1999's Breathing Tornados marked a new direction for Lee as he introduced synths and increased instrumentation into his sound. The album was a huge success, with the first single, "Cigarettes Will Kill You", finishing second in that year's Triple J Hottest 100. Lee also enjoyed success with the single "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" - from the album hey you. yes you. - reaching no 22 in 2002's Triple J Hottest 100.
In 2001 he joined forces with Evan Dando, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick and Jason Schwartzman of Phantom Planet and acting fame. Calling themselves Dando Lee Petersson Schwartzman, they recorded a single, "Dead or Anything", at Globe Studios, New York.
During 2003 he teamed up with Ben Kweller and Ben Folds for a side project entitled The Bens. They recorded four songs together in Nashville, resulting in a self-titled EP.
In late 2004, he left Steve Pavlovic's Modular Recordings and started up his own record label, Ten Fingers. The first release on the label was the single, "Gamble Everything For Love", followed by the album, Awake Is The New Sleep in February 2005. A defining release in his career, the album showcased a much brighter, positive side of Lee's personality, in contrast to his previous darker musings. Awake Is The New Sleep received several nominations for the 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, and Lee won Best Male Artist, Best Independent Release, and Single Of The Year for "Catch My Disease". Catch My Disease was also number 2 on the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100.
In September 2007, Lee released his sixth solo album, named "Ripe" after the final song on the record. The album is somewhat controversial, with most songs relating in some way to sex, lust and love. Mandy Moore features on the album in the song "Birds and Bees", and Benji Madden plays electric guitar in "Sex Without Love". It also features Sara Watkins, Rachael Yamagata, Charlotte Martin, Ned Bower, Taylor Locke and Robert Schwatzman (who is also credited for co-writing 'Sex Without Love'). It was a big step away from the spiritual "Awake is the New Sleep", but shows Lee's need for change in songs. The album was produced by John Alagia and released under the Inertia/Ten Fingers label 'Awake is the New Sleep' was released under.
February 2009 brought the release of his latest LP entitled "The Rebirth of Venus." This release also includes a bonus disk that includes six cover songs that Ben has done including "Kids" by MGMT and "New Wave" by Against Me!.
Don't leave
Ben Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I said that I'd miss you
And would you hate me
If I wanted to kiss you
And would you love me
If I was stoic
And if I told you
Would you already know it
Well I'm coping better than before
But it's still hard to watch you leave
So don't leave me please
You're like a childhood fear
You're not changing
If I gave you a present
Would you try to exchange it
If I tried to please you
Would you make me feel awkward
If I went away
Would you make me move forward
Well if you decide to go
I'll wait for a year, a month, a week
So don't leave me please
And I'm coping better than before
But it's still hard to watch you leave
So don't leave me please
These lyrics from Ben Lee's song "Don't Leave" portrays the emotions of someone who is afraid to express their feelings towards their significant other. The lyrics start with a question, "Would you resent me if I said that I'd miss you?" This line suggests that the singer is hesitant to share their feelings, in fear of being rejected by their lover. They are afraid that their feelings might not be reciprocated, and their confession would push their lover away.
The following lines, "And would you hate me if I wanted to kiss you, and would you love me if I was stoic," further demonstrate the singer's confusion about expressing their feelings. They are not sure if their feelings would be accepted or rejected.
The lines "Well, I'm coping better than before, but it's still hard to watch you leave, so don't leave me please" reveal the singer's fear of losing their lover. Even though they are trying to cope with the situation, the idea of separation still seems hard for them to process.
In the end, the song emphasizes the fact that the singer would want their lover to stay. They would wait for them, as the line goes: "If you decide to go, I'll wait for a year, a month, a week, so don't leave me please."
Line by Line Meaning
Would you resent me
Do you have any negative feelings towards me?
If I said that I'd miss you
If I told you that I would feel sad if you were gone, would you hold it against me?
And would you hate me
Would you feel intense dislike or animosity towards me?
If I wanted to kiss you
If I had romantic feelings towards you, would you be angry with me for expressing them?
And would you love me
If I acted distant and unemotional, would you still have feelings for me?
If I was stoic
If I didn't show much emotion or just seemed distant, would you still care about me?
And if I told you
If I communicated my emotions and thoughts to you, would you be able to understand me?
Would you already know it
Do you already understand how I feel without me having to say it?
Well I'm coping better than before
I am dealing with things better than I was previously.
But it's still hard to watch you leave
I still find it difficult to see you go.
So don't leave me please
Please do not go, I need you in my life.
You're like a childhood fear
You resemble a fear or anxiety that has been with me since childhood.
You're not changing
You are staying the same, and I am having trouble dealing with that.
If I gave you a present
If I gave you a gift or token of affection,
Would you try to exchange it
Would you try to return or exchange it, as if you didn't want it?
If I tried to please you
If I attempted to make you happy or content,
Would you make me feel awkward
Would you respond in a way that would leave me feeling uncomfortable or uncertain?
If I went away
If I left or traveled far from you,
Would you make me move forward
Would you help to push me to move on or forget about you?
Well if you decide to go
If you make the choice to leave me,
I'll wait for a year, a month, a week
I will wait an extended period of time for you to come back to me.
So don't leave me please
I plead with you to not leave me behind.
And I'm coping better than before
I am handling things better than I was in the past.
But it's still hard to watch you leave
Even though I am doing better, seeing you go is still very difficult for me.
So don't leave me please
Once again, I beg of you, do not abandon me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN MICHAEL LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind