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.
Just Pretend
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Happy years pass by
It's OK to cry
After all
In the end
Just pretend
and broken homes
that taught us how to smile
After all
In the end
Just pretend
There's a name that plays in my head
like a song
all day long
she's with me every day
After all
In the end
Just pretend
Everyone needs
Everyone needs
Everyone needs
If the sun can't shine
you'll be just fine
look into your mind
where you're free
After all
In the end
Just pretend
Cause we heard each other
once before
lets not do that again
After all
In the end
Just pretend
And a voice so familiar
wakes me up in the middle
if she thinks I'm having a bad dream
After all
In the end
Just pretend
Everyone needs
Everyone needs
Everyone needs
After all
It's the end
The song "Just Pretend" by Ben Folds is a song that explores the themes of love, loss, heartbreak, and the power of pretending. The lyrics seem to be sung from the perspective of someone who has lost a loved one, possibly due to a broken home or past hurtful experiences. The singer talks about the happy years they shared with the person and how it's okay to cry over their loss. They encourage the listener to pretend that everything is okay, even if it's not, as a way of coping with the pain.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "after all, in the end, just pretend," emphasizing the idea that sometimes pretending can be a necessary but temporary coping mechanism. The verse "if the sun can't shine, you'll be just fine, look into your mind, where you're free" suggests that the mind can be a safe haven from external pain.
The song's bridge explores the idea that everyone needs someone to lean on during difficult times, and that it's important to be kind to one another to avoid causing hurt. The final line "after all, it's the end" could be interpreted as a nod to the inevitability of all things coming to an end, including relationships and life itself.
Overall, "Just Pretend" is a poignant and introspective song that offers a glimpse into the complicated emotions of loss and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
While I held you with our undry eyes
I looked into your eyes as we held each other but we were both crying, not dry-eyed
Happy years pass by
We were together for a long time but it seemed like just a few happy years
It's OK to cry
Crying is a natural human emotion, and it's okay to express it
After all
Despite everything
In the end
Ultimately
Just pretend
Sometimes it's easier to pretend things are okay than to face the truth
Well it's sticks and stones
Hurtful things that people say or do
and broken homes
Some people come from difficult family situations
that taught us how to smile
Adversity and hardship can teach us to be resilient and put on a brave face
There's a name that plays in my head
The memory of someone we love can stay with us long after they're gone
like a song
Their name is so meaningful and significant, like a favorite song that we can't get out of our head
all day long
We think about this person all day long, constantly remembering them
she's with me every day
Their memory is always present in our thoughts and feelings
Everyone needs
We all have needs, desires, and wants
If the sun can't shine
Even when things seem bleak and dark
you'll be just fine
We can find inner strength and resilience to cope with difficult times
look into your mind
Sometimes the answers and solutions we need can be found within ourselves if we take the time to reflect
where you're free
Our deepest thoughts and feelings are untouched by external factors and can provide a sense of freedom
Cause we heard each other
We hurt each other and don't want to repeat that mistake
once before
We've already experienced the pain of hurting each other in the past
lets not do that again
We should learn from our past and make a conscious effort to avoid doing the same thing again
And a voice so familiar
Hearing a familiar voice can bring back memories and emotions
wakes me up in the middle
Sometimes memories can be so vivid that they wake us up in the middle of the night
if she thinks I'm having a bad dream
The memory of a loved one can comfort us even in our dreams
Everyone needs
We all crave love, companionship, and meaningful connections
After all
Despite everything
It's the end
Everything comes to an end eventually
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.