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!.
We're All In This Together
Ben Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I suddenly realized
We're all in this together.
I started smiling
Cause you were smiling.
And we're all in this together
You're made of atoms
And we're all in this together
And long division
Just doesn't matter
Cause we're all in this together.
Yeah.
I saw you walking
In the city.
We're all in this together.
The city's changing
Cause we are changing
And we are all in this together.
Every 12 seconds
Someone remembers that
We're all in this together.
In the kitchen
Of your rent control apartment,
We're all in this together.
Come on, baby.
I don't mean to rush you.
I only wanted to reach out and touch you.
I gotta start to open my heart.
I know you think about
Jumping ship before it sinks,
But we are all in this together.
Ask a scientist.
It's quantum physics.
We are all in this together.
And on the subway
We feel like strangers,
But we're all in this together.
Yeah, I love you and
You love her and she loves him
But we are all int this togehter
You know, baby,
There's never been protection
In all the history of human connection,
Come on, darling,
It's all right to show me.
You don't ever need to be lonely
Once you start to open your heart.
I saw you crying.
I started crying.
Cause we're all in this together,
And then religion
It's a big decision,
But we're all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
The lyrics of Ben Lee's song "We're All In This Together" express an overarching message of unity and interconnectedness between all people. The repeated phrase "We're all in this together" emphasizes the idea that despite individual differences and challenges, we are all part of the larger human collective. Lee uses scientific terminology, such as referencing atoms and quantum physics, to evoke the idea that we are all made up of the same building blocks and are therefore inherently connected.
The lyrics also touch on the concepts of change, love, and vulnerability. Lee sings about the constantly evolving nature of the world and the importance of embracing vulnerability to open oneself up to love and a deeper human connection. He emphasizes that even if we may feel like strangers to one another, we are all ultimately part of the same human experience. The final repetition of the phrase "We're all in this together" drives home the message of unity and the importance of coming together as a society.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up this morning.
The beginning of a realization that everyone is interconnected
I suddenly realized
We're all in this together.
A sudden understanding that everyone, no matter how different, is a part of the same world
I started smiling
Cause you were smiling.
And we're all in this together
Seeing someone else happy, even a stranger, can cause happiness in the observer and create a sense of shared joy
I'm made of atoms.
You're made of atoms
And we're all in this together
A recognition of shared physical composition, that every human and everything in existence is made up of the same basic building blocks
And long division
Just doesn't matter
Cause we're all in this together.
Yeah.
The things that may seem important, like school subjects or dividing up groups of people, ultimately don't matter because everyone is still connected
I saw you walking
In the city.
We're all in this together.
Observing a stranger in a shared urban space emphasizes the interconnectedness of all individuals
The city's changing
Cause we are changing
And we are all in this together.
The alterations of a city reflect the changes in its inhabitants, who are all a part of a larger interconnected network
Every 12 seconds
Someone remembers that
We're all in this together.
A repetition of the original statement, emphasizing the universality of the concept of human interconnectivity
In the kitchen
Of your rent control apartment,
We're all in this together.
No matter the differences in living circumstances or socioeconomic status, all humans are still inherently connected
Come on, baby.
I don't mean to rush you.
I only wanted to reach out and touch you.
I gotta start to open my heart.
A desire to connect on a deeper level with others and form stronger emotional bonds, recognizing that it requires vulnerability and openness
I know you think about
Jumping ship before it sinks,
But we are all in this together.
A reminder that all individuals are connected and facing the struggles and challenges of life together, rather than separately
Ask a scientist.
It's quantum physics.
We are all in this together.
Even on a quantum level, all particles and energy are interconnected, emphasizing the vastness and universality of human interconnectivity
And on the subway
We feel like strangers,
But we're all in this together.
Even in the midst of feeling isolated or unknown, remembering the shared humanity and interconnectedness of all people can provide comfort
Yeah, I love you and
You love her and she loves him
But we are all in this together
Regardless of personal relationships or attractions, everyone is still connected and a part of the same world
You know, baby,
There's never been protection
In all the history of human connection,
Come on, darling,
It's all right to show me.
You don't ever need to be lonely
Once you start to open your heart.
Despite the potential for pain, loneliness, or rejection in opening oneself up to others, the benefits of human connection and shared emotional bonds are ultimately worth the risk
I saw you crying.
I started crying.
Cause we're all in this together,
And then religion
It's a big decision,
But we're all in this together.
Witnessing the pain or struggles of others can cause an empathetic response, and that moment is an opportunity to remember the universality of human interconnectivity, even in the realm of belief systems
We are all in this together.
A repeated phrase to emphasize the idea that all humans, despite differences and disputes, share an inherent connectedness and are facing the joys and challenges of life together
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
We are all in this together.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENJAMIN MICHAEL LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@1974jwb
❤
@PerfectlyYou13
Love love love this song. I remember an outdoor concert in Adelaide and it started raining and Ben got us to sing this to the people either side of us and we turned the sky red (at night time) with our energy. And the rain went away. 🎶We are all in this together 🎶❤️
@carolinegodden4364
Thanks Ben, love Caroline
@user-lz4yn8xq5o
Yep, the whole planet...everything within this....planet Ox
@biancamason8045
I love this song ❤
@user-lz4yn8xq5o
...I love some people.
@user-lz4yn8xq5o
I enjoy listening...to...lots of songs. I appreciate musicians.
@kittymervine6115
Also thank you, this CD has been everywhere with me, yes I'm "old". But this one I cry just like the first time I heard it. It's comforting, and a reminder, there is only one EARTH!
@billk9856
Yeah, this album was a banger.
@dovykrolis5227
Took too long to find this. All the search options come back as high-school musical... started to question if I was mistaken on the name of the song