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!.

Song 4 You
Ben Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll buy a pair of jeans
A stylish means
A groovy masterpiece
I'll cover them with paper men
And books on zen

Records shot with darts
Talk your way out of this one

I wrote a song for you [Repeat: x2]

I'll sleep till after three
I'll brush my teeth
I'll wash my feet
I don't feel well
You couldn't tell
I look like hell

Records shot with darts
Talk your way out of this one

I wrote a song for you [Repeat: x6]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ben Lee's "Song 4 You" have a curious and somewhat ambiguous meaning. The first stanza seems to describe the act of trying to achieve personal style or artistic expression, with the singer intending to buy a fashionable pair of jeans, embellish them with paper men and books on zen, and "cover" them with records "shot with darts." This last phrase could be interpreted to mean destroying or rejecting popular music in favor of more esoteric, avant-garde sounds, or it could simply suggest a playful, subversive attitude towards music.

The chorus ("I wrote a song for you") suggests that the singer is striving to create something meaningful or heartfelt for someone else, but the subsequent stanzas undercut this sentiment with images of apathy and self-neglect. The singer admits to sleeping till after three, not feeling well, and looking like hell, contradicting the earlier desire to present oneself in a stylish, groovy way.

Taken as a whole, the lyrics of "Song 4 You" seem to express a tension between aspiration and resignation, artistic ambition and personal malaise. They touch on themes of creativity, authenticity, and interpersonal relationships, but ultimately leave the listener to draw their own conclusions about the song's message and purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll buy a pair of jeans
I'll get new clothes to wear

A stylish means
Fashionable attire is what I seek

A groovy masterpiece
A trendy ensemble is what I aim for

I'll cover them with paper men
I'll decorate with cutouts of people made from paper

And books on zen
I'll add books on meditation and peacefulness

Records shot with darts
I'm experiencing negative feelings towards someone

Talk your way out of this one
It's time for you to explain yourself

I wrote a song for you [Repeat: x2]
This song is a creative expression of how I feel for you

I'll sleep till after three
I'll oversleep to help ease my pain

I'll brush my teeth
I'll take care of my hygiene even though I'm struggling

I'll wash my feet
I'll make sure to clean myself up and feel refreshed