3 posts tagged “ben folds five”

This song basically epitomizes everything I love about Ben Folds Five.  I'd love to upload it for you, but I can't seem to locate the CD that has it--to the best of my knowledge, it was only released on a CD called No Boundaries:  A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees.  I bought the CD for Pearl Jam's version of "Last Kiss," then a few years later after my musical tastes had broadened I discovered rare tracks from a lot of artists I had grown to enjoy over, including BFF.  This song remains one of my favorites from the band and for whatever reason, it's just one of those songs that always gets me. 

If you care to hear it, check it out here; just search "Leather Jacket" and make sure it's by Ben Folds Five.

Had a dream that you were in
The leather jacket that didn't fit
Until we split in two

Half of you turned into glue
And half of me latched onto you
Under the summer moon

All for a leather jacket,
We were so indecisive
We hadn't really thought it through
'Cause we were so in love and,
And things like that don't happen,
And things like that don't slip away...

But sometimes they do.

What's your favorite heartbreak song?
Submitted by esta86.

I'm not sure that I necessarily classify it as a "heartbreak" song, but Ben Folds Five's "Selfless, Cold, and Composed" is, in my opinion, the best break-up-related song I've ever heard.  (Harvey Danger's cover of "Underground," a song originally by "This Busy Monster," is one of the best angry-break-up songs I've ever heard.)  Now that I'm thinking more in-depth, Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" is a pretty amazing "heartbreak" song.  Oh geez, and let's not forget Billy Vera and the Beaters, with "At This Moment."  Amazing stuff.  Alison Krauss's "New Favorite" is the only one by a woman I can think of right now, but that's just because I'm determined not to think too much into this question right now.

And now, to attempt to knock out the last stress of my week:  a 6-7 page paper that I haven't even really begun to think about, which I will have to turn in around 9:30 tomorrow morning.

Ben Folds 101.  Time for a promised entry for Steve or anyone else who's ever wanted to get into Ben Folds Five (the band) or Ben Folds (my favorite songwritery-type person).  I've gone through all of the major albums and selected a track or two in an effort to present a fairly broad range of Foldsiness.  Shall we go chronologically?  (This is gonna be my second post in two days that will take up massive amounts of space... sorry, folks).

 

Ben Folds Five's "Philosophy" off the self-titled debut album.  A delightful, self-explanatory song which tosses in a little George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue at the end.

"I see that there is evil, and I know that there is good,

and the in-betweens I never understood..."

 

 

 

 

"Underground," also off Ben Folds Five.  A tribute to all of us who never quite fit in.  (An on a note that doesn't really matter, I spent forever--FOREVER--learning to play this song, because I could barely read music at the time.  But am I ever glad I learned it!)

 

"Hand me my nose ring!  Show me the mosh pit!

 

Can we be happy?  We can be happy undergorund!"

 

 

 

 

"One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" off the Ben Folds Five album Whatever and Ever Amen.  In a similar vein to "Underground," this song throws it in the faces of playground bullies.  If you've ever heard a Ben Folds Five song, I feel certain it was "Brick" off this album; good song, but I didn't feel the need to include it.

 

"If you really wanna see me, check the papers and the TV,

 

look who's tellin' who what to do..."

 

 

 

"Missing the War," also off Whatever and Ever Amen.  This made the list partially because it's classic melancholy Ben Folds Five and partially because it's one of my absolute favorites.

 

"The shaking voice that tells him, 'Go!'

 

still thinks he might; he knows he won't."

 

 

 

 

"Narcolepsy" off the band's last album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner.  I was torn between two songs off this album, but "Narcolepsy" won.  In retrospect I probably should've chosen a more progressive song, since this one sounds a bit like their older stuff... but ya gotta love it.  (Or, I do, at least.)

 

"I should warn you, I go to sleep..."

 

 

 

 

And now we're into the Ben Folds solo era.  He does such great covers that I felt obligated to include one (it was picking one that was the biggest challenge).  "Golden Slumbers" off the I Am Sam soundtrack (a soundtrack comprised entirely of Beatles covers, so if you dig the Beatles and haven't heard it, I strongly recommend it).  Short, sweet, and delicious.

 

"Golden slumbers fill your eyes,

 

smiles awake you when you rise..."

 

"Still Fighting It" off of Ben Folds's Rockin' the Suburbs.  A song written for his son (incidentally, he wrote a song for his daughter on the next album) and definitely one of my favorites.

 

"Everybody knows, it sucks to grow up,

 

and everybody does; so weird to be back here..."

 

 

 

 

"Carrying Cathy," also off Rockin' the Suburbs.  A song I still don't entirely understand, but geez... it's amazing.  I love the opening piano theme thingiemobobber ("theme thingiemobobber" being a highly technical term I've learned since attending college).

 

 

"Her window was hung like a painting; she worried it might come to life...

 

She stared for hours."

 

 

 

"Give Judy My Notice" off Speed Graphic, the first of three EPs by Ben Folds.  This version is infinitely superior to the remake of it he does on his Songs for Silverman album, but maybe I only feel that way because I hate country music, and the remake has more steel guitar than you can shake a cattle prod at. 

 

"Tears fall, but that don't mean nothin' at all--

 

it's just cause I said it first, yeah that's why it hurts you."

 

 

 

Ok, last one, I promise:  "Landed," the first single off his Songs for Silverman.  A version of this song with strings exists, but I tend to like the album version (this one) better.  This is a great song from a great album--so great that I couldn't manage to narrow my song choices down to two, so I just chose the first single off the CD.

 

"Down comes the reign of the telephone czar; it's ok to call,

 

and I will answer for myself."

 

 

Alright, so I'm a huge dork and this was like... huge amounts of fun for me to do.  It is probably not huge amounts of fun for all of you to see on your Neighborhood page, but I promise I'm done with the ridiculously lengthy entries now.  What's sad is that I could easily expand this list to include 10, 15, 20 more songs that I feel are necessary for everyone to hear...