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.
Your Most Valuable Possession
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Good morning, Mr. Ben.
It's about 6:30
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Um, just laying here in the bed,
Half awake, half asleep,
I was
Wondering if you were looking after your
Most valuable
Possession
Your mind.
I was thinking about
John Glenn,
His space journey and all.
They said that
When you're in space you lose
Muscle mass
And the body
Mass
And I wondered if there was any
End to it.
Or whether,
If you didn't exercise in space,
How long it would be before you were just
A head, or a mind,
And have no body or arms.
You'd have them but you couldn't use them.
I was wondering if
If your body mass would drop to a certain level,
And then it would stop right there.
And keep whatever you needed to
Use your mind
Because it would still be working."
(30 seconds remaining)
"Anyway, I was just pondering that.
What do you think about, that?
I hope everything is going alright.
I may well wake up here in a little while
And forget what I was thinking about."
The lyrics to Ben Folds Five's song Your Most Valuable Possession revolve around the concept of the mind being one's most valuable possession. The song starts with a voicemail left by an unknown person who is half awake and half asleep, contemplating about the mind and its importance. The voicemail suggests that the mind is the most valuable possession we have and that we must take care of it.
The singer discusses how John Glenn's space journey prompted their thoughts about the human body's limit in space. The singer wonders how long one could survive without exercising, leading to gradual muscle and body mass loss. The singer ponders whether a human would eventually become just a head or a mind, capable of thinking but with no body to use. This idea builds on the initial concept of the mind being our most valued possession, emphasizing that we must take care of our bodies as well to ensure that we can still use our minds.
Overall, the song tells us that our most valuable possession is our mind, and we must take care of it. The singer also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy mind-body balance.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning, Mr. Ben.
A greeting from a friend named Mr. Ben.
It's about 6:30 Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The time and place of the recording of the message.
Um, just laying here in the bed,
A casual statement about the singer's current position.
Half awake, half asleep,
The artist's current state of consciousness.
Thinking about you.
The artist is thinking about Ben Folds Five.
I was wondering if you were looking after your
The singer is curious if Ben is taking care of something important.
Most valuable
An important possession that should be taken care of.
Possession
Something that one owns, that is important to them.
Your mind.
The possession in question is one's mind.
I was thinking about
The artist's current train of thought.
John Glenn,
A reference to the famous astronaut.
His space journey and all.
A reference to John Glenn's historic space flight.
They said that
Referring to something that was discussed previously.
When you're in space you lose
Being in space has a particular effect.
Muscle mass
The amount of muscle tissue in one's body decreases.
And the body
One's body undergoes various changes in space.
Mass
The size or amount of something, in this case referring to total body mass.
And I wondered if there was any
The singer has a question or curiosity about something.
End to it.
Whether or not these changes have a limit.
Or whether,
The artist continues with their thought process.
If you didn't exercise in space,
How neglecting to exercise would affect these changes.
How long it would be before you were just
The artist poses a hypothetical situation.
A head, or a mind,
A scenario where the body has withered away, leaving only the mind.
And have no body or arms.
A continuation of this scenario, where the individual has lost the use of their limbs.
You'd have them but you couldn't use them.
The difference between having limbs and being able to utilize them.
I was wondering if
The singer has more questions about the previous hypothetical situation.
If your body mass would drop to a certain level,
Whether or not there is a minimum body mass one would have to maintain in order to survive.
And then it would stop right there.
After reaching that minimum, the body mass would not continue to decrease.
And keep whatever you needed to
The body would retain only what is absolutely necessary.
Use your mind
The purpose of the body being preserved is to keep the mind still functioning.
Because it would still be working.
The mind would be the only thing of value left in this hypothetical situation.
Anyway, I was just pondering that.
The artist wraps up their train of thought.
What do you think about, that?
A request for Ben Folds Five's opinion on the earlier topic.
I hope everything is going alright.
A kind gesture wishing everything is ok with Ben.
I may well wake up here in a little while
The singer acknowledges their drowsiness.
And forget what I was thinking about.
A common occurrence when falling back asleep.
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