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.
Steven's Last Night In Town
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sing us a song
Just in case by tomorrow
It happens he's gone
For two weeks and seven days
Our fair foreign friend
I have this feeling
We might never see Steven again
But we thought he was gone
Now he's come back again
Last week it was funny
Now the jokes wearing thin
Everyone knows now
That every night now
Will be Steven's last night in town
He's charmed everyone here
Except Tamara Easter
Who later revealed to him
Her innermost secrets
Won us over with stories
About Linda McCartney
Lost points with the ladies
For saying he couldn't love a
Woman with cellulite
But we thought he was gone
Now he's come back again
Last week it was funny
Now the jokes wearing thin
Everyone knows now
That every night now
Will be Steven's last night in town
We were talking bout something
Seems like was funny
Then Steven got quiet
I think Steven was mad
Maybe he wasn't mad
But we felt very strange
In the moment
But the moment was past
And forgotten
But we thought he was gone
Now he's come back again
Last week it was funny
Now the jokes wearing thin
Everyone knows now
That every night now
Will be Steven's last night in town
The song "Steven's Last Night in Town" by Ben Folds Five tells the story of a group of friends who have just realized that their foreign friend Steven is leaving the town they are in for two weeks and seven days. They gather around him and sing him a song just in case they never see him again. However, Steven surprises them and returns to town much earlier than expected. At first, his return is amusing and everyone enjoys his company, but soon they become tired of his jokes and his presence in town. The song describes how his charm wins over everyone except Tamara Easter, who reveals her secrets to him. Steven tells the group stories about Linda McCartney but also says that he cannot love a woman with cellulite, which loses him some points with the ladies. The song ends with Steven being quiet, leaving everyone wondering if he is mad, but the moment is quickly forgotten.
The song is a humorous and satirical commentary on the fickleness of friendships and how quickly people can tire of someone's company. Steven is portrayed as a charismatic figure who captivates everyone with his stories but ultimately wears out his welcome. His views on women and cellulite are also criticized, highlighting the shallow and superficial nature of some people's opinions.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone gather round now
The group is coming together
Sing us a song
Requesting someone to perform
Just in case by tomorrow
Preparing for the possibility that Steven may leave
It happens he's gone
Steven's absence is possible
For two weeks and seven days
The length of time Steven may be gone
Our fair foreign friend
Describing Steven as a foreigner
I have this feeling
Suggesting a sense of foreboding
We might never see Steven again
The possibility of losing Steven permanently
But we thought he was gone
Initially thinking Steven had left
Now he's come back again
Steven has returned unexpectedly
Last week it was funny
Initially finding Steven's antics amusing
Now the jokes wearing thin
The group is getting tired of Steven's behavior
Everyone knows now
Everyone is aware
That every night now
Every night going forward
Will be Steven's last night in town
The group assumes Steven will leave soon
He's charmed everyone here
Steven is well-liked by the group
Except Tamara Easter
Tamara does not like Steven
Who later revealed to him
Tamara confided in Steven
Her innermost secrets
Tamara shared private information
Won us over with stories
Steven impressed the group with his anecdotes
About Linda McCartney
Specifically sharing stories about Linda McCartney
Lost points with the ladies
Steven said something that turned the female members off
For saying he couldn't love a
Steven made a statement on his love life
Woman with cellulite
Specifically, mentioning a physical attribute he didn't find attractive
We were talking bout something
The group was engaged in a conversation
Seems like was funny
The topic of conversation was humorous
Then Steven got quiet
Steven stopped engaging in the conversation
I think Steven was mad
The group believed Steven was upset
Maybe he wasn't mad
There's a possibility Steven wasn't upset
But we felt very strange
The group was uncomfortable in the moment
In the moment
Referring to a specific time
But the moment was past
The moment had moved on
And forgotten
The group no longer thought about the moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WrestlingGames101
Crazy how much this sounds like the recorded version, particularly Ben's vocals
@roland6776
One of my all time favorite ben folds five songs.
@petermitchell2729
You can tell how much breath ben needed to do both the melodica and vocals.
@jackfinnegan1427
The bass is fucking epic in this song
@shtevcorpse6392
Ben and Steve. Doesn't get much better than this!
@kendallhalligan2559
I love this song
@Ironcabbit
Ben Folds’ contribution to Neo Swing music.
@user-qp9so2zo1z
Surprised how good this sounds without piano
@jasonwilkerson9497
Very charming song.
@cakredi4132
Before there was Jacob Collier,
there was Ben Folds.