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!.
Household Name
Ben Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In 1985
And what about young Mallory
And all of the family ties?
I hear they all robbed liquor stores
And are in jail now for life
Kirk Cameron had growing pains
Problem solved so squeaky clean
In half an hour clear
I hear he's been washing dishes
For the last couple of years
Laughter tracks and '80s stars
Predictable jokes
I don't have to tell you what happened
To the kids from different strokes
Punky brewster's 15 minutes
Lasted for years before it got old
You're never quite so cute
And I should know
Once puberty takes it's toll
And no one knows their whereabouts
What they do or what they did
Chew 'em up and spit 'em out
Like all of the Cosby kids
It's the toughest game and the hardest time
It's the longest walk on the thinnest line
Its sad and true that they love then kill
Where do they go when they die?
To the big '80s sitcom in the sky
Michael j fox was a household name
In 1985
The song "Household Name" by Ben Lee is a satirical jab at the fleeting nature of fame and the hollowness of celebrity culture. The opening lines of the song pay homage to Michael J. Fox, who was a major star in the mid-1980s, with his hit TV show "Family Ties" and his starring role in the hit movie "Back to the Future". However, Lee immediately undercuts this praise by suggesting that Fox and his fellow cast members from "Family Ties" were all involved in a criminal enterprise, robbing liquor stores and spending the rest of their lives in jail. This sarcastic tone continues throughout the song, as Lee mocks other stars from the 80s, including Kirk Cameron, who starred in "Growing Pains", Punky Brewster, and the cast of "Different Strokes".
Lee questions the nature of fame and the way that the entertainment industry churns out stars, only to discard them as soon as they stop being profitable. He suggests that the price of celebrity can be steep, with stars being chewed up and spit out by the industry. Lee's central question in the song is "Where do they go when they die?", suggesting that once stars have been used up by the entertainment system, they are forgotten and fade away into obscurity. The song's final line ("Michael J. Fox was a household name in 1985") is a bitter reminder that even the biggest stars eventually fall from grace and become just a distant memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Michael j. fox was a household name
Michael J. Fox was a very popular and well-known celebrity back in 1985.
In 1985
This line simply refers to the year in which Michael J. Fox was a household name.
And what about young Mallory
The songwriter is wondering about the character 'Mallory' from the popular TV show 'Family Ties'.
And all of the family ties?
This line is a reference to the TV show 'Family Ties' which featured the character of Mallory.
I hear they all robbed liquor stores
The songwriter has heard that the characters from 'Family Ties' have committed a crime and are in jail for life.
Kirk Cameron had growing pains
Kirk Cameron was a popular actor in the TV show 'Growing Pains'.
Sex symbol of the year
During his time in the spotlight, Kirk Cameron was considered to be attractive and desirable by many people.
Problem solved so squeaky clean
Kirk Cameron's character in 'Growing Pains' was often depicted as being morally pure and wholesome.
In half an hour clear
The songwriter is referring to the fact that most episodes of 'Growing Pains' would wrap up neatly in just 30 minutes.
I hear he's been washing dishes
The songwriter has heard a rumor that Kirk Cameron has been working as a dishwasher in recent years.
For the last couple of years
This line implies that Kirk Cameron has been doing this job for a while now.
Laughter tracks and '80s stars
The songwriter is referring to the use of canned laughter in many TV shows from the 1980s and the celebrities who starred in them.
Predictable jokes
Many of the jokes on these shows were formulaic and not very original.
I don't have to tell you what happened
The songwriter assumes that the listener is already aware of the fate of the child actors from the TV show 'Different Strokes'.
To the kids from different strokes
This line is once again a reference to the child actors from the TV show 'Different Strokes'.
Punky brewster's 15 minutes
The TV show 'Punky Brewster' was popular for a brief period of time.
Lasted for years before it got old
The show remained on the air for several seasons before it eventually lost popularity.
You're never quite so cute
As children grow up and reach puberty, they lose some of the cuteness and charm that they may have had as kids.
And I should know
The songwriter is implying that he himself has experienced this loss of cuteness and charm as he's grown older.
Once puberty takes its toll
This line is a reference to the changes that occur to a person's body and appearance during puberty.
And no one knows their whereabouts
The songwriter is suggesting that the child actors from various TV shows disappeared from the public eye and their current whereabouts are unknown.
What they do or what they did
In addition to not knowing where these child actors are now, the songwriter is also implying that he's not sure what kind of work they did after leaving their respective shows.
Chew 'em up and spit 'em out
This line is a commentary on how the entertainment industry tends to discard child actors once they're no longer cute or useful for a particular role.
Like all of the Cosby kids
This line is a reference to the child actors who appeared on 'The Cosby Show'.
It's the toughest game and the hardest time
The entertainment industry can be a very challenging and difficult place for child actors to navigate.
It's the longest walk on the thinnest line
Child actors have to balance their work with school and other obligations, and the pressure to perform can be intense.
Its sad and true that they love then kill
The entertainment industry often loves to build up child actors and make them famous, but then discards them once they're no longer useful or profitable.
Where do they go when they die?
This line is a reference to the idea that child actors often disappear from the public eye after leaving their shows, and their eventual fate is unknown.
To the big '80s sitcom in the sky
This line is a humorous way of saying that once child actors leave their shows, they're largely forgotten by the public and their eventual fate is unknown.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN MICHAEL LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind