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
Thirteen
Ben Kweller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been on the mountain
We've been round the fire
In fancy hotels
Drank water from farm wells
We sang with the choir
We jumped off the high cliffs
And splashed down below
Skin to skin
In the salty river
Made love in the shadows
Whoa oh
Read books to each other
Read the mind of the other
Flew one thousand jets
We laughed and we cried
At movies and real life
And all our ridiculous bets
We danced in the moonlight at midnight
We pressed against back doors and wooden floors
And you never faked it
And frequently
We ignored our love
But we could never mistake it, oh oh
We met on the front porch
Fell in love on the phone
Without the physical wreck
You gave me the necklace
That used to hang
Around your mothers neck
We questioned religions
Gave bread to the pigeons
We learned how to pray
We stood by the ocean
Turned our hearts into one
We laid in bed all day, hey
We skipped on the sidewalk
Skipped stones on the water
We skipped town
We've seen the sunrise with new eyes
We've seen the damage of gossip and true lies
We've seen the sun go down
Had passionate make outs
With passionate freakouts
We built this world of our own
It was in the back of a taxi
When you told me you loved me
And that I wasn't alone
In Ben Kweller's song Thirteen, he reflects on various experiences he has had with his partner, which have strengthened their love for one another. They have faced different weather conditions, from being in rain to being on the mountain, and they have also gone through different settings, from fancy hotels to drinking water from farm wells. Despite their varied experiences, they have always found love in each other, even when they could not express it physically. They learned how to make love in the shadows and in salty rivers.
The couple has also read books to each other, learned about each other's thoughts, flew a thousand jets, laughed and cried at movies, danced in the moonlight and pressed against back doors and wooden floors. They have had their ups and downs, ignored their love at times, but still could not mistake it. They have learned about different religions, given bread to pigeons, and prayed. They have been by the ocean, laying in bed all day, and even skipped on the sidewalk together. Through it all, they have seen the sun rise and set, with the knowledge that they were building something important together. Finally, it was in the back of a taxi when Kweller's partner told him that she loved him, and he knew that he was not alone in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
We've been in the rain
We faced hardships and overcame obstacles together
We've been on the mountain
We have experienced moments of achievement and success together
We've been round the fire
We have gathered around a common cause and shared moments of warmth and friendship together
In fancy hotels
We have enjoyed luxurious experiences together
Drank water from farm wells
We have appreciated the simple pleasures of life together
We sang with the choir
We have shared moments of joy and connectedness in a group
I kissed your dry lips
We have shared romantic and intimate moments
We jumped off the high cliffs
We have taken risks and challenged ourselves together
And splashed down below
We faced consequences and learned from mistakes together
Skin to skin
We were physically close and intimate with each other
In the salty river
We shared a peaceful and calm moment in nature together
Made love in the shadows
We had romantic moments in private and intimate settings
We danced in the moonlight at midnight
We shared moments of happiness and connection in a romantic setting
We pressed against back doors and wooden floors
We were physically intimate and passionate with each other
And you never faked it
Our relationship was genuine and honest
We could never mistake it, oh oh
We knew our love was real and true
We met on the front porch
We first met in a casual and relaxed setting
Fell in love on the phone
We shared a meaningful conversation that led us to fall in love
Without the physical wreck
We fell in love through genuine connection rather than physical attraction
You gave me the necklace
You shared a meaningful and personal item with me
That used to hang
The necklace had history and sentimental value
Around your mothers neck
The necklace had belonged to someone important in your life
We questioned religions
We explored and challenged our beliefs together
Gave bread to the pigeons
We shared small acts of kindness and compassion towards animals
We learned how to pray
We explored spirituality and faith together
We stood by the ocean
We shared moments of peace and contemplation in nature
Turned our hearts into one
Our love for each other was pure and strong
We laid in bed all day, hey
We enjoyed lazy and peaceful moments together
We skipped on the sidewalk
We shared moments of childlike joy and playfulness
Skipped stones on the water
We enjoyed peaceful moments of nature together
We skipped town
We escaped our daily lives and responsibilities together
We've seen the sunrise with new eyes
We have faced challenges and grown together, seeing the world in a new light
We've seen the damage of gossip and true lies
We have faced hurtful rumors and deceit together
We've seen the sun go down
We have shared moments of closure and rest together
Had passionate make outs
We shared passionate and intimate moments
With passionate freakouts
We faced conflicts and faced them with emotion and passion
We built this world of our own
We created our own unique and special relationship
It was in the back of a taxi
We shared a meaningful and intimate conversation in an unexpected place
When you told me you loved me
You shared your feelings with me and expressed your love
And that I wasn't alone
You reassured me of our love and support for each other
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Benjamin Kweller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stella Galo
LYRICS:
We've been in the rain
We've been on the mountain
We've been 'round the fire
In fancy hotels
Drank water from farm wells
We sang with the choir
I kissed your dry lips
We jumped off the high cliffs
And splashed down below
Skin to skin
In the salty river
Made love in the shadows
Woooah ooh
Read books to each other
Read the mind of the other
Flew 1, 000 jets
We laughed and we cried
At movies and real life
And our ridiculous bets
We danced in the moonlight at midnight
We pressed against back doors and wood floors
And you never faked it
Infrequently
We ignored our love
But we could never mistake it
Oooh ooh
We met on the front porch
Fell in love on the phone
Without the physical wreck
You gave me the necklace
That used to hang
Around your mother's neck
We questioned religions
Gave bread to the pigeons
We learned how to pray
We stood by the ocean
Turned our hearts into one
We layed in bed all day
Heeey
We skipped on the sidewalk
Skipped stones on the water
Skipped town
We've seen the sunrise with new eyes
We've seen the damage of gossip and true lies
We've seen the sun go down
Had passionate make outs
And passionate freak outs
We built this world of our own
It was in the back of a taxi
When you told me you loved me
And that I wasn't alone
Stella Galo
LYRICS:
We've been in the rain
We've been on the mountain
We've been 'round the fire
In fancy hotels
Drank water from farm wells
We sang with the choir
I kissed your dry lips
We jumped off the high cliffs
And splashed down below
Skin to skin
In the salty river
Made love in the shadows
Woooah ooh
Read books to each other
Read the mind of the other
Flew 1, 000 jets
We laughed and we cried
At movies and real life
And our ridiculous bets
We danced in the moonlight at midnight
We pressed against back doors and wood floors
And you never faked it
Infrequently
We ignored our love
But we could never mistake it
Oooh ooh
We met on the front porch
Fell in love on the phone
Without the physical wreck
You gave me the necklace
That used to hang
Around your mother's neck
We questioned religions
Gave bread to the pigeons
We learned how to pray
We stood by the ocean
Turned our hearts into one
We layed in bed all day
Heeey
We skipped on the sidewalk
Skipped stones on the water
Skipped town
We've seen the sunrise with new eyes
We've seen the damage of gossip and true lies
We've seen the sun go down
Had passionate make outs
And passionate freak outs
We built this world of our own
It was in the back of a taxi
When you told me you loved me
And that I wasn't alone
Brian Belleville
This song gives me chills every time it makes me think of the one time I was truly in love
Rebeca Moutinho
I will always be in love with this song. It has such a deep and intense meaning to me...
Samantha Sinclair
Why
TheMoonArtist
What a song! Instead of, for example, Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" or "Marry You" where Bruno shouts out his love for a girl, repeating it over and over, you have this song, where Ben quietly sings in an almost mono-tone voice, and doesn't repeat anything at all. And frankly, I find this one a lot more romantic with a lot more expression coming out. <3
Wendy Miller
I have loved this song for 16 years.
Kaylei Stewart
This song gets me teary eyed every time.
Cy Jan
The first dance song of Ed’s and Cherry’s wedding.
Espada103
God I love this song. I been listening to it since high school
KellyJmpr
He's so awesome live! I saw him with Julia Nunes. He has such a stage presence and he brings EVERYONE IN THE ROOM together to feel his passion for his music! His son was also adorable when he played around on stage. :) I became an instant fan of his! I hadn't heard him solo after Ben Folds...