Smoke
Ben Folds Five and Ben Folds Lyrics


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Leaf by Leaf, page by page
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

Overall Meaning

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
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Comments from YouTube:

@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

It’s 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 20’s 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.

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