If there's a god,
he's laughing at us
And our football team.
Effington could be a wonderful f'ing place
I can see it from the highway
And I'm wondering
Are they f'ing in their yards
f'ing in their cars
f'ing in the trailers and the backroads and the parking lots of Effington
Making my way to Normal, Illinois.
Maybe I should ditch this little white rental on the interstate
And start a new f'ing life...in effington
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
Not stop 'til I get to Normal.
I want to live in Effington
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
Oh
I've got this movie in my mind of Effington
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
I want to live in Effington
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
Oh
If there's a god,
he's laughing at us
And our football team.
And then the people who live in Normal
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effinghton
That's what normal people do
Normal people do it too
Normal people do it too
Normal people do it
People do it
People do it
People do it
I want to live in Effington
I want to die there to.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
In Effington
In Effington
he's laughing at us
And our football team.
I can see it from the highway
And I'm wondering
Are they f'ing in their yards
f'ing in their cars
f'ing in the trailers and the backroads and the parking lots of Effington
Making my way to Normal, Illinois.
And start a new f'ing life...in effington
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
Not stop 'til I get to Normal.
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
Oh
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
Oh
he's laughing at us
And our football team.
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effinghton
That's what normal people do
Normal people do it too
Normal people do it too
Normal people do it
People do it
People do it
People do it
I want to die there to.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington
In Effington
In Effington
In Effington
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Yeah, he apparently made this song up for a show at Illinois State University in Normal, IL. The real name of the town is Effingham, located where I-57 and I-70 intersect.
To me, I think that this song is just really great. The beginning is so interesting, it really brings the listener in immediately, you know? Then he just goes off on another completely different way- It's gets slower and then suddenly he talks about people fucking and such, which takes this suddenly in the comic direction.
But at the same time, it shows that he doesn't want to live in "Normal", does he? In fact "Normal" is what takes all of the inspiration from "Effington". So along with his joking persona, he is being completely serious when he says that he wants to die in Effington and live there, etc.
The part about God laughing, well it works well with what Ben sees the world as. It's just silly. And these "Normal" people do such odd things that are considered to be normal.
He just wants out of Normal I believe and would rather live somewhere else.
He got the name of the town mixed up. He said that wondered why he got no crowd response from the Effingham crowd! LOL The opening line was created while he was taking a shower. He said that on Ovation TV
With the "If there's a god..." line, At first I thought it was just a goofy, meaningless line. But then I thought... Ben Folds lives in Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans. "Titans" were a class of gods who preceded the Olympians. So it would be pretty funny to a real god that we have a football team called the "Titans."
This song makes me feel so much cooler about living in Illinois. But Effingham is actually a really shitty town. How it inspired him, I truley do not know.
It could have been the 198' tall steel cross RIGHT next to I-70 which symbolizes the city's motto of, "The crossroads to Opportunity" as well as it's Christian heritage, that caught his attention. It's kind of hard to miss!~
It could have been the 198' tall steel cross RIGHT next to I-70 which symbolizes the city's motto of, "The crossroads to Opportunity" as well as it's Christian heritage, that caught his attention. It's kind of hard to miss!~
There is a real Effington in Minnesota, though!
WOO!,this song is about my town, Effingham! and if anyone wonders why they would laugh at our football team, our mascot is the flaming hearts, if that explains anything. but it really is cool having a song about your town especially since its so small and unimportant.
and vivreetdiscreer: its not that bad of a town.. :/
Its funny because my buddy and I made the same joke about Effingham everytime we drove past the city limits sign.
"We're in F'ing ham?"
I love this song so fucking much.
This started as a made up on the spot song like ROCK THIS BITCH.
he was playing in Normal