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.
Narcolepsy
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I go to sleep.
I know you don't know what I mean.
Yet.
I get upset or happy I go to sleep.
Nothing hurts when I go to sleep.
But I'm not tired, I'm not tired.
I know it seems that I don't care,
But something in me does, I swear.
I don't remember all last year.
I left you awake to cry the tears,
While I was dreaming in streams
Flowing between the shores
Of joy and sadness
Oh!
I'm drowning, save me, wake me up!
I should warn you, I go to sleep.
You won't know when I go to sleep.
Because I'm not tired,
I'm not tired,
I just sleep.
The lyrics of Ben Folds’ song Narcolepsy speak to the experiences of someone with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes sudden episodes of uncontrollable sleep. The song begins with the singer warning the listener about his tendency to fall asleep unexpectedly. He acknowledges that the listener likely doesn't understand what he means by this, but assures them that he is aware of how his condition may affect others. However, the singer notes that when he is asleep, he experiences a sense of relief from his waking life. He acknowledges that he may not always seem fully engaged in his relationships due to his condition, but wants the listener to know that he does genuinely care about them, even if he has difficulty expressing it.
The song continues by describing the singer’s dreams, which he suggests may be more real to him than his waking life. He pleads with the listener to wake him up from his slumber, suggesting that he feels trapped in his dreams and unable to escape them. These lyrics can be interpreted as speaking to the way in which narcolepsy can blur the lines between reality and dreams, making it difficult for someone with the condition to distinguish between the two. The struggle to stay awake and remain present in one’s waking life can be isolating and frustrating, as the singer acknowledges throughout the song.
Overall, Ben Folds’ Narcolepsy provides a poignant portrait of someone living with a sleep disorder that is often misunderstood by others. The song speaks to the feelings of disconnection and isolation that can come with a condition like narcolepsy, while also highlighting the ways in which people with this disorder may genuinely care about those around them, even if they struggle to express this care in traditional ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I should warn you
I feel obligated to inform you
I go to sleep
I suffer from the medical condition narcolepsy, which causes me to fall asleep unexpectedly
I know you don't
I'm aware that you likely lack firsthand experience with narcolepsy
Know what I mean
Understand the extent to which narcolepsy affects me
Yet
Nevertheless, there's more to the story
I get upset or happy
When I experience certain emotions, it triggers a physical response that causes me to fall asleep
I go to sleep
I cannot control these sudden episodes of sleep
Nothing hurts when
When I fall asleep
I go to sleep
The sensation of pain and discomfort disappear temporarily
But I'm not tired
Despite sleeping suddenly and repeatedly, I am not necessarily fatigued
I'm not tired
I may seem awake and alert, but at any moment, I could fall asleep again
I know it seems that I don't care
My condition can make it seem like I am disinterested or indifferent
But something in me does I swear
That's not entirely true; there are parts of me that care deeply
I don't remember all last year
Due to the nature of narcolepsy and the medication I take to manage it, I may have gaps in my memory
I left you awake to cry the tears
I may not have been there when you needed me because of my sudden sleep episodes
While I was dreaming in the streams
When I fall asleep, I enter a dream-like state that feels real
Flowing between the shores
I'm transported to a new and different sensation that fades in and out like the ebb and flow of tides
Of joy and sadness
I experience vivid and powerful emotions in my dreams
I'm drowning
These dreams can become overwhelming and make me feel consumed
Save me
I need you at times to wake me up and ground me in the present moment
Wake me up
Please try not to judge or pity me, but instead be patient and understanding
You won't know when I go to sleep
My sudden sleep episodes can occur at any time, making it hard to predict when I'll fall asleep
Because I'm not tired
These unexpected sleeping episodes are not tied to feeling fatigued or tired
I just sleep
I have no control over when and how long I'll sleep due to my narcolepsy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind