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.
Rent A Cop
Ben Folds Lyrics
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Yeah, it's the best job in the world
Yeah, they know they're safe with me
They love my little mustache
They love a man in uniform, oh
With my sunglasses
They can't see what I'm really looking at
I whisper through my doughnut
Hey baby, baby, light that ass on fire
How long must this day go on
I got to stand here two more hours
'Til I punch the clock
How long must this day go on
No kid, they don't give me a gun
I don't get paid enough to run
So you can call me what you want
I'll be hanging at the checkout
Checking out your girlfriend
Figure out how she's going to fit all of that
Butt into that underwear, yeah, yeah
Hey girl, if you can't recall
Where you parked your daddy's car
Then I could help you out
All alone in this great big mall, oh
How long must this day go on
I got to stand here two more hours
'Til it's Miller time
How long must this day go on
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
I'm trolling food court for girls
I whisper through my doughnut
I whisper through my doughnut
I whisper through my doughnut
Hey baby baby, hey baby baby baby
Light that, light that ass on fire
Alright that's good
The lyrics of "Rent A Cop" by Ben Folds describe the perspective of a security guard working in a mall, who spends his time "trolling" the food court for girls. With a self-aware tone, the singer acknowledges that he is not particularly respected or well-paid in his job, but still takes some pleasure in the attention that his uniform and mustache attract from some of the young women passing by. The singer uses his sunglasses to obscure his gaze and mutters suggestive comments to himself, hidden behind his doughnut. Despite the tedium of his job, the singer seems to find a sense of power and humor in making these predatory comments and positioning himself as an observer of mall culture.
The lyrics of "Rent A Cop" are a satirical commentary on the dynamics of capitalism and patriarchy that create the environment of the mall. As many critics have noted, the mall is a space that relies on seductive marketing and surveillance tactics to encourage people to consume mass-produced goods. The guard in the song is a representative of the security state that undergirds this consumerist world, even as he himself is subject to low wages and limited prospects. However, by objectifying the young women he sees in the mall, the singer also reflects the ways in which patriarchal values operate in this environment. Rather than engaging with his own sense of powerlessness or channeling his humor in more constructive ways, the singer preys on vulnerable targets, using his uniform and private language to isolate and control them.
Overall, "Rent A Cop" is a wry and unsettling portrait of a particular moment in American culture, where the façade of stability and order coexists with deep anxiety and dysfunction. By exposing the inner thoughts of the security guard, Folds highlights the ways in which individuals can become complicit in larger systems of oppression, without necessarily being villains in their own right.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm trollin' food court for girls
I'm walking around the food court looking for girls
Yeah, it's the best job in the world
I think being a rent-a-cop and checking out girls is the best job ever
Yeah, they know they're safe with me
Girls feel safe around me, cause I'm just a harmless rent-a-cop
They love my little mustache
Girls seem to like my mustache, which I think is cool
They love a man in uniform, oh
Girls like guys in uniforms, and I'm wearing one, so they must like me
With my sunglasses
With my sunglasses on, girls can't tell what I'm really looking at
They can't see what I'm really looking at
Girls don't know that I'm actually checking them out, cause I have my sunglasses on
And as they're walking by
As the girls walk by, I'm secretly checking them out
I whisper through my doughnut
To disguise what I'm saying, I whisper through my donut (like a small megaphone)
Hey baby, baby, light that ass on fire
I'm making a suggestive comment to a girl I'm checking out, asking her to show off her body
How long must this day go on
I'm bored and wondering when my shift will end
I got to stand here two more hours
I still have two more hours until my shift ends, and I can leave
Til I punch the clock
I have to work until my shift is officially over and I can clock out
No kid, they don't give me a gun
I'm not important enough to be given a gun as a rent-a-cop
I don't get paid enough to run
I don't get paid enough to chase after anyone who decides to steal something or cause trouble
So you can call me what you want
People might make fun of my job or my uniform, but I don't really care
I'll be hanging at the checkout
I'm going to be at the checkout for most of my shift, looking at girls
Checking out your girlfriend
I'm checking out girls as they come by, getting a good look at them
Figure out how she's going to fit all of that
I'm wondering how a girl's body can fit into her underwear, because she has a big butt
Butt into that underwear, yeah, yeah
I'm making a somewhat crude joke about a girl's butt and underwear
Hey girl, if you can't recall
I'm talking to a girl who seems lost and can't remember where she parked her car
Where you parked your daddy's car
I'm asking her where she parked her dad's car, because she seems confused
Then I could help you out
I'm offering to help her find her car, so I have more time to talk to her
All alone in this great big mall, oh
I'm saying that we're both alone in this big mall, so maybe she'll talk to me more
Til it's Miller time
I'm going to get a beer (Miller brand) after work is over, since I've had a long day
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
Just a sound effect that repeats throughout the song
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN FOLDS, BENJAMIN SCOTT FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind