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!.
Sex Without Love
Ben Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At a party
And asked you if you'd like the dance with me
You asked me
For a ride home
And I thought that I should take a chance on you
First we're talking
Finding out what I've been missing
[Chorus]
Heaven's above
Sex without love
I thought you wanted me
I thought you wanted me
Heaven's above
Sex without love
I thought I wanted you
I thought I wanted you
To lay down
Lay down beside me
But here we are and it feels weird with you
I wish someone would tell me
Where is my baby
And how I found myself right here tonight
This is not my kind of danger
Taking candy from a stranger
[Chorus]
This whole thing is getting strange
I sorta wish I never came
All this talk and playing games
Is slowly driving
Me insane
[Chorus]
Oh oh
Sex without love
Oh oh
Sex without love
Oh oh
Sex without love
Oh oh
Sex without love
The lyrics to Ben Lee's song Sex Without Love depict a scenario in which the singer meets somebody at a party, becomes sexually involved with them without any emotional connection, and then regrets it. The song addresses the complicated and often confusing nature of pursuing intimacy without considering the emotional implications of these actions. Throughout the song, the singer oscillates between wanting to engage in sexual behavior and also feeling regretful and uncomfortable with the situation.
The chorus is particularly striking, as it seems to suggest that sex without love is akin to something uncanny, or even otherworldly. By juxtaposing heaven with sex without love, the songwriter suggests that this kind of intimacy is paradoxically both divine and perverse. The line, "I thought you wanted me, I thought I wanted you," underscores the confusion and ambiguity of the situation. The singer is unsure of their own desires and perceptions of the other person, which leads to an ultimately unsatisfying and bewildering experience.
Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the nature of sexual relationships and the emotional complexities that underpin them. Rather than passing judgment, Lee encourages the listener to ponder the implications of sex without love and consider the ways in which it affects us on a personal and societal level.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you
I saw and noticed you at a party
At a party
It was at a social gathering where I saw you
And asked you if you'd like the dance with me
I initiated a conversation with you and asked if you would like to dance
You asked me
You reciprocated the conversation by asking me
For a ride home
You requested transportation to your place of residence
And I thought that I should take a chance on you
I decided to take a leap of faith and give you a chance
First we're talking
Initially we were just conversing
Then we're kissing
One thing led to another and we started kissing
Finding out what I've been missing
I realized what I was missing in my life by engaging in such behavior
Heaven's above
An interjection used to express surprise, disbelief, or astonishment
Sex without love
A physical act without inherent emotional attachment
I thought you wanted me
I initially believed that you were interested in me as a person
I thought you wanted me
I initially believed that you were interested in me as a person
I thought I wanted you
I initially believed that I was genuinely interested in you as a person
To lay down
To engage in sexual intercouse with each other
Lay down beside me
You requested to lay down next to me in bed
But here we are and it feels weird with you
Presently, being with you feels awkward and strange
I wish someone would tell me
I desire guidance and advice from someone
Where is my baby
I question the whereabouts of someone I am truly interested in
And how I found myself right here tonight
I question how I ended up in this situation
This is not my kind of danger
I am acknowledging the potential risk of engaging in sexual activity without emotional attachment
Taking candy from a stranger
I am comparing engaging in sex without emotional connection to accepting candy from an unknown individual
This whole thing is getting strange
Overall, the entire situation is starting to feel weird and uncomfortable
I sorta wish I never came
I somewhat regret engaging in this situation
All this talk and playing games
Our conversations and behavior feel insincere and dishonest
Is slowly driving
It is causing me to become increasingly frustrated and uncomfortable
Me insane
It is affecting my mental well-being in a negative manner
Oh oh
A repeated interjection used to convey emotional expression
Sex without love
Continued emphasis on the experience of sex without emotional connection
Oh oh
A repeated interjection used to convey emotional expression
Sex without love
Continued emphasis on the experience of sex without emotional connection
Oh oh
A repeated interjection used to convey emotional expression
Sex without love
Continued emphasis on the experience of sex without emotional connection
Oh oh
A repeated interjection used to convey emotional expression
Sex without love
Continued emphasis on the experience of sex without emotional connection
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BEN LEE, ROBERT SCHWARTZMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind