up my brother's mind
My brother's mental health is suffering
He's far from earth
He's not mentally grounded
Tell me what's he worth
Is it worth sacrificing our mental health for this job?
The same as you
We are all worth the same
In this factory
This job
It's four in the morning
It's very early
Mother don't know
My mom is unaware
That I'm going far away
I'm leaving this place
She's whispering to the moon
She's talking to herself
I hope he don't join you soon
I hope my son doesn't die soon
Baby boss
My boss, who has less experience than me
Climbs up from his soapbox
He tries to assert his power
Great Caesar's ghost
An exclamation of surprise
Knows what's best for me
Thinks he knows what I should do
He says stop the bus
He wants us to stay at this job
Big brother got the keys
The powerful control us
And I got Jackson Cannery
I'm stuck in this job
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
koori
"Jackson Cannery"
Stop the bus
I wanna be lonely
When seconds pass slowly
And years go flying by
You gotta stop the bus
I'll get off here
Enough's enough
I'm leaving this factory
All she wants
Is food on the table
I won't be able
To bring it home
All she wants, come on,
'Cause All I need
yeah is free
'Cause I'm a factory
[chorus]
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Millionaires and mill rats live side by side here,
Messed up my brother's mind
He's far from earth
What's he worth
The same as you or me
In this factory
[chorus]
It's 4 in the morning
Mother don't know
That I'm going far away
She's whispering to the moon
I hope he don't join you soon
Baby boss
Climbs up on his soapbox
But Great Caesar's ghost
Knows what's best for me
He says stop the bus
zytxuy
Ben is truly a genius. He's written some of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. By far the single biggest musical influence on my life.
psychopeepers
I Love the cheeky bass groove at 1:15, weirdly I cant wait for it to happen every time I hear the song!
hiro k
同意だ兄弟 （*´▽｀*）
Sawyer S.
You're not alone <3
koori
"Jackson Cannery"
Stop the bus
I wanna be lonely
When seconds pass slowly
And years go flying by
You gotta stop the bus
I'll get off here
Enough's enough
I'm leaving this factory
All she wants
Is food on the table
I won't be able
To bring it home
All she wants, come on,
'Cause All I need
yeah is free
'Cause I'm a factory
[chorus]
Did Mother Nature tell you
Boy you come and go as you please
That's what she said to me
Big brother got the keys
And I got Jackson Cannery
Millionaires and mill rats live side by side here,
Messed up my brother's mind
He's far from earth
What's he worth
The same as you or me
In this factory
[chorus]
It's 4 in the morning
Mother don't know
That I'm going far away
She's whispering to the moon
I hope he don't join you soon
Baby boss
Climbs up on his soapbox
But Great Caesar's ghost
Knows what's best for me
He says stop the bus
Mikey Millions
"Well, that's one of the images that hit me. It came from a guy who was riding the bus from college to work and he kind of was losing his shit at the time and he had the bus driver pull over and let him off and he ended up in Ireland trying to find U2. He's in and out of halfway homes and he's schizophrenic. What fascinated me was not that he was schizophrenic, but that at any point in your life, you can just quit. You can quit anything you want to. And I thought it was kind of dramatic, the idea of going, "Stop the bus." Everyone has to see you stop everything, and everybody has to stop with you and they let you off. I pulled the name Jackson from someone I knew who I thought worked too hard and the Cannery was a hosiery mill in North Carolina. So I just mixed the names up and I think the defining line in that song would be, "When seconds pass slowly and years go flying by." You know, just that every moment's a fucking drag and you look back and everything passed just in a second." -Ben Folds
That Guy Bob
brilliant
Patch
Freaking Awesome!
imfromtambunan
the older I get the more meaningful this song becomes
Into the Unkown
Yup