Wednesday Night Music: Ben Folds Five, ‘Philosophy’
A barn-burner performance of “Philosophy” from the first eponymous Ben Folds Five album. This song helped me through some hard times, and it packs a powerful message.
Won’t you look up at the skyline
At the mortar, block, and glass
And check out the reflections in my eyes
See they always used to be there
Even when this was all was grass
And I sang and danced about a high-riseAnd you were laughing at my helmet hat
Laughing at my torchGo ahead you laugh all you want
Cause I got my philosophy
(It keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground
That’s why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I’m falling downI see that there is evil
And I know that there is good
And the in-betweens I never understood
So won’t you look at me I’m crazy
But I get the job done
Yeah I’m crazy but I get the job doneSo go ahead and laugh all you want
Cause I got my philosophy
(It keeps my feet on the ground)
And I trust it like the ground
And that’s why my philosophy
Keeps me walking when I’m falling downI pushed you cause I loved you guys
I didn’t realize
That you weren’t having fun
And I dragged you up the stairs
And I told you to fly
You were flapping your arms
Then you started to cry, you were too highNow you take this all for granted
You take the mortar, block, and glass
And you forget the speech that moved the stone
But it’s really not that you can’t see
The forest for the trees
You’ve never been out in the woods aloneSo you can laugh all you want to
But I’ve got my philosophy
(It keeps my feet on the ground)
And I love you you’re my friend
But you got no philosophy
Now it’s time for this song to end