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.
Best Imitation of Myself
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
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Withholding the rest
So I can be for you what you want to see
I got the gesture and sound
Got the timing down
It's uncanny, yeah, you think it was me
Do you think I should take a class
To lose my southern accent
I do the best imitation of myself
The 'problem with you' speech
You gave me was fine
I liked the theories about my little stage
And I swore I was listening
But I started drifting
Around the part about me acting my age
Now if it's all the same
I've people to entertain
I juggle one-handed
Do some magic tricks and
The best imitation of myself
Maybe I'm thinking myself in a hole
Wondering, who I am when I ought to know
Straighten up now time to go
Fool somebody else, fool somebody else
Last night I was east with them
And west within
Trying to be for you what you want to see
But I can't help it with you
The good and bad comes through
Don't want you hanging out with
No one but me
Now if it's all the same
It comes from the same place
And if my mind's somewhere else
You won't be able to tell
I do the best imitation of myself
Yes it's uncanny to see
You'd really think it was me
The best imitation of myself
Do the best imitation of myself
The lyrics of “Best Imitation of Myself” by Ben Folds are introspective and self-analyzing. He starts with a clear assertion that he feels like a “quote out of context” because he is withholding the rest of himself to conform to what others want him to be. He believes that he is so good at masking himself that others think his imitation could be the real thing. This is possibly why he asks whether or not he should take a class to lose his southern accent which he seems to believe is just a conscious act he’s put on. He wonders if he made himself up entirely, or if he just made a face until it stuck, hence the conclusion: “I do the best imitation of myself.”
Ben recalls being criticized for his behavior on stage in his “problem with you” speech, which he accepted with grace. However, as he began drifting, he unconsciously starts performing his juggling act, magic tricks, and the best imitation of himself to keep audiences entertained. Perhaps, he is unhappy with his imitative tendencies and contemplates who he really is at his core. “Maybe I’m thinking myself in a hole/Wondering who I am when I ought to know” speaks to this nagging sense of uncertainty about identity. His last night could be interpreted as a turning point where he ditches imitation to be himself, both the good and bad parts of him because he doesn't want to compete for someone's attention with others. He agrees to himself that he does the best imitation of himself because it comes from the same place, and he does it with such precision that no one can tell the difference.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel like a quote out of context
I feel like people only see a part of me, and not the whole picture
Withholding the rest
I am keeping parts of myself hidden from others
So I can be for you what you want to see
I am pretending to be the person that others want me to be
I got the gesture and sound
I have mastered the art of imitating others
Got the timing down
I know when and how to imitate others
It's uncanny, yeah, you think it was me
I am so good at imitating others that people think it's actually me
Do you think I should take a class
Should I work on improving my imitation skills?
To lose my southern accent
To change my identity and become someone else entirely
Did I make me up, or make the face till it stuck
Am I really acting like myself, or just pretending to be someone else?
I do the best imitation of myself
I am really good at pretending to be who I'm not
The 'problem with you' speech
The speech where you told me what's wrong with me
You gave me was fine
Your feedback was okay
I liked the theories about my little stage
I enjoyed hearing your opinions about my life
And I swore I was listening
I pretended to listen to your feedback
But I started drifting
I lost focus and stopped paying attention
Around the part about me acting my age
I didn't like hearing that I need to grow up
Now if it's all the same
If it doesn't matter either way
I've people to entertain
I have other things to do besides listen to you
I juggle one-handed
I am skilled at multitasking
Do some magic tricks and
I can distract you with my abilities
The best imitation of myself
I am really good at being someone else
Maybe I'm thinking myself in a hole
Maybe I'm overthinking things and getting myself stuck
Wondering, who I am when I ought to know
I should know who I am, but I am still unsure
Straighten up now time to go
Get it together and move on
Fool somebody else, fool somebody else
Pretend to be someone else for someone else
Last night I was east with them
Last night I was with some friends in the eastern side of town
And west within
But I was really feeling lost and confused
Trying to be for you what you want to see
I am pretending to be someone else for your benefit
But I can't help it with you
When I'm around you, my true self comes out
The good and bad comes through
You see both my positive and negative traits
Don't want you hanging out with
I am possessive of you and don't want you around other people
No one but me
I want you to only spend time with me
Now if it's all the same
If it doesn't matter either way
It comes from the same place
My imitation and true self both come from within
And if my mind's somewhere else
If I'm not focusing on the present
You won't be able to tell
You won't be able to see that my mind has wandered
I do the best imitation of myself
I am really good at pretending to be someone else
Yes it's uncanny to see
It's surprising to see how well I can pretend to be someone else
You'd really think it was me
You might think that I really am the person I'm pretending to be
The best imitation of myself
I am really good at pretending to be who I'm not
Do the best imitation of myself
I am really good at being someone else
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind