Howard taught Ben how to play the drums when he was just a seven-year-old. For the next year, the father and son would jam together almost every night after Howard got home from work. With Howard singing and playing guitar and Ben keeping the beat, the duo would play songs by The Beatles, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, and other artists of the 60s. Howard also has been a long-time friend of Bruce Springsteen associate Nils Lofgren, the two having gone to high school together.
When Ben turned eight, someone showed him how to play the chestnut "Heart And Soul" on the piano. The youngster immediately began to create his own songs using the same chords. By the time he was 9 he had a dozen original compositions under his belt and entered a songwriting contest sponsored by Billboard magazine. Kweller won honorable mention.
In 1993, Kweller became friends with another young local musician, drummer John Kent, and the two formed the band Radish with bassist Ryan Green. The trio played locally in and around Greenville, Texas and recorded two independent releases, ''Hello'' (1994) and ''Dizzy'' (1995), with Martin Baird at Verge Music Works recording studio in Dallas, Texas. Around the time of ''Dizzy's'' release, Ryan Green decided to leave the band and focus his attention on school. Lorin Hamilton filled in for a few months until Bryan Bradford AKA Bryan Blur joined on for most of the band's career. Ben sent a copy of ''Dizzy'' to Nils Lofgren. Nils was impressed with Radish and recommended them to Roger Greenawalt who was producing Lofgren's album at the time, ''Damaged Goods''. Greenawalt took Radish into a studio where they recorded a demo tape which was subsequently shopped around to record labels nationwide, After an unexpected bidding war, Radish eventually signed to Mercury to release the album Restraining Bolt.
Radish made appearances on ''The Weird Al Show'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and ''Late Show with David Letterman'', but despite the much-hyped signing, the band failed to strike big success. Radish earned a large cult following in the United Kingdom with their top 40 hit "Little Pink Stars". The band toured several times in Europe including opening slots for Faith No More and Main Stage at Reading Festival '97. Radish released two singles. In 1998 Radish became a quartet featuring Joe Butcher (Polyphonic Spree, UFOFU) on lead guitar and Debbie Williams on bass. Radish went to Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama to record the follow-up to ''Restraining Bolt'', provisionally titled ''Discount Fireworks''. The band recorded with record producer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, The Lemonheads). While mixing ''Discount Fireworks'' in NYC, Kweller and Kent met bassist Josh Lattanzi who would become Radish's 5th and final bass player. As a result of Polygram's merger with Universal Music Group, the 18-song album was never released and Radish soon secured a release from their contract with Mercury Records.
At age 19, Ben Kweller moved to New York with his girlfriend Liz Smith, where he began his solo career. He played acoustic shows and self-released four EP's, comprising some of the unreleased Radish ''Discount Fireworks'' recordings and other songs recorded in his apartment on a laptop computer. It was one of these EPs, ''Freak Out, It's Ben Kweller'', that caught the attention of Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, and Dando invited Kweller out on tour with him, playing across America and Europe. Jeff Tweedy, Juliana Hatfield and Guster also began to notice Kweller and took him on tour with them
In 2001 Ben Kweller became ATO Records's first worldwide signing and released a 5-track EP entitled ''EP Phone Home''. In March 2002, ''Sha Sha'', Kweller's first solo studio Album was released. ''Sha Sha'' included the very radio-friendly and popular single "Wasted & Ready". The album featured John Kent on drums, Josh Lattanzi on bass, and showcased a wide variety of sound from Quirky Pop music to Folk to Punk. The album grew in popularity with a grassroots effort based on his website and a promotion group called teamBK, which promoted via word-of-mouth advertising. To support the release of the album and EP, he put together a live band, initially comprising Lattanzi on bass, Fred Eltringham on drums, and Mike Stroud on guitar and keyboards. Towards the end of the ''Sha Sha'' album cycle, the four-piece performed on PBS's Austin City Limits
In 2003, Kweller toured Australia with Ben Folds and Ben Lee as The Bens. The trio produced an eponymous four-song EP, with each member taking lead vocals on one song, and a final song in which they all contributed vocals. In an interview on October 14 2006 Ben hinted that The Bens may do another album. Later in 2003, Kweller provided lead vocals on the song "I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today" from Guster's album ''Keep It Together''. Kweller and Guster co-wrote the song after a late night jam at Gusters' Brooklyn studio. The song is prominently featured in the movie The Wedding Crashers.
''On My Way'' (2004), Kweller's second album, went in a new direction. The album, produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon), was recorded 'live' - there were limited overdubs and no use of headphones. After the release of On My Way, Kweller embarked on more touring, playing to his largest audiences ever, including a US tour co-headlining with Death Cab for Cutie. By this point, the lineup of his live band had changed to include John Kent on drums and Jason Roberts on guitar and keyboards, after Mike Stroud left to concentrate on his own band Ratatat and Fred Eltringham left to play drums in The Wallflowers.
In 2006 he recorded his third album, ''Ben Kweller'' with record producer, Gil Norton. Unlike the previous studio albums, Kweller played all the instruments on this record himself. Kweller continued to tour to support his self-titled album, and expanded his band into a five piece, which grew to include Dan Horne on bass, Mark Stepro on drums, Jay Barclay on guitar and organ, and Jason Roberts on lead guitar. Kweller continued to play guitar and piano on this tour, but it also gave him the opportunity to just sing on certain songs.
His tie-in "Trio on the Train Track Tour" included a new live band comprising Chris Morrissey on bass and Mark Stepro on drums. During the Australian leg of the tour, the band was composed of Jay Barclay on guitar, Dan Horne on bass and Mark Stepro continuing on drums.
As part of his 2006 tour, Kweller played the Austin City Limits Music Festival, where he was plagued by a severe nosebleed for the entirety of his set. After covering his guitar in blood, he attempted to stop the flow by inserting a travel-size tampon thrown onto the stage by a fan, which expanded painfully during a performance of "This Is War." After attempting to play "Falling" at the piano, which also became covered in blood, Kweller was forced to end the set early.
In the Spring of 2007, Kweller co-headlined with his label-mates Gomez. He continued through the summer with his own string of headlining dates which eventually ended at another appearance at ACL fest. This time no bloody nose, however, commemorative T-shirts were sold at the merch booth with fake blood stains that said "ACL 2007: The return of Ben Kweller".
Immediately following his performance at ACL, Kweller began recording his fourth full-length LP, ''Changing Horses'' in Austin, Texas on September 21, 2007. The album features the trio on the train tracks, and Pedal Steel/Dobro player Kitt Kitterman. In 2008, Kweller re-signed with ATO Records who released ''Changing Horses'' in early 2009.
Kweller's fifth studio album, entitled "Go Fly A Kite," was his first release produced solely by his own record label, The Noise Company. In earlier interviews, Kweller had stated that it would be released as early as March or April of 2011. However, after that the manager of The Noise Company stated that the album was now set to come out either late January or early February of 2012. Kweller confirmed on stage at Stubbs in Austin on 4/16/11 that the delay in release is a result of Kweller's parting ways with his former record label, ATO Records, and his desire to release the recording independently. Kweller had also stated the album would be very electric and energetic while dealing with some darker topics. It will be accompanied by a comprehensive world tour and several media appearances. The album was released in February of 2012.
In 2013 Kweller announced via facebook that he would be doing a "split" record with Waylon Jennings.
More info here: http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/content/nrn/vinyl-kweller-jennings.htm
Fight
Ben Kweller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning the highway
His heart is strong as stone
Counting them yard lines
Passing the hard time
Riding that black top home
CHORUS:
You gotta fight fight fight all the way
You gotta set your sight on the Lord in your life
You gotta fight till your dying day
She is an intern
Fighting the love burn
Rolling out tears like a wave
That angel's boy friend
Left her with nothing
But she'll never be his slave
CHORUS:
You gotta fight fight fight fight all the way
You gotta fight fight fight all the way
You gotta set your sight on the Lord in your life
You gotta fight till your dying day
I'm like my grandma
Short but I stand tall
Playing every single card that's dealt to me
Well you know some days are aces
And some days are faces
Well some days are 2's and 3's
CHORUS:
You gotta fight fight fight fight all the way
You gotta fight fight fight all the way
You gotta set your sight on the Lord in your life
You gotta fight till your dying day
The song "Fight" by Ben Kweller is a motivational and inspirational track that encourages listeners to persevere through the difficult moments in their lives. The song features three distinct verses that introduce three different characters, each dealing with their own struggle. The first verse introduces a truck driver who is pushing through the long, lonely hours on the road. Despite the difficulty of his job, he is determined to make it to his destination. The second verse features an intern who is dealing with heartbreak and feeling as though she has lost control of her life. The final verse introduces the singer himself, who compares himself to his short but stout grandmother, and emphasizes that life is full of both good and bad days, but it's important to keep fighting no matter what.
The chorus of the song reinforces the theme of resilience and determination, urging listeners to "set their sight on the Lord" and fight until their dying day. While the reference to the Lord may speak to Kweller's religious beliefs, the sentiment of not giving up is universal and can be interpreted in a secular manner as well.
Overall, "Fight" is a song that encourages listeners to persevere through lifes' difficulties by drawing strength from within and never giving up. Whether it's a difficult job, a broken heart, or simply everyday life, it's important to keep pushing forward and fighting for what you want.
Line by Line Meaning
He is a trucker
The singer is personified as a tough and persevering truck driver.
Burning the highway
He relentlessly travels long distances, facing hardships and obstacles but remaining determined.
His heart is strong as stone
He has a heart that's tough and resilient, able to endure challenges and never give up.
Counting them yard lines
He focuses on the little achievements that add up, like the yard lines on the highway.
Passing the hard time
He's getting through difficult times, one at a time.
Riding that black top home
He's traveling towards his destination, where he'll rest and enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
She is an intern
The second protagonist is a young, ambitious intern.
Fighting the love burn
She's trying to overcome the intense feeling of longing or passion she has for someone.
Rolling out tears like a wave
She's emotional and cries often, but keeps moving forward.
That angel's boy friend
Her former lover, who she still cares about deeply, is referred to as an angel.
Left her with nothing
He broke up with her, leaving her with a sense of emptiness and loss.
But she'll never be his slave
Despite her lingering feelings for him, she values her own freedom and independence above all else.
I'm like my grandma
The third protagonist compares himself to his tough and scrappy grandmother.
Short but I stand tall
He's small in stature but has a big, resilient spirit.
Playing every single card that's dealt to me
He takes life's challenges as they come and makes the best of them.
Well you know some days are aces
Some days he'll have good fortune and success, represented by aces in a deck of cards.
And some days are faces
Other days he'll experience setbacks and obstacles, represented by the face cards in a deck of cards.
Well some days are 2's and 3's
Some days may be mundane and unremarkable, represented by the lower cards in a deck of cards.
You gotta fight fight fight fight all the way
The chorus emphasizes the theme of perseverance and never giving up, no matter how tough the challenge.
You gotta set your sight on the Lord in your life
The artist urges us to stay focused on what's important and have faith in something higher than ourselves.
You gotta fight till your dying day
The chorus repeats the message of never giving up or losing hope, even until the very end of our lives.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WYNN, ZUCKERMAN, Benjamin Wynn, Jeremy Zuckerman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben Giddens
this whole album is so so amazing.
Matthew Miller
Ok, I jut saw him live yesterday at Dia De Los Toadies! This guy rocks live!! His live show prompted me to come here and see more of his music. Good Luck Ben!
jobezark
love the song! can't wait for you guys to release another music video from this album!
S C
Can't wait till the CD arrives I'm sure it's going to be great. Keep up the good music!!!
geekchix0r
different, but I love it! video made me smile, and ben always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. can't wait to get the album!
oifatboy
love this video, great song Ben, as per usual!
alyshells
Aww such a cute video! Looking forward to the new album Ben, you rock the world!
David M.
Great song Ben. It's refreshing to hear this style of music. And Sawdust Man is excellent. Sounds like your NOT a one trick pony. Keep them guessing. Changing Horses is a great album.
L Z-H
love it Ben!!
maimiaa
ben kweller. you are my favorite. awesome new album and of course, awesome songs.