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.

Narcolepsy
Ben Folds Five Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I should warn you,
I go to sleep.
I know you don't know what I mean.

Yet.
I get upset or happy I go to sleep.
Nothing hurts when I go to sleep.
But I'm not tired, I'm not tired.

I know it seems that I don't care,
But something in me does, I swear.
I don't remember all last year.
I left you awake to cry the tears,
While I was dreaming in streams
Flowing between the shores
Of joy and sadness

Oh!
I'm drowning, save me, wake me up!
I should warn you, I go to sleep.
You won't know when I go to sleep.

Because I'm not tired,

I'm not tired,
I just sleep.

Overall Meaning

The song "Narcolepsy" by Ben Folds Five seems to be about how the singer experiences intense emotions that sometimes lead him to fall asleep. He starts the song by warning someone that he goes to sleep when he is upset or happy, and that they might not understand what he means. The singer explains that he goes to sleep when he experiences strong emotion because it is a coping mechanism for him - "nothing hurts when I go to sleep." Despite this, he insists that he is not actually tired.

At the same time, the singer also acknowledges that his narcolepsy can be frustrating and painful for the people around him. He notes that the person he is speaking to might think he does not care about them because of his tendency to fall asleep. However, he stresses that there is a part of him that still cares deeply about them, even though he may not always express it. The singer also mentions that he "doesn't remember all last year," implying that his narcolepsy may be interfering with his ability to form memories or engage with the world around him.

In the chorus, the singer declares that he is "drowning" and begs someone to "save" him and "wake him up." This could be interpreted in a few different ways - it could represent the singer's feelings of being overwhelmed by his emotions, or his desire to escape from the more difficult aspects of his life. Overall, the song seems to be a poignant reflection on how emotions can impact our mental and physical health, as well as our ability to connect with others.

Line by Line Meaning

I should warn you,
I feel the need to tell you,

I go to sleep.
I have a condition where I fall asleep unexpectedly.

I know you don't know what I mean.
I realize you may not understand my condition.

Yet.
However, I'll try to explain it to you.

I get upset or happy I go to sleep.
My emotions trigger my condition and I fall asleep.

Nothing hurts when I go to sleep.
When I'm asleep, I don't feel any pain.

But I'm not tired, I'm not tired.
Although I fall asleep, I don't feel like I'm tired.

I know it seems that I don't care,
I understand that it may appear as if I'm uninterested or apathetic.

But something in me does, I swear.
However, there is a part of me that cares deeply.

I don't remember all last year.
I have difficulty recalling events from the past year.

I left you awake to cry the tears,
While I was asleep, you were left to experience emotions and struggles on your own.