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.
Kylie From Connecticut
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What does she do with it if it comes back
A note from his assistant is there by the telephone
She wonders again as she turns out the lights
[Chorus]
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
She says you've got the number
It's back on her mind as she closes her eyes
She believes there are things you shouldn't know about
When you've been married for thirty-five years
And her heart belongs to a man that she hadn't seen
Since a magical night when the children were small
[Chorus]
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's probably nothing, yeah nothing at all
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
It's back on her mind as she's reading old letters
That she left in the closet with the pictures she cherished
She never told a soul for the last thirty years
Now she closes her eyes
Ben Folds's song "Kylie From Connecticut" is a poignant and nostalgic reflection on the past and the choices we make in life. The song's lyrics are contemplative and introspective, with an air of melancholy. It tells the story of Kylie, a woman who has been married for 35 years and is now rethinking some of the choices she's made in life. She wonders if there are things that she should have known but chose to ignore. She is haunted by a memory of a man from her past, someone she has not seen in years, but to whom her heart still belongs. The lyrics suggest that she may have regretted some of her life's decisions, but it's never too late to revisit them.
The chorus of the song is Kylie calling from Connecticut. The lyrics suggest that it's probably nothing, but it's back on her mind as she closes her eyes. The phone call represents the call of her past, asking her to come back and revisit old memories. It's a call to action, a call to leave her present life and return to her past. In the end, she closes her eyes, and we're left to wonder if she'll answer the call and go back to her past or if she'll stay in her current life.
Overall, "Kylie From Connecticut" is a beautifully written and thought-provoking piece of music that touches on themes of love, regret, and the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
It's just a thought, but where did it come from
An unbidden idea has entered her mind, and she ponders its origin.
What does she do with it if it comes back
She wonders what would happen if the thought returns to her mind again.
A note from his assistant is there by the telephone
A message from her husband's aide awaits her at the phone.
She wonders again as she turns out the lights
As she prepares for bed, she ponders the thought once more.
Kylie is calling from Connecticut
A woman named Kylie is calling her from the state of Connecticut.
She says you've got the number
The woman on the phone tells her she has the correct number.
It's back on her mind as she closes her eyes
Despite trying to forget, the thought remains in her mind as she falls asleep.
She believes there are things you shouldn't know about
She is convinced that some matters should be kept private.
When you've been married for thirty-five years
After being married for such a long time, certain things become unclear.
And her heart belongs to a man that she hadn't seen
Despite not having seen him for years, her love still belongs to a certain man.
Since a magical night when the children were small
Her love for him has persisted since a special evening years ago when they were raising their kids.
It's probably nothing, yeah nothing at all
Despite feeling troubled, she tries to convince herself that the phone call is insignificant.
It's back on her mind as she's reading old letters
While reading through old notes, the troubling thought resurfaces in her mind.
That she left in the closet with the pictures she cherished
She kept the letters in a closet with photos that were dear to her heart, and they haven't seen the light of day in years.
She never told a soul for the last thirty years
No one else knows that she has been keeping an important secret to herself for three decades.
Now she closes her eyes
As her thoughts continue to weigh on her, she closes her eyes once more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS, BENJAMIN SCOTT FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thatdudebehindthebus
Been listening to Ben Folds since high school in the 90s and as I grow the more I appreciate him. He doesn't flood you with fantasy or daydreams, it's just honest feelings. A few of his songs got me through tough moments and continue to do so. Super appreciated and always respected.
@ChantalxLee
His voice in this gives me chills.
@marymanning7165
i have searched for a live version of this song for years. how have i never seen this? i think it’s folds’ best work. so full of longing and pain and it’s about a good wife and mother who made a choice. i love it.
@ML-vc8zs
This song has been in my head lately...so beautiful.
@leggomymeggo
Saw him perform this in Kansas City last week. Heartbreaking and beautiful. Ben is so incredibly talented.
@JackMRobshaw
That this video only has this small a number of views is nothing short of criminal. In my opinion the BEST recording artist in the world. Bar no-one.
@Optiguy42
This is tear-inducingly amazing.
@TomboTime
"I'm just gonna riff and see if we get something good enough for the record"
creates a masterpiece
@wincyong3613
Beautiful song. ❤
@itsbatty
I'm honestly and truly confused about how this has so few views, but whatever, I'll probably add another 1000 myself.