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.
Make Me Mommy
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She touched me Mommy!
Oh Mommy!
He touched me first!
You two!
You make me mad!
You're bad!
You go to your room!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
Yeah!
Oh Mommy!
I don't want to be a doctor!
Oh Mommy!
I don't want to be a lawyer!
You two!
You let me down!
And how!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You go to your room!
You make me Mommy!
You make me Mommy!
You make me make you!
You make me make you make me!
You make me make you!
You make me make you make me!
You make me make you!
Kill me Mommy!
You go to your room!
Kill me Mommy!
You go to your room!
Kill me Mommy!
You go to your room!
Kill me Mommy!
You go to your room!
Kill me Mommy!
I'm not Mommy!
Kill me Mommy!
I'm Daddy!
The lyrics to Ben Folds's song "Make Me Mommy" can be interpreted as a representation of a child's desire for control and attention from their parents. The first section of the song portrays a typical sibling dispute, in which the child demands that their parents punish their sibling who allegedly "touched" them first. Later on, the child expresses disappointment in their parents for not fulfilling their career aspirations and "letting them down." The phrase "You make me Mommy" suggests that the child is attempting to assert control over their mother, who is traditionally seen as the primary caregiver, but could also be interpreted as a plea for attention.
The repetition of the command "You go to your room!" suggests that the parents are trying to discipline the child for their behavior, but at the same time, the child is attempting to manipulate the parents into giving them what they want. The final section, in which the child demands to be killed by their parent, could be interpreted as an extreme manifestation of the child's desire for attention and control, as well as frustration with their inability to achieve their goals.
Overall, the lyrics to "Make Me Mommy" can be seen as an exploration of the complex dynamics between children and their parents, particularly in terms of power struggles and the desire for attention and affirmation.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Mommy!
The singer is referring to their caregiver as 'Mommy', perhaps in a childlike, vulnerable tone.
She touched me Mommy!
The singer is reporting a physical violation - someone has touched them inappropriately, and they are addressing it to their caregiver with a sense of urgency and panic.
He touched me first!
The singer is defending themselves, informing their caregiver that the touch was initiated by the other person and that they are not to blame.
You two!
The artist is addressing both the caregiver and the person who touched them – neither of whom are specifically named – perhaps to signal their shared responsibility in the situation.
You make me mad!
The artist is expressing their anger at the two people they're addressing, indicating that their actions have caused frustration and negative emotions.
You're bad!
The singer is expressing their displeasure and frustration by labeling the actions of the two people as morally reprehensible.
You go to your room!
The singer is telling the two people to separate themselves from each other, perhaps in order to deal with the emotional fallout from the situation.
Yeah!
The artist is exclaiming this word, perhaps to indicate a particularly emphatic point.
I don't want to be a doctor!
The artist is expressing their lack of interest in pursuing a career as a physician.
I don't want to be a lawyer!
The artist is expressing their lack of interest in pursuing a career as an attorney.
You let me down!
The singer is addressing their caregiver with a sense of disappointment, perhaps indicating that they had higher expectations of them.
And how!
The artist is adding emphasis to their previous statement, perhaps through the use of irony.
You make me make you!
The singer is using a circular sentence construction - they imply that the other party has made them do something, but at the same time, they take ownership of the resulting action.
You make me make you make me!
The singer is taking their previously circular sentence construction one step further, creating an even more tangled and paradoxical sentence construction.
Kill me Mommy!
The singer is using a figurative expression to express their extreme emotional distress – they may not necessarily want to die, but they feel overwhelmed by their negative emotions.
You go to your room!
The artist repeats this line from earlier, indicating that the situation has not yet been resolved.
I'm not Mommy!
The artist reveals that they are not, in fact, the caregiver they have been addressing throughout the song, perhaps indicating that they were playing a role in a dramatic context.
Kill me Mommy!
The singer repeats this figurative expression, perhaps to indicate that the emotional conflict has not been resolved.
I'm Daddy!
The singer reveals their true identity, leading the listener to question the nature of the song and the context of the situation described within.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind