Smoke
Ben Folds Five and Ben Folds Lyrics
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Throw this book away
All the sadness all the rage
Throw this book away
Rip out the binding, tear the glue
All of the grief we never ever knew
We had it all along
Now it's smoke
The things we've written in it
Never really happened
All of the people come and gone
Never really lived
All of the people have come have gone
No one to forgive smoke
We will never write a new one
There will not be a new one
Another one, another one
Here's an evening dark with shame
Throw it on the fire
Here's the time I took the blame
Throw it on the fire
Here's the time we didn't speak
It seemed for years and years
Here's a secret
No one will ever know the
Reasons for the tears
They are smoke
Where do all the secrets live
They travel in the air
You can smell them when they burn
They travel
Those who say the past is not dead
Stop and smell the smoke
You keep on saying the past is not dead
Come on and smell the smoke
You keep saying the past is not even past
You keep saying
We are, smoke
The lyrics to "Smoke" by Ben Folds Five talk about getting rid of the past and forgetting about the negative events that have happened. The song suggests throwing away the book that we've written in, tearing it apart, and forgetting about the sadness and rage we've experienced. The lyrics continue to say that everything we've written in the book never really happened, and all of the people that have come and gone never really lived. The past is described as smoke, invisible and something that we can't hold onto.
The song reminds us that all of our secrets travel in the air, and we can smell them when they burn. The past may not be dead, but we can "come on and smell the smoke" and move on from it. The song ends with the line "We are, smoke," implying that we too are just as fleeting and impermanent as the past.
Overall, the song encourages letting go of the past and not allowing it to dictate our present or future. It urges us to burn the negative events and memories of our lives and move forward, embracing the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaf by Leaf, page by page
Gradually discarding every chapter of our lives
Throw this book away
Forget the past and move on
All the sadness all the rage
All the emotions and anger we've held onto
Rip out the binding, tear the glue
Removing all the connections and attachments we've had
All of the grief we never ever knew
All the repressed and hidden pain
We had it all along
We were aware of it without acknowledging it
Now it's smoke
It's all gone
The things we've written in it
The events we've experienced and recorded
Never really happened
They didn't have as much significance as we thought
All of the people come and gone
All the individuals who've been in our lives
Never really lived
They didn't make a lasting impact
No one to forgive smoke
Letting go of resentment as everything fades
We will never write a new one
We won't dwell on the past to make more of it
There will not be a new one
There won't be another version of the past
Another one, another one
We'll learn from our mistakes and create a better future
Here's an evening dark with shame
A memory associated with negative feelings
Throw it on the fire
Discard the distressing memory
Here's the time I took the blame
A moment of guilt or responsibility
Here's the time we didn't speak
A period of strained communication
It seemed for years and years
It felt like an extended timeframe
Here's a secret
A confidential piece of information
No one will ever know the
It remains unknown and hidden
Reasons for the tears
The source of the sadness and sorrow
They are smoke
It's all just a distant memory now
Where do all the secrets live
Not knowing the location of repressed thoughts and emotions
They travel in the air
They linger and affect our psyche
You can smell them when they burn
They become apparent when faced and dealt with
Those who say the past is not dead
People who don't believe in letting go of the past
Stop and smell the smoke
Acknowledge that the past is gone
You keep on saying the past is not dead
The inability to let go of past experiences
Come on and smell the smoke
Realize that it's over and move on
You keep saying the past is not even past
Holding onto the past even when it's over
We are, smoke
We too will fade and be gone like the past
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN FOLDS, ANNA GOODMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kevcharkov
What an experience to be at this concert. And, can we try to imagine for a minute the perspective of Ben. You write these these incredible songs alone ... and then to hear them played at this quality by a world class orchestra. What a life fulfilling moment it must have been for him.
@hollyrenee9891
Itβs been 15 years since I first heard this song and it still makes me weep like a baby, especially this version.
@danelson78
Ben Folds is a genius. But I never understood this song. I have no idea what is about so I can't have an emotional attachment to it.
@joeljohnson8214
@David Nelson I think it's about the ending of a relationship.
@AmyCantrellVids
This was such a beautiful arrangement. I've loved how it was done. Then I saw the random duck floating around near the end, and my ADHD kicked in, and now duck is life.
@adudeuknow
I love them all Mr. Folds but this one is my favorite. I listen to it often but especially when I need to remember to forget.
@yungalucard9139
I remember when I picked up his retrospective album, and this song always floored me. When I got older in my 20βs it always hit home. It was through one of the worst times of my life, but the music was there to comfort and pacify the situation. Thank god for music.
@BellyButton3004
Just... Total... Goosebumps.
What a genius.
@Der8cho
Had no idea that this existed.
Pure magic!!
@malloc5014
What a lovely version of one of my favourite songs.