submissions
| Ben Folds – Gone Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I disagree a little with how the people above described the song. I don't think the singer has totally gotten over the girl on his own....he's still talking himself through it. She's long gone, and he's trying to make himself feel better by putting a closure spin on it from his end. I like how this song is a sort of kiss-off from someone who's already been kissed off. It's like...."I'm going to stop thinking about you...really....I am...." It's half-convincing....because he has to convince himself that he doesn't care anymore. :) It's cute and nerdy and makes me smile. |
submissions
| Ben Folds – Landed Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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the first time i heard this song, i welled up a little. ben folds is the sultan of bittersweet. the song is like a humble yet confident declaration of freedom. i love the phrase "telephone czar" -- i can just picture this whiny, self-absorbed woman who'd actually prevent her husband from getting messages from old friends/girlfriends. |
submissions
| Ben Folds – You To Thank Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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the songs paints how much pretense is involved in marriages. people get sucked into these social expectations, and their families just make the situations worse. in both the south and the midwest (where i live), it seems like people get married quite early because they feel that's what is expected. and all the trappings of marriage are just sad artifacts of this social rubric....the annoying get-togethers with in-laws, etc. the song makes me so glad i am gay. :) |
submissions
| Ben Folds – Annie Waits Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I agree that the pun "Annie Waits / And He Waits" is totally intentional and very crafty on Ben's part. It lends further credence to the interpretation above. Annie is waiting for someone...and the singer is waiting for Annie. |
submissions
| Ben Folds Five – Eddie Walker Lyrics
| 20 years ago
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I concur with the previous posts about the mental hospital visit. Even before learning that Ben based this protagonist on a real friend, I pictured a sort of fallen, dissociative man in a hospital....almost like a war veteran who's not himself anymore after some kind of breakdown. I can just picture the setting...a long-term care place with lame activities for the residents who are treated almost a bit like children: "put the nametag on your smock" etc. Anyway, the song suggests that Eddie is basically a broken man. One line that I think is important is "you never had a reason to cry." There are two main reasons that people cry.....happiness and sadness. If Eddie never had a reason to cry, it's not just because he missed out on the great things life has to offer....it's also because he won't get to experience all of life's sadness either. It's like Eddie's mental breakdown led him to live in this emotional vacuum where the range of beauty of the world (including both the best and worst of times) are now beyond his grasp. And that makes the song even more bittersweet. I really identify with this song even though I'm not institutionalized. :) |
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