Ben Lee (born on September 11, 1978) is an Australian musician. He began as… Read Full Bio ↴Ben Lee (born on September 11, 1978) is an Australian musician. He began as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band, Noise Addict. Lee's solo career started at the age of 16, while he was still in Noise Addict, with his first solo album, Grandpaw Would. This was followed by the 1997 album, Something To Remember Me By, also produced by Wood.

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!.

Nighttime
Ben Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This tender body
Just wouldn't have a clue
What it could be in for
So come on get your shoes on
I'll get you what you go through

And all the people
Around here every day

They go home in the nighttime
So come on do your make-up
And get me what I'll go through

I'm worth my weight in gold
Watching the crowds unfold
Late-start velocity
Nighttime's making a mess of me

And you hear music
Everywhere you go
Music's better in the nighttime
So come on play a record
It'll get you what you go through

I'm worth my weight in gold
Watching the crowds unfold
Late-start velocity
Nighttime's making a mess of me

I'm worth my weight in gold
Watching the crowds unfold
Late-start velocity
Nighttime's making a mess of me
Nighttime's making a mess of me
Nighttime's making a mess of me
Nighttime's making a mess
So come on get your shoes on
Nighttime's making a mess of me
Nighttime's making a mess
Nighttime's making a mess

Go on get your shoes on
Go on get your shoes on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ben Lee’s song “Nighttime” can be interpreted as a call to action for the listener to embrace the night and all that it has to offer. The verses suggest that the nighttime has a certain allure that is worth experiencing, even if it’s messy, and that the singer is willing to take the listener through it. The first verse suggests that the listener may not be aware of what they could be getting into, but the singer promises to guide them through it. The second verse suggests that while the people in the area go home at night, the singer and the listener are venturing out to engage in the chaos and unpredictability of the darkness. The chorus reinforces the idea that the nighttime is worth experiencing, even if it’s disorienting and confusing.

The imagery and themes of the song create a sense of adventure and excitement for the listener that may encourage them to embrace the unknown elements of life. The repeated line “Nighttime’s making a mess of me” can be interpreted as suggesting that the nighttime is having a transformative effect on the singer, but it is not yet clear whether this transformation is positive or negative.

Overall, the song can be interpreted as an invitation to challenge oneself and embrace the potential chaos of life, even if it means exploring the unfamiliar.

Line by Line Meaning

This tender body
My delicate body

Just wouldn't have a clue
Does not know what it's getting into

What it could be in for
What kind of trouble it might face

So come on get your shoes on
Let's get ready to go out

I'll get you what you go through
I will help you deal with anything we encounter

And all the people
Everyone

Around here every day
Who are always here

They go home in the nighttime
They leave when it gets dark

So come on do your make-up
Get ready for the night

And get me what I'll go through
And help me handle whatever comes our way

I'm worth my weight in gold
I am valuable