Author: Miles Rausch

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999)

In what plays like an autobiography, this song details the narrator’s struggle to figure out what to do with his life. It begins, and ends, with his considering The Army. He tries The Army, but drops out and forms a band instead. Then The Band breaks up and reforms without him. The story goes on, detailing his different employments and his sad life until he becomes what we assume is President.

“Been thinking a lot today…” is the refrain. It’s a common reverence that most of us have mused at one point or another: head low, voice lower, lowball of whisky in hand, and a sneer. It’s a song that’s as much about the past as the future. It shows the unlikely domino trail that can befall even the smallest decisions, like wanting to join the army.

listen here – may contain strong language

Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)

As much as Ben Folds loves name-songs, he also loves clever puns. This is a song of pity – about a woman, named Cathy, who has, throughout her life, done very little for herself. Most of her life, she’s been “carried”. There’s the pun. Happy?

He has a great line in this song. I haven’t done “notable lyrics” for these songs mostly because I forgot at first, but this song has a good one.

Notable lyric: woke up sad from this dream I’ve been having / the last couple nights or so / With her father and brothers we’re all at the funeral / carrying a box through the rain / then somebody says that it’s always been this way

listen here

We can be happy underground.

This song has an odd style to it. It also served as the band’s first single.

I wish I could embed the video, but I can’t, so I’ll link to it.

listen here

Whatever and Ever Amen (1997)

This is David‘s self-proclaimed theme song. With a chorus line of bu-bah bu / bu-bAA bu / bu-bah bu / uh-bah-bu-BAH-bu, how can you go wrong? This song does have a pretty bouncy, happy rhythm to it.

Picture David dancing from class to class, smile on his face, top hat, cane, winking at girls, shaking hands with politicians, kissing babies. That’s this song. Also, that’s a great visual.

listen here

The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner (1999)

Wikipedia describes the symptoms of narcolepsy thusly: The main characteristic of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), even after adequate night time sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or to fall asleep, often at inappropriate times and places. Daytime naps may occur without warning and may be physically irresistible. These naps can occur several times a day. They are typically refreshing, but only for a few hours. Drowsiness may persist for prolonged periods of time. In addition, night time sleep may be fragmented with frequent awakenings.

This song is about a person with narcolepsy. And, yes, it’s awesome.

listen here

Rockin’ the Suburbs (2001)

What a way to begin an album! Too bad this is track number two. Quirky teenagers are a topic that never gets old. You know the kind. Phrases like “Jehovah’s Witness”, “Wicca”, and “marijuana” follow them around, often without credence. These two misfits are spending part of their day in a music store. Ben describes them by subtraction: “Zak without a ‘c'”, “Sara without an ‘h'”. Does this imply that they, as persons, are missing something fundamental that would make them “normal”? Or am I over-thinking it?

There’s no way to know until I can ask Ben Folds, himself, on the 19th.

listen here

Unknown Album

Ben Folds has a talent for covers. I’ve heard a couple of them, and he manages to pay tribute to the original while giving them a unique flavor. This particular track is originally by The Postal Service. It became well known as a song, and as a cover by Iron & Wine, before Ben Folds took it on.

He gives the song a “steam punk” percussion line and a “beer hall” piano line, with some strings tossed in the mix. His voice is well suited to the song, as he and Ben Gibbard have similar ranges. Ben (Folds), through his re-imagining, turns this poetic love song into something resembling a drinking song. He even manages to throw an obscenity into the mix.

listen here

Songs for Silverman (2005)

In much the same way as Magic, this song makes me think of black and white. Cinematic shots with shallow depth of focus, rain, and a storyline that makes you sniffle just a little. This song stuck out from his 2005 release for me. It not only tells a sad story, but it tells it epically. With driving piano building to falsetto chorus lines, he gives even common listeners goosebumps.

listen here

Rockin’ The Suburbs (2001)

INT. DORM ROOM – DAY

MILES enters and sits at his desk. He gets out papers, ready to spend his night studying.

MILES
(to himself, lonely)
I love math. Seriously, numbers are so cool…

INSET: A Ben Folds music video begins to play on the TV set.

MILES
(to himself, even lonelier)
If math was girl, I bet she’d be hot- hey, what’s that?

He gets up and walks to the TV set. He listens to a song told from the perspective of a father writing to his son. His father muses with both regret for his own shortcomings and pride for his son.

MILES
(to no one but himself)
I must have that album. That that song is off. Of.

listen here