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.
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Ben Folds Lyrics
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You think I don't but I do
I've been listening and I don't forget so I can do this
I can pass the test
You went to school in Chicago
Your mom's maiden name is Dupree
Your favorite actor is DeNiro
Your birthday's 03/08/83
C-H-I-C-A-G-O
D-U-P-R-E-E
D-E-N-I-R-O
I know you
You think it's weird but it's not
You're all looking at it all upside down
It actually means I really love you
You used have a dog called Montey
You only drink chardonnay
Your sister's pet name is CeeCee
You have a thing for David Blaine
M-O-N-T-E-Y
C-H-A-R-D-O-N-N-A-Y
C-E-E-C-E-E
And I know you
I know you
You think I'm blind but I'm not
I've been watching and what I've noticed is distraction,
Boredom and vacancy
I know your favorite dish (P-R-I-M-A V-E-R-A)
I know your favorite band (Polyphonic S-P-R-E-E)
You spent a year in Barcelona (B-A-R-C-E-L-O-N-A)
That asshole's name was Anthony
Turns out you never went to T-U-L-S-A
To see your old roommate J-A-N-E
I think my middle name is S-U-C-K-E-R
And I was born yesterday
I don't know you
I thought I did but I don't
I wasn't listening, not to the right things
One day I won't even remember your face
In Ben Folds's song 'Password', the singer appears to be boasting about their knowledge of personal details about another person. The singer claims to know numerous personal details about someone that they say they have been listening to, including their educational history, family background, and favorite things. Although the person being addressed seems surprised by the knowledge displayed, the singer insists that they are not blind or forgetful, and that their knowledge is genuine.
The chorus features a play on words, with the phrase 'I really love you' being spelled out using information gathered about the person. This seems to be the singer's way of expressing affection or admiration for the person in question. However, the song takes a darker turn towards the end as it emerges that the singer may not actually know the person as well as they claim. They have apparently not been listening to the right things, and the final lyric suggests that they may forget the person entirely in the future.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on how we interact with each other and the information we share. It touches on themes of intimacy and connection, as well as secrets and hidden agendas. The catchy chorus and upbeat melody offer a contrast to the potentially sinister subtext of the lyrics, leaving the listener wondering about the true nature of the relationship between the singer and the person they claim to know so much about.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you
The singer is confident that they know the person they are addressing.
You think I don't but I do
The person being addressed may be underestimating the singer's knowledge.
I've been listening and I don't forget so I can do this
The singer has carefully observed the person and has committed their personal details to memory.
I can pass the test
The artist believes they have enough information to pass some kind of test.
You went to school in Chicago
The person being addressed attended school in Chicago.
Your mom's maiden name is Dupree
The person’s mother's maiden name is Dupree.
Your favorite actor is DeNiro
Robert DeNiro is the person's favorite actor.
Your birthday's 03/08/83
The person was born on March 8th, 1983.
C-H-I-C-A-G-O
The artist spells out the word 'Chicago'.
D-U-P-R-E-E
The artist spells out the name 'Dupree'.
D-E-N-I-R-O
The singer spells out the name 'DeNiro'.
You think it's weird but it's not
The person being addressed may find the artist's knowledge of their personal life strange.
You're all looking at it all upside down
The person being addressed may not be interpreting the situation correctly.
It actually means I really love you
The singer is implying that their knowledge of the person's life demonstrates how much they care about them.
You used have a dog called Montey
The person used to have a dog named Montey.
You only drink chardonnay
The person’s preferred alcoholic beverage is chardonnay.
Your sister's pet name is CeeCee
The person’s sister’s nickname is CeeCee.
You have a thing for David Blaine
The person is attracted to David Blaine.
M-O-N-T-E-Y
The singer spells out the name 'Montey'.
C-H-A-R-D-O-N-N-A-Y
The artist spells out the word 'chardonnay'.
C-E-E-C-E-E
The artist spells out the name 'CeeCee'.
And I know you
The artist reiterates that they know the person being addressed.
You think I'm blind but I'm not
The person being addressed may think that the singer is unaware of their actions.
I've been watching and what I've noticed is distraction, boredom and vacancy
The artist has been observing the person's behavior and has noticed that they are easily distracted, bored, and disengaged.
I know your favorite dish (P-R-I-M-A V-E-R-A)
The person’s favorite dish is 'primavera'.
I know your favorite band (Polyphonic S-P-R-E-E)
The person’s favorite band is Polyphonic Spree.
You spent a year in Barcelona (B-A-R-C-E-L-O-N-A)
The person spent a year living in Barcelona.
That asshole's name was Anthony
The person had a negative experience with someone named Anthony.
Turns out you never went to T-U-L-S-A
The person being addressed did not actually go to Tulsa.
To see your old roommate J-A-N-E
The person being addressed went to see a roommate named Jane.
I think my middle name is S-U-C-K-E-R
The singer is admitting that they feel foolish or naïve.
And I was born yesterday
The artist is jokingly suggesting that they are very gullible.
I don't know you
The artist admits that they were mistaken in thinking that they knew the person being addressed.
I thought I did but I don't
The artist was initially confident in their knowledge, but now realizes that they were wrong.
I wasn't listening, not to the right things
The singer acknowledges that they missed important details about the person's life.
One day I won't even remember your face
The artist is admitting that their relationship with the person is not significant enough for them to remember their appearance indefinitely.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS, BENJAMIN SCOTT FOLDS, NICHOLAS PETER JOHN HORNBY, NICK HORNBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind