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!.

White People For Peace
Ben Lee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

East and west could not agree
So their generals gave a call and gathered troops at the border
With guns at ready, drawn and aimed
Each side was praying to a God to bless them with strength and courage

And it was in his name artillery lit the sky on fire
The people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun

Protest songs in response to military aggression
Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
But the battle raged on

Sirens filled the air, and the ground shook with war
Civilian casualties has been a cost that was predetermined
When interviewed for report, victims pleaded in frustration
Their claim, that this was a war without reason

And bureaucrats engaged in debate to try and reach a resolution
The people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun

Protest songs in response to military aggression
Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
But the battle raged on

Well, the broadcast, like their prayers, went unanswered and ignored
God, like the rest of the world, just watched in silence
There was purpose to be served, there was fortunes to be earned
Before a peace could be called to stop the fighting

They sang protest songs in response to military aggression

Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
But the battle raged on

Overall Meaning

The song White People for Peace by Ben Lee is an anti-war song that criticizes the futility of war and the human toll it takes. The opening lines talk about how two sides, East and West, could not agree, and how they gathered troops on the border with guns aimed at each other. The soldiers all prayed for strength and courage to their respective gods. Meanwhile, the skies were lit up with artillery strikes, and the people sang protest songs to try and stop the fighting.

The lyrics also describe the human cost of war with references to civilian casualties who were just caught in the crossfire. Victims of the war expressed their frustration and questioned why the war was started in the first place. The bureaucrats debated a resolution, but the battle raged on. The broadcast and prayers went unanswered, and God, like the rest of the world, watched in silence.

The song ends by suggesting that there was a purpose to the war beyond just fighting for their beliefs. The politicians had fortunes to earn before they could call for peace, and so the battle continued. The song highlights the seemingly endless cycle of war and how it's often the ordinary people who suffer the most.

Line by Line Meaning

East and west could not agree
The two sides were unable to negotiate and come to an agreement

So their generals gave a call and gathered troops at the border
Both sides called upon their military leaders and troops to prepare for conflict

With guns at ready, drawn and aimed
Both sides were prepared and armed for battle

Each side was praying to a God to bless them with strength and courage
Both sides believed their faith would give them an advantage in the war

And it was in his name artillery lit the sky on fire
Both sides claimed to fight for their respective gods, as the skies lit up with artillery fire

Protest songs in response to military aggression
People began to sing songs to protest against the violence

Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
The songs aimed to persuade the soldiers to put down their weapons and stop fighting

But the battle raged on
Despite the protests, the war continued to escalate

Sirens filled the air, and the ground shook with war
The sounds of alarm and war could be heard everywhere

Civilian casualties has been a cost that was predetermined
Innocent people were expected to be killed or hurt in the war

When interviewed for report, victims pleaded in frustration
Those who were hurt or lost loved ones expressed their anger and disappointment

Their claim, that this was a war without reason
People began to question the reasons for the conflict

And bureaucrats engaged in debate to try and reach a resolution
Officials and decision-makers tried to negotiate and find a peaceful solution

Well, the broadcast, like their prayers, went unanswered and ignored
Attempts to spread awareness and stop the violence were met with silence and indifference

God, like the rest of the world, just watched in silence
People began to lose faith in their god and the world as a whole

There was purpose to be served, there was fortunes to be earned
The war continued because there were those who stood to benefit financially and politically

Before a peace could be called to stop the fighting
The fighting continued until those in power decided it was in their best interest to end the war

They sang protest songs in response to military aggression
Despite the violence, people continued to express their opposition through song

Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
The songs aimed to end the violence and bring peace to the conflict

But the battle raged on
Unfortunately, the war continued despite the desire for peace

Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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