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.
Kate
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The squirrels and the birds come
Gather around to sing the guitar
Oh I, have you got nothing to say
When all words fail she speaks
Her mix tape's a masterpiece
Walks through the garden
Oh I, have you got nothing to say
And you can see the daisies
In her footsteps
Dandelions, butterflies
I want to be Kate
Everyday she wars the same thing
I think she smokes pot
She's everything I need, she's everything I'm not
Oh I
Have you got nothing to say
She never gets wet
She smiles and it's a rainbow
And she speaks and she breathes
I want to be Kate
Down by the Rosemary and Cameron
She hands out the
Bhagaved Gita
I see her around every couple days
I want to meet her so that
I can say, hey Kate
In "Kate," Ben Folds is singing about a girl who is amazing in every way he can imagine. He starts off by describing how she plays "wipeout" on the drums, which attracts the animals and birds who gather around to sing guitar music with her. There is nothing he can say when he's around her because he is so blown away by her. He goes on to say that she doesn't even need words to communicate what she's feeling, as her mixtape is a masterpiece. When Kate walks through the garden, even the roses can see her and the daisies grow in her footsteps. Ben Folds wishes he could be like her and have that effect on nature.
Kate is described as an enigmatic figure who wears the same clothes every day - he suspects that she smokes pot. He is drawn to her because she is everything he is not, and he wishes he could be like her. She also has a magical presence, as she can make a rainbow appear with her smile. She breathes and speaks in a way that is captivating to Ben, and he wants to be close to her. He knows where she hangs out and even what book she hands out to people, but he doesn't have the courage to approach her yet. The song ends with Ben stating that he wants to meet her so that he can say hi to Kate.
Line by Line Meaning
She plays wipeout on the drums
Kate is a talented drummer who attracts nearby wildlife, as the squirrels and birds join in on her music
Gather around to sing the guitar
The animals are so captivated by Kate's music that they join in and harmonize with the guitar
Oh I, have you got nothing to say
The singer is in awe of Kate's talent and has nothing to say in her presence
When all words fail she speaks
Kate doesn't need words to communicate as her actions and music speak volumes
Her mix tape's a masterpiece
Kate has impeccable taste in music and creates amazing mixes
Walks through the garden
Kate spends time admiring and smelling the flowers
So the roses can see
Kate takes time to appreciate the beauty of the garden and ensures that every plant is noticed
And you can see the daisies
In her footsteps
Dandelions, butterflies
Kate attracts the attention of the flowers and wildlife with her magnetic presence
I want to be Kate
The artist is envious of Kate's talent and carefree spirit
Everyday she wars the same thing
Kate doesn't care about material possessions or appearances and wears the same clothes every day
I think she smokes pot
The singer senses that Kate has a laid-back attitude and might use marijuana
She's everything I need, she's everything I'm not
The artist feels incomplete and inadequate compared to Kate's free-spirited nature
She never gets wet
Kate appears to possess magical abilities that keep her dry even in the rain
She smiles and it's a rainbow
Kate's radiant smile is so bright and colorful that it resembles a rainbow
And she speaks and she breathes
Kate's every action and word is full of life and energy
I want to meet her so that
I can say, hey Kate
The artist is so awestruck by Kate that they want to meet her and tell her how amazing she is
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANNA GOODMAN, BEN FOLDS, DARREN JESSEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PinchieMcPinch
She plays wipe out on the drums
The squirrels and the birds come
Gather around to sing the guitar
Oh I... have you got nothing to say
When all words fail she speaks
Her mix tape's a masterpiece
Walks through the garden
So the roses can see
Oh I... have you got nothing to say
And you can see the daisies
In her footsteps
Dandelions, butterflies
I want to be Kate
Everyday she wars the same thing
I think she smokes pot
She's everything I want, She's everything I'm not
Oh. I...
Have you got nothing to say
She never gets wet
She smiles and it's a rainbow
And she speaks and she breathes
I want to be Kate
Down by the Rosemary and Cameron
She hands out the Bhagaved Gita
I see her around every couple days
I want to meet her so that
I can say... hey Kate!
Steve Rebman
I've always loved piano in rock & pop music. It's because of Ben Folds style of playing that inspired me to seriously take up piano this year at the age of 43. Never stop learning, Never stop challenging yourself. Personal challenges are what makes life an adventure, you can sit on a couch watching TV for a year or you could learn to play an instrument in the same amount of time and that is something no one can take away from you.
Jim Bennett
I'm the guy on thr couch for 38yrs
The Phagus Show
Hell yea dude. Hope it’s going well for you
Great Scott
Hope you're still crushing it Stevie boy
Marcellina Martin
Aww love this! Feeling inspired by your simple but profound insight.
Tim Sullivan
Can we just take a second to appreciate these freaking 3 part harmonies
LMP
Excellent version. Kate is my niece. Ben played at the wedding reception.
Bobbie Seagroatt
Lucky you!!
Kate Muccino Gandhi
As a Kate, I love that!
Amy Foss
Awesome!