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.
Wandering
Ben Folds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Separated by a hollow wooden door.
And some time we can't erase, serves me right
to let her in the first time she knocked.
And all this wandering,
got you nothing.
You were ready to but, never could.
Things your never saw in me, she'll see.
Observations that she heard from other people
but she never understood, serves her right.
Not knowing just exactly what she wants
And all this wandering,
got me nothing.
You were ready to but, never could.
are you happy? Wandering
dah dah dah dah dah….
Remember sitting on your car, that night.
Clouds rolled out unveiling lights around the bay
and you told me all those things
remember that?
You told me you can't match your clothes
remember that?
I confess that when I laugh sometimes and crying
and we sat and didn't talk for half an hour
remember that? Alone….
Cause I wont, remember anymore
And all this wandering
And all this wandering,
la dah dah dah dah…..
The first verse of Ben Folds's song "Wandering" talks about a relationship that has gone sour. The singer is separated from his partner and feels a distance between them that can't be erased. The singer thought it was the right thing to let his partner in when she knocked on the door, but now he sees that it was a mistake. The use of the phrase "hollow wooden door" adds to the loneliness the singer is feeling, emphasizing the physical barrier which is coming between them.
The chorus of the song talks about how wandering has brought the singer nothing. He may have thought that by exploring the world or seeking out new experiences, he could achieve some sort of fulfillment or closure, but in reality, he is left with nothing. The second verse is about the partner in the relationship. The singer sings about how there were things about him that she couldn't see, but other people were able to observe. The partner didn't completely understand what she wanted, and now she's paying the price.
The final verse of the song is about memories of the relationship. The singer remembers sitting with his partner on a car, looking out at the bay. They talked about things and laughed together, but there were times when they sat in silence. The singer says that he won't remember those moments anymore, as if he's finally letting go of the relationship and moving on.
Overall, "Wandering" is a melancholic song about a relationship that was doomed to fail. It's about the deep sense of loneliness and loss that comes with the ending of a romantic connection.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a million miles away from me.
The singer's partner is far away from him, physically and emotionally.
Separated by a hollow wooden door.
Although there is a physical barrier between them, the bigger problem is that they have an emotional distance.
And some time we can't erase, serves me right to let her in the first time she knocked.
The singer did not realize the consequences of letting her in at first, and now he has regret.
And all this wandering, got you nothing.
Wandering from place to place without purpose did not help the singer to find his lost love.
You were ready to but, never could.
Despite the fact that the singer wanted to find his love, he was unable to do so.
Things your never saw in me, she'll see.
The singer's partner will see things in someone else that she never saw in him.
Observations that she heard from other people but she never understood, serves her right.
The singer believes that his partner's lack of understanding of the observations, which she had heard from other sources, comes back to serve her own interests.
Not knowing just exactly what she wants
The singer believes that his partner's indecisiveness regarding what she wants comes between them and their relationship.
And all this wandering, got me nothing.
The singer's wandering was fruitless and did not help him to gain anything.
You were ready to but, never could.
The singer wanted to find his love but was unsuccessful.
are you happy? Wandering
The singer questions his purpose in wandering and asks himself if he has found any happiness.
Remember sitting on your car, that night.
The singer remembers the night he sat on the car with his lost love.
Clouds rolled out unveiling lights around the bay
The clouds disappeared and the lights around the bay became visible.
and you told me all those things remember that?
The singer's partner confided in him during that moment.
You told me you can't match your clothes remember that?
The singer's partner revealed a flaw about herself during that moment.
I confess that when I laugh sometimes and crying
The singer confesses that he sometimes cries when he is laughing.
and we sat and didn't talk for half an hour
The singer and his partner had a moment of silence for half an hour.
remember that? Alone….
Remembering that specific moment, the singer feels alone.
Cause I wont, remember anymore
The singer is trying to forget the moments he had with his lost love.
And all this wandering
The singer's wandering continues.
la dah dah dah dah….
The chorus of the song repeats.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind