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.
Tell Me What I Did
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I was shouting something
we were two kids
and I was fat and grumpy.
Pushed you down some stairs.
I said, "your mom smelled like old underwear",
and then you split my lip,
Will you tell me what I did
Tell me what I did.
(ohh ohh ohh)
Tell me what I did.
(ohh ohh ohh)
Shelly was pretty.
She studied Algebra.
She made some cookies,
for the whole math class.
She would talk to me,
even though I was a bully.
I always knew she'd be somebody.
Now she's the editor-and-cheif,
of a free magizene.
(ohh ohh ohh)
Tell me what I did.
(ohh ohh ohh)
Tell me.
(ahh ah ahh)x2
The kids formed a circle,
just like enter the dragon.
I was defending myself
from snowballs coming at me.
I said I'll come back then,
and get you one on one.
Oh yay, we're no longer friends,
cause they started to run.
Screaming tell me what I did,
tears in my eyes.
Tell me what I did.
Tell me what I did.
Tell me what I did.
(ohh ohhh ohh)
Tell me what I did
(ohh ohh ohh)
Tell me what I did
(ohh ohh ohh)
Tell me what I did.
Tell me what I did.
(ohh ohh ohh)
Oh
The lyrics of "Tell Me What I Did" by Ben Folds delve into the memories of the singer, who is trying to make sense of his actions as a child. The song begins with him recalling an incident when he was upset and pushed his friend down the stairs, leading to a physical fight where he ended up with a split lip. The singer then pleads with his friend to tell him what he did wrong, possibly hoping for some absolution for his childish behavior. He then moves on to talk about his other classmate, Shelly, who was kind to him despite him being a bully. Shelly is now successful, and the singer seems to regret his past actions.
The song's introspective nature touches on themes of remorse, nostalgia, and the lasting effects of our actions. It explores the complexities of childhood friendships and the sometimes chaotic events that transpire in them. The chorus, with the repeated plea of "tell me what I did," illustrates the singer's desperation to understand his own behavior and the consequences it had. The song's ending, with the singer recounting how he was left alone by his friends, confirms his suspicion that he was, in fact, in the wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
My nose was hurting
I was in physical pain.
and I was shouting something
I was expressing my frustration out loud.
we were two kids
We were both young and inexperienced.
and I was fat and grumpy.
I was overweight and in a bad mood.
Pushed you down some stairs.
I physically harmed you by pushing you down a staircase.
I said, "your mom smelled like old underwear",
I insulted your mother in a crude and hurtful manner.
and then you split my lip,
You retaliated by harming me physically and injuring my lip.
Will you tell me what I did
I am asking you to explain my wrongdoing and the reason for your retaliation.
Shelly was pretty.
I am introducing a new character named Shelly and noting her physical appearance.
She studied Algebra.
I am providing information about Shelly's academic pursuits.
She made some cookies,
I am mentioning that Shelly baked cookies.
for the whole math class.
I am specifying the recipients of Shelly's cookies.
She would talk to me,
Shelly engaged in conversation with me.
even though I was a bully.
I acknowledged that I was a bully towards Shelly.
I always knew she'd be somebody.
I recognized Shelly's potential for success.
Now she's the editor-and-cheif,
I am sharing information about Shelly's current occupation.
of a free magizene.
I am specifying the type of publication that Shelly edits.
The kids formed a circle,
I am describing the physical arrangement of a group of children.
just like enter the dragon.
I am referencing a martial arts movie called Enter the Dragon.
I was defending myself
I believed that I was acting in self-defense.
from snowballs coming at me.
I am specifying the type of attack I was facing from the other children.
I said I'll come back then,
I threatened to retaliate against the other children.
and get you one on one.
I intended to harm them individually and directly.
Oh yay, we're no longer friends,
As a result of this confrontation, our friendship was damaged or destroyed.
cause they started to run.
The other children fled to avoid further conflict.
Screaming tell me what I did,
I am expressing my confusion and desire for an explanation.
tears in my eyes.
I am emotional and upset, shown by my teary eyes.
Tell me what I did.
I repeat my plea for an explanation of my wrongdoing.
ohh ohh ohh
This line is only a vocalization and has no specific meaning.
ahh ah ahh
This line is only a vocalization and has no specific meaning.
Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.