The members of the band are Ben Folds, the lead singer and pianist, who also wrote most of the songs; Robert Sledge on bass; and Darren Jessee on drums. The group enjoyed the success of the single Brick in 1997, a ballad written by Folds (with a chorus by Jessee) about his high school girlfriend getting an abortion. This song has, to a large degree, misrepresented the band to fans who aren't familiar with their other work; "Brick" is a serious ballad, whereas most of their music is characterised by jazz inflections and witty, humorous lyrics.
After the band's not-so amicable breakup in October 2000 over Ben's over shadowing of Sledge and Jessee, Folds began a solo career. Robert Sledge's subsequent band International Orange has broken up, while Darren Jessee is the frontman for the band Hotel Lights.
Folds once described their music as "punk rock for pussies" - a reaction to the angst prevalent in 90s rock. When asked about his band's name he jokingly responded "you mean a trio isn't five?". In other interviews the band said that the name was simply because Ben Folds Five sounded better than Ben Folds Three.
Ben Folds has continued with producing music on his own, striking a subtler tone than Ben Folds Five's earlier recordings. His personal relationship with William Shatner has opened the doors for a great professional one. Ben Folds produced William Shatner's album Has Been and they have since worked together on The 'Over The Hedge' soundtrack.
On September 18, 2008 at the UNC Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the band reunited for the first time in nearly 10 years for one special gig playing their critically acclaimed final album: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner in its entirety.
The House Songfacts reports that the trio got together in 2011 to record three new Ben Folds Five songs for the compilation,The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective.
Their 4th studio album "The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind" released September 18th, 2012. A live album titled "Ben Folds Live" released soon after on June 3rd, 2013.
Another live album "The Complete Sessions at West 54th" originally recorded in June of 1997, released on July 10, 2018.
Alice Childress
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk on down the hill
And maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
But they wouldn't dig this town
No they wouldn't dig this town
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
That you can't change
Pretend it's not that way
It's my idea of faith
You can blow it off
And say there's good in nearly everyone
Just give them all a chance
Now let's give them all a chance
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
No it didn't work out
No it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No it didn't work out
An arranged marriage is not so good
Thank God it's you
Ya know, your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
And left me on the sidewalk
Took everything I had
Everything I had
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Anymore, no not anymore
The song "Alice Childress" by Ben Folds speaks to the experience of living in a quiet town and feeling disconnected from those who live elsewhere. The singer reminisces about walking down the hill to buy a beer, getting lost in thoughts about people who are not present, and wishing that they too could appreciate the charm of the town.
The song derives its title from a mention of Alice Childress, an African-American playwright who was known for her plays that explored issues such as racism and inequality. Her work likely served as a source of inspiration for the singer, who tries to find faith in the goodness of people despite the many ugly things that exist in the world and cannot be changed.
The song also touches on themes of disappointment, as the singer admits that he did not achieve what he thought he would and that an arranged marriage did not work out. These lines serve as a reminder that life does not always go as planned, and that coping with disappointment often involves shifting one's focus towards what is good and positive.
Line by Line Meaning
Some summers in the evening after 6 or so
During some summer evenings after 6 o'clock
I walk on down the hill
I walk downhill
And maybe buy a beer
And perhaps purchase a beer
I think about my friends
I contemplate about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
Sometimes I desire that they resided here
But they wouldn't dig this town
However, they would not enjoy this location
No they wouldn't dig this town
No, they would not enjoy this location either
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Attempt to not ponder about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Endeavor to not think about it any longer
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
Alice, the world is saturated with dark things
That you can't change
That you don't have control to alter
Pretend it's not that way
Pretend it's not the truth
It's my idea of faith
It's my concept of belief
You can blow it off
You can dismiss it
And say there's good in nearly everyone
And argue that everyone has some good in them
Just give them all a chance
Just give everyone an opportunity
Now let's give them all a chance
Now, let's give everyone a chance
No it didn't work out
No, it did not succeed
No it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No, it did not proceed as we intended
An arranged marriage is not so good
An arranged marriage is not optimal
Thank God it's you
I'm grateful that it's you
Ya know, your timing is impeccable
You know, your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I am not deceiving you
I don't know what to do
I am unaware of what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
Some guy just knocked me unconscious
And left me on the sidewalk
And abandoned me on the pavement
Took everything I had
Took all my possessions
Everything I had
All I possessed
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
Any longer, no not any longer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANNA GOODMAN, BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind