His music is typically labeled as power pop, though he doesn't completely agree. His major musical influences include The Cars, David Bowie, Electric Light Orchestra, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Robyn Hitchcock, Paul McCartney, and Todd Rundgren.
His debut album, One Mississippi, was released in 1996 on Virgin Records. The album featured several contributions with Jason Falkner and gained many favourable reviews in the music press but failed to sell in sufficient numbers and Benson was dropped by Virgin.
It would be another six years until Benson issued the follow-up, Lapalco. Again the critical plaudits poured in but this time the record enjoyed a certain degree of commercial success.
While touring this record Benson played the Reading and Leeds Festivals and finished his Leeds set with a performance of the track "Jet Lag" featuring guest appearances from Meg White of The White Stripes along with members of The Datsuns and Soledad Brothers.
In 2003 Benson re-released his debut album along with bonus tracks including the unreleased six track extended player, Welfed Boy EP, featuring songs from a demo session with Falkner.
Also in 2003, Benson released an EP, Metarie, with his then band, The Wellfed Boys. The EP featured a cover of Paul McCartney's "Let Me Roll It". This was the first song written completely by another artist to be featured on a Benson release. Another cover, this time "Strong Boy", from Gram Parsons International Submarine Band's 1968 album, Safe at Home, was released as a b-side in 2005.
In 2005, Benson released his third album, The Alternative to Love, and toured extensively in the US, UK and Europe with his new touring band, The Stiff Tissues.
Benson is also a member of The Raconteurs, a collaboration with Jack White of The White Stripes and two members of The Greenhornes, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. The group's debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, was released in the US on May 16th, 2006, with "Steady, As She Goes" the first single.
Brendan currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
He has also worked as a producer for The Greenhornes, The Nice Device, The Mood Elevator (a permutation of The Welfed Boys), and Stiff Tissues member Dean Fertita's former band, The Waxwings.
In 2008, his song "What I'm Looking For" was used in an Apple iPod Touch television ad, propelling sales of that particular song on iTunes and other online music retailers.
Benson's fourth full-length record, My Old, Familiar Friend, was released on August 18, 2009. This was followed by What Kind of World (2012), and You Were Right (2013).
Light of Day
Brendan Benson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The feeling's left my head and my chest
But it's the best that I've been. soon.
Don't come back so soon.
I won't be your fool. wake me when the fog rolls out.
Sundown again.
The cold comes creepin' in.
The feeling's gone, it's lost on this song,
And you you're a tough crowd to win.
Soon, on't come back so soon.
I won't be your fool. wake me when the fog rolls out.
Sundown's got no love and you won't let go of it.
Sundown's got no love and you won't let it out.
The lyrics to Brendan Benson's song Light of Day are layered with metaphors and imagery that hint towards a sense of loss and melancholy. The opening lines "Sundown again. The sails have lost their wind" paints a picture of a ship that has lost its momentum, a metaphor that could represent a person who has lost their direction or enthusiasm in life. The following line "The feeling's left my head and my chest" further emphasizes this sense of emptiness, as if something vital is missing from the singer's life. Despite this, the line "But it's the best that I've been" hints that the singer may have found some peace in this emptiness, suggesting that sometimes it's better to let go and surrender to the unknown.
The chorus of the song "I won't be your fool. Wake me when the fog rolls out" adds a layer of ambiguity to the meaning of the song. The line "I won't be your fool" suggests that the singer may have been taken advantage of or betrayed in some way, while the line "Wake me when the fog rolls out" implies that the singer is waiting for clarity or understanding about something. The repetition of "Sundown again" throughout the song also adds to this sense of waiting for something to change or for a new beginning.
Overall, the lyrics to Light of Day are open to interpretation and can be applied to a variety of situations. They speak to the idea that sometimes we have to let go of what we thought we wanted in order to find our true path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sundown again. the sails have lost their wind.
It is evening once more and the sails on the ship have stopped moving due to lack of wind.
The feeling's left my head and my chest
I am devoid of any emotion or strong feeling at present.
But it's the best that I've been. soon.
Despite the lack of emotion, this is the happiest and most content I have been in a while. However, this state will not last forever.
Don't come back so soon.
I do not want this particular feeling or state to come back anytime soon.
I won't be your fool. wake me when the fog rolls out.
I refuse to be taken for a fool anymore. Wake me up once the confusion or uncertainty around me clears out.
The cold comes creepin' in.
The temperature is getting colder and colder as the night approaches.
The feeling's gone, it's lost on this song,
Whatever emotion or feeling that existed earlier has been lost or forgotten, and even the song being played cannot evoke any emotions.
And you you're a tough crowd to win. soon, don't come back so soon.
The person being addressed in the song is difficult to please or impress, and the singer does not want to encounter them anytime soon.
Sundown's got no love and you won't let go of it.
The artist is implying that even though the evening seems bleak and loveless, the person being addressed is holding onto it and refusing to let it go.
Sundown's got no love and you won't let it out.
The artist continues to accuse the person being addressed of holding onto love that may not exist in the situation, rather than letting it out and moving on.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRENDAN BENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind