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.
Lost In The Supermarket
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality
I wasn't born so much as I fell out
Nobody seemed to notice me
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs
I heard the people who lived on the ceiling
Scream and fight most scarily
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling
That's how it's been all around me
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality
I'm all tuned in, I see all the programs
I save coupons from packets of tea
I've got my giant hit discotheque album
I empty a bottle and I feel a bit free
Kids in the halls and the pipes in the walls
Making noises for company
Long-distance callers make long-distance calls
And the silence makes me lonely
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality (I'm all lost)
I'm all lost in the supermarket (I'm all lost)
I can no longer shop happily (I'm all lost)
I came in here for the special offer (I'm all lost)
A guaranteed personality
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality
I'm all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer
A guaranteed personality, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
The song "Lost In The Supermarket" by Ben Folds is a cover of the original song by The Clash. The lyrics depict a feeling of isolation and lack of identity in modern society. The singer is lost in a supermarket, a symbol of consumerism and materialism, and can no longer find happiness in shopping. He came in for a special offer, a guaranteed personality, indicating the desperate need for a sense of self in a world where individuality is often overshadowed by societal pressure to conform.
The second verse describes the singer's childhood, where he felt invisible and overlooked. The hedge back home in the suburbs that he couldn't see over serves as a metaphor for the barriers that prevented him from fully experiencing and engaging with the world around him. The third verse references the noises and chaos of modern life, with the people who lived on the ceiling screaming and fighting, and the singer feeling overwhelmed by the constant noise and busyness. The loneliness that he feels is juxtaposed with the constant noise and activity, highlighting the irony of modern day society.
Overall, the song reflects the struggles of an individual in a society where personal identity is often lost amidst commercialism and societal pressures to conform.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm all lost in the supermarket
Feeling overwhelmed and directionless in the consumerist environment, struggling to find meaning in the mundane.
I can no longer shop happily
The singer struggles with a certain ennui, questioning the value of material goods.
I came in here for the special offer
The promise of something 'special' is a lure for the singer, who seeks novelty in a homogenous retail environment.
A guaranteed personality
The artist is looking for a sense of identity within commodification, longing for something to fill an existential gap.
I wasn't born so much as I fell out
The artist feels alienated, as though he was not welcomed into the world or his community.
Nobody seemed to notice me
Despite feeling a detachment from society, the singer is not acknowledged by others, making him feel even more isolated.
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs
The singer reminisces about a physical border in his childhood home, which he associates with a psychological rift from the world.
Over which I never could see
Despite trying to see over the 'hedge' or barriers to connection, the artist is unable to or has already given up trying.
I heard the people who lived on the ceiling
The artist has a vivid memory of hearing things that weren't really there, which underscores the sense of detachment and delusion.
Scream and fight most scarily
The artist is haunted by memories of intense anger and conflict, which exacerbate the feelings of anxiety and dread.
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling
The singer associates the tumultuous noises with the realization that the world is not a safe or nurturing place, a feeling that has persisted.
That's how it's been all around me
The artist feels trapped in a cycle of uncertainty and negativity, which he perceives to be part of the broader societal fabric.
I'm all tuned in, I see all the programs
The singer has embraced the cultural propaganda and consumerist myths, consuming media without discernment and hoping for escape.
I save coupons from packets of tea
The singer desperately seeks small victories and discounts to validate his existence, clinging to coupons as a form of currency.
I've got my giant hit discotheque album
The singer has bought into the notion that music and cultural phenomena can provide salvation, filling the void of a purpose in life.
I empty a bottle and I feel a bit free
The artist uses alcohol as a form of self-medication, trying to eschew his anxiety and despair through substance use.
Kids in the halls and the pipes in the walls
The artist feels empathy and identification with 'background' noises and disruptions, longing for something to connect with.
Making noises for company
The singer realizes that there is no one to connect with on an emotional or existential level, finding solace in the noise around him.
Long-distance callers make long-distance calls
The singer is aware of the distance and isolation from others, acknowledging the barriers to connection in the contemporary world.
And the silence makes me lonely
Despite the cacophony of sound and stimulation around him, the artist feels a profound and all-encompassing loneliness that cannot be assuaged.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind