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.
Magic
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew you'd be gone as soon as you could
And I hoped you would
We could see that you weren't yourself
And the lines on your face did tell
It's just as well
You'd never be yourself again
Dance by the light of the moon
Stars in your eyes
Free from the life that you knew
You're the magic that holds the sky up from the ground
You're the breath that blows these cool winds 'round
Trading places with an angel now
Saw you last night
Dance by the light of the moon
Stars in your eyes
Free from the life that you knew
Saw you last night
Stars in your eyes
Smiled in my room
The song Magic by Ben Folds Five is a poignant portrayal of a bittersweet goodbye to a loved one. The first two lines of the song perfectly and succinctly describe the sentiment: “From the back of your big brown eyes, I knew you'd be gone as soon as you could.” One gets a sense of impending loss and a certain inevitable finality. The use of “big brown eyes” also brings in a sense of familiarity and affection. The singer then goes on to say, “And I hoped you would”, implying that the departure, while sad, was also necessary and probably for the best. The use of “We could see that you weren't yourself” reinforces the idea that the subject was in some way suffering and needed a change.
In the next verse, we see the singer reminiscing about the last time they saw the subject, dancing by the light of the moon with stars in their eyes. “Free from the life that you knew” is a telling description that highlights both the liberation the subject must have felt and the burden they must have carried prior to leaving. The chorus then takes on a more otherworldly note, “You're the magic that holds the sky up from the ground/You're the breath that blows these cool winds 'round/Trading places with an angel now”. This implies that the subject has left this physical world and gone to a metaphysical one, where they are now an angel, holding up the very sky. The final line, “Smiled in my room”, brings the focus back to the singer’s personal experience of loss and the lingering joy that is bittersweet.
Line by Line Meaning
From the back of your big brown eyes
I could tell that you were planning to leave from the look in your eyes
I knew you'd be gone as soon as you could
I had a feeling that you were eager to leave as soon as possible
And I hoped you would
I wanted you to leave and find your own way in the world
We could see that you weren't yourself
We noticed that you were acting differently than usual
And the lines on your face did tell
Your facial expressions gave away your true emotions
It's just as well
It's good that you left because it was what you needed to do
You'd never be yourself again
You were going through a change that would alter your personality permanently
Saw you last night
I saw you recently
Dance by the light of the moon
You were dancing under the moonlight
Stars in your eyes
You had a sense of wonder and amazement in your eyes
Free from the life that you knew
You were unburdened by your previous life and responsibilities
You're the magic that holds the sky up from the ground
You have a special quality that has the ability to lift up and inspire others
You're the breath that blows these cool winds 'round
You have an influential power that can create change
Trading places with an angel now
You have transformed into a being of purity and positivity
Smiled in my room
You appeared in my room and smiled at me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: DARREN JESSEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind