Army (song)
Encyclopedia
"Army" is an alternative rock
song by the band Ben Folds Five
from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.
' solo concerts. The song deals with indecision, independence, conflict, and freedom, and contains many memorable moments, including the opening line ("Well I thought about the army, dad said 'Son, you're fucking high!'") and the bridge, which consists of a horn ensemble.
Folds has explained at live performances that the entire song is based on personal experiences, with a few exceptions (most notably that he never grew a mullet
).
Here's Ben's explanation from a recording at Enmore:
The clean version is sometimes referred to as the "We Got the 'Fuck' Out edit."
Folds introduces the song to the audience by saying: "This one goes out to anyone who actually signed up and is in - is gone into the armed forces. Thanks a lot. I tried, I went down to the recruiting center and I talked to them, and I thought about it, but at the end of the day, I think I was genetically inclined to be a musician." He then goes on to instruct the audience in singing the horn parts: "We've got enough people in here to get a bitchin' horn section, so let's cut the audience down the middle. This side, saxophones, this side's trumpets." Later live audiences were split into "bitch and whore sections" by Ben, an auditory spin off of the phrase "bitchin' horn section" heard on Ben Folds Live
. The ensemble parts are often performed by the crowds during concerts in an audience participation bit which Folds "conducts". In addition, the audience customarily sings the line, "God please spare me more rejection." Folds also frequently changes the last line from "the army" to "your mommy" or, on occasion, "all y'all's mommies."
On the DVD Sessions at West 54th, in the Spare Reels footage, Ben Folds Five can be seen recording the song. The lyrics are slightly different, and the horn parts are either scat sung by Folds or omitted.
"Army" was performed by the Legally Prohibited Band as Conan O'Brien
's introduction music on his Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
song by the band Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds , Robert Sledge , and Darren Jessee . The group achieved mainstream success in the alternative, indie and pop music scenes...
from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner is the third and final studio album by Ben Folds Five, released April 27, 1999.-Origins of the album title:...
, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.
Lyrics, composition, and popularity
The song is extremely popular among fans of the band and even after the band's break up, the song is still almost always performed at Ben FoldsBen Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
' solo concerts. The song deals with indecision, independence, conflict, and freedom, and contains many memorable moments, including the opening line ("Well I thought about the army, dad said 'Son, you're fucking high!'") and the bridge, which consists of a horn ensemble.
Folds has explained at live performances that the entire song is based on personal experiences, with a few exceptions (most notably that he never grew a mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
).
Here's Ben's explanation from a recording at Enmore:
The clean version is sometimes referred to as the "We Got the 'Fuck' Out edit."
Live performances
On the live album Ben Folds LiveBen Folds Live
Ben Folds Live is a live album by Ben Folds, released in 2002 .This album marked the first official release of the classic Ben Folds live routine, "Rock This Bitch", which he went on to perform at least 60 more times since, including on the releases Songs for Goldfish and on the Live in Perth DVD...
Folds introduces the song to the audience by saying: "This one goes out to anyone who actually signed up and is in - is gone into the armed forces. Thanks a lot. I tried, I went down to the recruiting center and I talked to them, and I thought about it, but at the end of the day, I think I was genetically inclined to be a musician." He then goes on to instruct the audience in singing the horn parts: "We've got enough people in here to get a bitchin' horn section, so let's cut the audience down the middle. This side, saxophones, this side's trumpets." Later live audiences were split into "bitch and whore sections" by Ben, an auditory spin off of the phrase "bitchin' horn section" heard on Ben Folds Live
Ben Folds Live
Ben Folds Live is a live album by Ben Folds, released in 2002 .This album marked the first official release of the classic Ben Folds live routine, "Rock This Bitch", which he went on to perform at least 60 more times since, including on the releases Songs for Goldfish and on the Live in Perth DVD...
. The ensemble parts are often performed by the crowds during concerts in an audience participation bit which Folds "conducts". In addition, the audience customarily sings the line, "God please spare me more rejection." Folds also frequently changes the last line from "the army" to "your mommy" or, on occasion, "all y'all's mommies."
On the DVD Sessions at West 54th, in the Spare Reels footage, Ben Folds Five can be seen recording the song. The lyrics are slightly different, and the horn parts are either scat sung by Folds or omitted.
"Army" was performed by the Legally Prohibited Band as Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
's introduction music on his Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour was a comedy tour featuring Conan O'Brien. The title of the tour is a reference to the 2010 Tonight Show host and timeslot conflict which resulted in O'Brien resigning from his position as host of The Tonight Show in January 2010...
.