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!.
Kids
Ben Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can nearly do everything
You can only not drive a car
I wanna be a kid
You can even bungee jump
When you are a kid
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
I wanna be a kid
'cause when you're a kid
You get to go to school
And when you go to school you'll be
Very cool
When you're a kid I don't know how old you could be
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
I wanna be a kid
You can go to school like I said
You might be sixteen
You might be even seven
Or eight, nine, ten, eleven
Or twelve
All I know is you could be a star
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna
[spoken: did you like the song, man? did you like the song? ]
The song "Kids" by Ben Lee is a nostalgic reflection on childhood and the desire to stay young forever. The repetitive chorus of "I don't wanna get old" conveys the fear of losing the carefree spirit and innocence that comes with being a child. Lee highlights the freedom and opportunities that children have, such as being able to try new things like bungee jumping and going to school, which is seen as something that makes you cool in the eyes of other kids. The lyrics also suggest that being a kid is not necessarily about age, but rather about the mindset of being curious and unburdened by the responsibilities and expectations of adulthood.
On a deeper level, the song can be interpreted as a comment on the societal pressure to conform to traditional expectations of success and adulthood. The fear of growing old may come from the fear of losing oneself and one's individuality in a world that values conformity and standardization. The desire to remain a kid forever is a desire to hold on to one's uniqueness and independence.
Overall, "Kids" is a poignant and reflective piece that taps into the universal desire to hold on to the carefree spirit of childhood.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be a kid
I long for the carefree days of youth
You can nearly do everything
As a child, the world is open to endless possibilities
You can only not drive a car
The only limitation is the inability to operate a vehicle
You can even bungee jump
Activities that may seem daunting are approached with a sense of fearless curiosity
And I don't wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna get old
A fear of aging and losing the freedom and thrill of childhood
I wanna be a kid
Reinforcing the desire for the innocent joy of youth
When you're a kid
Emphasizing the contrast between childhood and adulthood
You get to go to school
Even school is seen as a positive experience in the simplicity of youth
And when you go to school you'll be very cool
The author's perception that attending school is a marker of social status for children
When you're a kid I don't know how old you could be
Age does not even matter as long as someone is in the carefree realm of childhood
You might be sixteen
The wide range of possible ages in childhood, from young children to teenagers
Or eight, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve
Listing specific ages that children could be
All I know is you could be a star
Even as a child, the sky's the limit when it comes to future dreams
[spoken: did you like the song, man? did you like the song? ]
A playful and lighthearted end to the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN MICHAEL LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JfnDWatchesVids
Pretty good, Ben Lee. The move at 1:30 made me a fan of yours, likely for life.
Chazzwassah
@JfnDWatchesVids You know, I have watched this before and never even noticed that part. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm cracking up over here. Oh, Ben.
Jodi Hodgetts
Ben does some of the best covers I have ever heard. He can bring new clarity and meaning simply by doing a song his own way. If you liked this I can HIGHLY reccomend you listen to the covers of Against Me's songs he has done... AMAZING VOCALS
Miss Van she
This rendition is beyond amazing! it takes me to my happy place!
pyrolusite
great job Ben, you have the best version out there. Love your voice.
Melisa_tee
such a beautiful voice i just love this cover <3 so soft and wonderful!
James Schmidt
This is the best cover of this song. I think it's bloody brilliant.
Psychedelickk
This is awesome One of the rare times I watch a cover until the end Thank you :)
Giulia Fabri
omg, this is sooooo good! I love Ben Lee, he's awesome!
jojoyear
awesome³ I'm usually not that into mgmt, but this is some serious awesomeness.