Ben Folds Five is a trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United Stat… Read Full Bio ↴Ben Folds Five is a trio formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States in 1994, who until their breakup in 2000 were a mainstay of Piano rock. Much of their work was influenced by jazz, evident in frequent improv-styled passages through bridge and/or ending.

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.

Guilty
Ben Folds Five Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another guilty white boy, won't you turn me in?
Always had it easy, charge me for my sins

Ain't been through the slavery, ain't been through the cotton fields
Through the back of a bus oh, cos I'm guilty

Ain't been through the slavery, ain't been through the cotton fields
Through the back of a bus oh, cos I'm ooh guilty

Broken bones and bruises, Daddy brought the ball this far
But living on his shoulders, he passed it with his car

I've been through the little league, a 9 years old in the social arena
Oh baby gonna beat beat beat em, cos I'm guilty

I've been through the little league, a 9 years old in the social arena
Oh baby gonna beat beat beat em, cos I'm guilty

Always had it easy my future's in the mail
Every reason to succeed, every chance to fail
Ain't got nothing on nobody, no no no no no no no
If I found that opportunity, I lost my soul
Grandpa saw World War II, old man saw Vietnam
I spent my allowance just to see Mauthausen
And now I'm guilty

I've been through the little league, a 9 years old in the social arena
Oh baby gonna beat beat beat em, well I'm guilty

Ain't been through the slavery, ain't been through the cotton fields
Through the back of a bus oh, cos I'm guilty

You wonder why we fall on top of everyone

You wonder why we're no fun
Cos we're guilty

Overall Meaning

In the song "Guilty" by Ben Folds Five, the singer is a guilty white boy who is aware that he has not experienced the struggles of African American history but is somehow responsible for the sins of his ancestors. He acknowledges that he has always had an easy life compared to others who have gone through slavery and oppression, but he still feels guilty nonetheless. He recognizes that his ancestors have benefited from the exploitation of African Americans, and he feels responsible for this. The singer admits that he has had opportunities to succeed, but he has also had the chance to fail. He ponders whether his success is a result of his own abilities or whether he had an advantage of being part of a privileged race.

The first verse of the song talks about how the singer feels guilty for having an easy life and the fact that he has not gone through slavery and oppression. In contrast to his life, he acknowledges that others have gone through brutal experiences. The second verse highlights how the singer feels guilty for not having suffered physically like his father and grandfather. The chorus uses the term guilty multiple times, evoking the idea of being responsible for something that one may not have directly caused.

Line by Line Meaning

Another guilty white boy, won't you turn me in?
The singer acknowledges his privilege and desires to take responsibility for past wrongdoings.

Always had it easy, charge me for my sins
The singer recognizes the ease of his life and wishes to be held accountable for his mistakes.

Ain't been through the slavery, ain't been through the cotton fields Through the back of a bus oh, cos I'm guilty
The singer recognizes that his experiences have been vastly different from those who have faced severe racial oppression in American history, but he believes that he still carries some level of guilt for his privilege.

Broken bones and bruises, Daddy brought the ball this far But living on his shoulders, he passed it with his car
The artist's father may have experienced hardships in his own life, but the artist recognizes that he has ultimately been privileged to have a comparatively easy life.

I've been through the little league, a 9 years old in the social arena Oh baby gonna beat beat beat em, cos I'm guilty
The artist acknowledges his competitiveness and desire to win, while still recognizing his privilege and guilt.

Always had it easy my future's in the mail Every reason to succeed, every chance to fail Ain't got nothing on nobody, no no no no no no no If I found that opportunity, I lost my soul
The singer recognizes his easy life and the privilege that provides him with plenty of opportunities to succeed - while also acknowledging the danger of losing oneself to that privilege.

Grandpa saw World War II, old man saw Vietnam I spent my allowance just to see Mauthausen And now I'm guilty
The singer recognizes that he has not experienced some of the great hardships faced by previous generations of his family, but he has still had the means to explore historical sites of trauma and bear witness to the atrocities committed.

You wonder why we fall on top of everyone You wonder why we're no fun Cos we're guilty
The artist recognizes that his guilt may impact his ability to fit in or be lighthearted in some situations.

Contributed by Sadie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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