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.
Rocky
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I could jump so far.
Seems that all I'd ever done,
were smoking pot out in the car.
And this fear faded in,
from my deputies in my old school.
He says
I've been running through these fields
it's such a lovely place you drink,
is it your imagination,
it's been years since I've been on my feet?"
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's on it's way.
Sun won't be coming out today.
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's time he went away.
Sun won't be coming out today.
Now I recall,
but I don't know who,
told me Rocky was a runner,
won a medal back in school.
Now at Christmas Momma says,
you go up in Rocky's room.
And as we watch the sun go down,
he thanks me for my dreams.
He says "I know you think you are,
but you're not completely free.
The man who's seen the spectre of the ...
completely free."
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's on it's way.
Sun won't be coming out today.
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's on it's way.
Sun won't be coming out today.
Then he smiled,
and he turned and walked away.
He said over his shoulder,
"I'll be gone when you're awake."
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's on it's way.
Sun won't be coming out today.
Now it's Rocky's day,
and it's on it's way.
Sun won't be coming out today.
The lyrics to "Rocky" by Ben Folds Five are a reflection on memories and the passage of time. The first verse sets the scene in a park where the singer remembers jumping far, but also smoking weed in his car with his classmates. The fear of being caught by the deputies from his old school creeps in, and then he hears a voice saying "Ben, we both know you're a saint." The voice goes on to talk about running in fields and asks about the singer's imagination before ending with the ominous line, "Sun won't be coming out today."
The second verse introduces the character of Rocky, who apparently won a medal for running in school. The singer describes visiting Rocky's room at Christmas, watching the sunset together, and being thanked for his dreams. However, Rocky also tells the singer that he's not completely free and refers to "the spectre" which is left undefined. The last verse has Rocky smiling and walking away, promising to be gone when the singer wakes up. The chorus repeats the line about Rocky's day being on its way and the sun not coming out.
Line by Line Meaning
We were in a park
We were outside in a park
and I could jump so far.
I was feeling energetic and athletic enough to jump far distances
Seems that all I'd ever done,
It appears that all I had done in the past is smoke marijuana in a car
were smoking pot out in the car.
The only activity I engaged in before was smoking marijuana in a parked car
And this fear faded in,
And this feeling of being frightened slowly crept up
from my deputies in my old school.
It stemmed from the fact that the authority figures from my previous school made me feel uneasy
"Ben, we both know you're a saint,
Ben, I am aware that you are a morally righteous person,
I've been running through these fields
I have been running around in these fields
it's such a lovely place you drink,
It is a beautiful location where you can relax and have a drink
is it your imagination,
Is this just a figment of your imagination,
it's been years since I've been on my feet?"
It feels like it's been a long time since I've been able to stand and walk
Now it's Rocky's day,
Today belongs to Rocky
and it's on it's way.
And it is quickly approaching
Sun won't be coming out today.
It will be a cloudy day today
Now it's Rocky's day,
Today is specifically dedicated to Rocky
and it's time he went away.
It's finally time for Rocky to leave
Sun won't be coming out today.
The sun will not be visible in the sky today
Now I recall,
Now I remember
but I don't know who,
although I do not know who exactly
told me Rocky was a runner,
informed me that Rocky was a skilled runner
won a medal back in school.
Received an award for his performance in school
Now at Christmas Momma says,
Now during Christmas, my mother suggests
you go up in Rocky's room.
Upstairs in Rocky's bedroom
And as we watch the sun go down,
While we observe the sunset
he thanks me for my dreams.
He expresses gratitude for my aspirations
He says "I know you think you are,
He informs me, "I am aware of the belief you have
but you're not completely free.
however, you are not totally liberated
The man who's seen the spectre of the ...
The person who has witnessed the apparition of the...
completely free."
is the one who is truly free."
Then he smiled,
Then he grinned
and he turned and walked away.
And he turned around and left.
He said over his shoulder,
He said as he was walking away from me,
"I'll be gone when you're awake."
"By the time you wake up, I will have already left."
Now it's Rocky's day,
Now comes Rocky's day
and it's on it's way.
And it is quickly approaching
Sun won't be coming out today.
The sun will not be visible in the sky today
Now it's Rocky's day,
Today is specifically dedicated to Rocky
and it's on it's way.
And it is quickly approaching
Sun won't be coming out today.
It will be a cloudy day today
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.