The Bens is the name adopted by musicians Ben Lee, Ben Folds and Ben Kwelle… Read Full Bio ↴The Bens is the name adopted by musicians Ben Lee, Ben Folds and Ben Kweller when they toured and recorded as a group for their The Bens Rock Over Australia tour in 2003.

They toured Australia, playing nine concerts, in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Newcastle and Surfers Paradise. A tenth at a Melbourne shopping centre was cancelled.

Lee, Folds and Kweller would play individual sets at each concert, but at the beginning and end of each one, all three would play several songs as a band. They all also improvised on various instruments and 'jammed' for the crowd. Two performances were recorded live for the Live at the Wireless (the Melbourne concert) and Live at the Basement (one of the Sydney concerts) radio series.

They recorded a four-track EP, which was initially only sold at venues, but was some months later released in Australia and overseas. Several live tracks from the two radio recordings were included on the Japanese release. One track from the original EP, Just Pretend, made it into the Triple J Hottest 100, 2003.

Though various combinations of the three have toured together at various times, as of 2005, they have not reformed as a group, and have not recorded any more material. Although rumors of a United States or United Kingdom tour persisted for more than a year afterwards, these have largely subsided and both major fan-sites have since allowed their domains to expire.

Both Kweller and Lee have mentioned recently (late 2006) that a LP from The Bens and a US tour would be "soon." Folds has said, "eventually."

I Touch Myself
The Bens Lyrics

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I love myself
I want you to love me
When I feel down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else

Oh no, oh no, oh no

You're the one
Who makes me?
You're the sun
Who makes me shine
When you're around
I'm always laughing
I wanna make you mine

I close my eyes
And see you before me
Think I would die
If you were to ignore me
If you could see
Just how much I adore you
I'd get down on my knees
I'd do anything for you

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no, yeah

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I feel down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else

Oh no, oh no, oh no

I want you
I don't want anybody else
And when I think about you
I touch myself
oooh, ooh, ooooh, aaaah!

I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
Ohhhh, I don't want
Anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I honestly do
I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself
I honestly do

I touch myself
(fades)

Overall Meaning

The Bens's song "I Touch Myself" has a straightforward message about self-love and the desire for a specific person's love and attention. The song clearly expresses the idea that one's relationship with oneself must be strong and healthy before they can truly love someone else. The line "I love myself, I want you to love me" highlights this connection between self-love and external love. The repeated line "When I think about you, I touch myself" can be interpreted in several ways, but the most obvious interpretation is that the singer gets physical pleasure from thinking about their desired partner. The line "If you could see just how much I adore you, I'd get down on my knees" highlights the depth of the singer's love for their desired partner.

Overall, the song exudes both confidence and vulnerability, as the singer expresses their love and desire while also acknowledging their own insecurity and need for reassurance. The chorus "I don't want anybody else, when I think about you, I touch myself" is also a memorable and catchy hook that has become iconic in pop culture.

Line by Line Meaning

I love myself
I am in love with myself and value my own self-worth

I want you to love me
I desire for someone else to share my feelings and love me in return

When I feel down
During times of despair or low self-esteem

I want you above me
I seek emotional support and comfort from someone else to lift me up

I search myself
I introspect and reflect on my own thoughts and emotions

I want you to find me
I hope someone else can help me understand myself better

I forget myself
I lose track of who I am or what is important

I want you to remind me
I ask another person to help me remember who I am and what matters

I don't want Anybody else When I think about you I touch myself
Fantasizing or engaging in self-pleasure while thinking about someone, implying intense attraction and desire for them

You're the one Who makes me? You're the sun Who makes me shine
The other person is the source of happiness and joy in the artist's life

When you're around I'm always laughing I wanna make you mine
The other person causes a positive and happy change in the singer's mood and they desire to be in a romantic relationship with them

I close my eyes And see you before me Think I would die If you were to ignore me
Strong feelings for the other person such that they are always on the artist's mind and the thought of being rejected by them is overwhelming

If you could see Just how much I adore you I'd get down on my knees I'd do anything for you
Professing unconditional love and willingness to do anything for the other person

I want you
Reiteration of the desire for a romantic relationship with the other person

I don't want anybody else
Expressing exclusivity and desire for a monogamous relationship

And when I think about you I touch myself
Additional emphasis on the intense attraction and desire for the other person leading to self-pleasure

I touch myself (I touch myself...) I honestly do
Affirmation of the artist's own feelings and desires

Writer(s): Christina Amphlett, Billy Steinberg, Mark Mcentee, Tom Kelly Copyright: Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, Emi Songs Australia Pty Ltd., Emi Music Publishing Australia Pty Ltd.

Contributed by Emma V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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