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.
Side of the Road
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the side of the road
Let me go and stand a while
I want to know you're there
But I want to be alone
If only for a minute or two
I want to see what it feels like
I want to feel the touch of my own skin
Against the sun
Against the wind
I walked out in a field
The grass was high and it brushed against my legs
I just stood and looked out at the open space
At a farm outside a little ways
And I wondered about the people who lived in it
And I wondered if they were happy and content
Were there children and a man and a wife
And did she love him and take her hair down at night
If I stray to far from you
Don't go and try to find me
It doesn't mean that I don't love you
And don't mean that I won't come back
And stay beside you
It only means that I need a little time
To follow that unbroken line
To a place where the wild things grow
To a place where I always used to go
If only for a minute or two
I want to see what it feels like
To leave without you
I want to feel the touch of my own skin
Against the sun
Against the wind
The lyrics to Ben Folds’s song, “Side of the Road” feature the struggle between the desire for independence and the need for a close relationship. The singer of the song asks to be left alone on the side of the road, but also wants to know that their partner is there. The desire for personal space and freedom, even if fleeting, is so strong that the singer feels the need to just stand in an open field, to be enveloped by nature and removed from any human interaction. The thought of those who may be enjoying a stable family life triggers a longing within the singer to feel a similar sense of contentment. However, the singer assures their loved one that the need for solitude and distance doesn’t mean that they don’t love them, but that they just need a little time. Ultimately, the song stresses that there’s value in striking a balance between independence and intimacy.
The themes of the lyrics, particularly the conflict between independence and intimacy, are mirrored in the music of the song. The stripped down instrumentation of just piano and vocals effectively contrasts with the more luscious arrangements of Folds’s earlier work. The concise, repetitive nature of the piano balances the emotional depth of the vocals. The minor chords in the piano chords foster feelings of sadness and isolation. However, the nostalgic melody lines in the piano conveys a sense of romanticism and reflection. The result is a song that’s both melancholic and ultimately optimistic.
Line by Line Meaning
You wait in the car
You are waiting in the car
On the side of the road
The car is parked beside the road
Let me go and stand a while
Give me some time alone to stand and think
I want to know you're there
I want to be reassured that you are nearby
But I want to be alone
Despite wanting your presence, I also want to be alone
If only for a minute or two
If only for a brief period
I want to see what it feels like
I am curious to know the feeling
To leave without you
To depart without you by my side
I want to feel the touch of my own skin
I want to experience contact with my own body
Against the sun
In the presence of the sun's warmth
Against the wind
Despite the force of the wind
I walked out in a field
I ventured into a field
The grass was high and it brushed against my legs
The tall grass touched my legs as I walked through it
I just stood and looked out at the open space
I stood still and viewed the surrounding expanse
At a farm outside a little ways
I saw a farm located some distance away
And I wondered about the people who lived in it
I pondered on the individuals residing there
And I wondered if they were happy and content
I questioned whether or not they were satisfied with their lives
Were there children and a man and a wife
Did a family unit reside on the farm?
And did she love him and take her hair down at night
Did the wife love her husband and let her hair loose at bedtime?
If I stray to far from you
If I venture too far away from you
Don't go and try to find me
Do not try to locate me
It doesn't mean that I don't love you
My absence does not imply that I don't love you
And don't mean that I won't come back
It doesn't suggest that I won't return
And stay beside you
And be by your side
It only means that I need a little time
It signifies that I require some brief respite
To follow that unbroken line
To trail that continuous pathway
To a place where the wild things grow
To a location where untamed things flourish
To a place where I always used to go
To a site I frequently visited in the past
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind