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.
Missing The War
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
see figures jotted down
And clothes all strewn around
the bedroom flood
Now nothing's adding up
And nothing's making sense
She's sleeping like a baby
She doesn't like a baby
I'm missing the war
I'm missing the war all night
Missing the war
He drove home again
Pissed and beaten
Its really no big deal
It happens all the time
Its no big deal
I'm missing the war
I'm missing the war all night
Missing the war
I'm missing the war
'Till beads of sunlight hit me in the morning
So much time so little to say
Time may fly
And dreams may die
The shaking voice that tells him go
Still thinks he might
He knows he won't
I'm missing the war
Missing the war all night
Missing the war
The song "Missing The War" by Ben Folds Five depicts the story of a soldier who comes home to an unfaithful wife. The opening lines of the song "All is quiet his tired eyes, see figures jotted down" suggest that the soldier is back home and is trying to make sense of what he sees. The lyrics further describe the chaos in the bedroom, where clothes are strewn around and nothing is adding up. The soldier's wife is sleeping like a baby, oblivious to the fact that her husband is not meant for this kind of treatment.
The second verse is a narration of what the soldier goes through as he returns home. He is beaten and pissed and yet considers it no big deal. The chorus of the song highlights the misses of the war. The soldier seems to be missing everything about the war, perhaps suggesting that the war has become his home and his true calling. The final lines of the song depict the pain and agony of the soldier who knows that he must leave, but still has a shaking voice that tells him to stay.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the trauma and pain that soldiers go through when they return home. It depicts the struggles of a soldier who returns home to find that his wife has been unfaithful, and he is not sure of what to do next. It is a poignant and heartfelt song that highlights the emotional toll of war and its aftermath.
Line by Line Meaning
All is quiet his tired eyes
He is exhausted and seeing things haphazardly
see figures jotted down
Noticing some scribbled notes on paper
And clothes all strewn around
His room is in chaos as clothes are scattered everywhere
the bedroom flood
Room is so cluttered it looks like a river of stuff
Now nothing's adding up
He is unable to grasp the situation
And nothing's making sense
He is confused and lost
She's sleeping like a baby
His wife is fast asleep, oblivious to his struggles
She doesn't like a baby
She doesn't toss and turn like he does
She doesn't know he wasn't meant for this
His wife doesn't realize he is struggling with his life and career choices
I'm missing the war
He misses the excitement and adrenaline rush he once felt when he was in the midst of conflict or competition
I'm missing the war all night
He is preoccupied with thoughts of war and can't sleep
He drove home again
He left the workplace in a defeated state
Pissed and beaten
He is angry and frustrated
Its really no big deal
He is trying to minimize the situation but it is affecting him deeply
It happens all the time
This is a recurring problem for him
I'm missing the war
He is feeling disheartened and missing the thrill of conflict
Till beads of sunlight hit me in the morning
He stays up all night but eventually falls asleep until daylight appears
So much time so little to say
He ponders a lot but can't make sense of his own thoughts
Time may fly
The clock keeps ticking, regardless of his mental state
And dreams may die
His aspirations may never come to fruition
The shaking voice that tells him go
His inner voice urges him to leave and start fresh
Still thinks he might
He wants to believe he can make a change
He knows he won't
But deep down, he knows he can't
I'm missing the war
He is longing for a time when he was engaged in competition and battles
Missing the war all night
It's all he can think about, even when he is trying to sleep
Missing the war
Overall, He is struggling with his current life and is nostalgic for a different time of challenge and excitement
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thirteen2k
Ben Folds Five at their peak. Man, these guys were good.
@lavizol
Still best for me. λ²€λ½μ¦νμ΄λΈ ν¬λ λ²!
@jeffa4110
Fuck yes
@velvitjonze
Iβve literally spent 23 years trying to learn this on piano and today I finally got it. Love the song as much now as I did the first time I heard it
@CherubRocket1979
been trying the same on acoustic guitar... even though Ben says that instrument is "illegal" π
@jenzeck8660
How did you learn it??
@velvitjonze
@Jen Zeck a bit of a mix of having the sheet music (since the album came out!), by ear and finally some brilliant tutorials on youtube. It was always the bridge bit I struggled with. Have a watch of this one if you're trying to learn it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-03ClTL3yjw
@jenzeck8660
Thank you so much!!
@velvitjonze
@Jen Zeck you're welcome
@ryandowd7040
My ex and I used to sit at the piano while I tried pathetically to play this and she tried somewhat less pathetically to sing it. It was fantastic.