Brick (4:30)
895,175 plays (161,958 listeners)
“Brick” is a song performed by Ben Folds Five released on their 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen and later on Ben Folds Live[1]. The verses were written by Ben Folds about his high school girlfriend undergoing an abortion, and the chorus was written by the band’s drummer, Darren Jessee. “Brick” was one of Ben Folds Five’s biggest hits, gaining much mainstream radio play in the USA, the UK, and Australia in 1998. It has been called the ‘saddest song in the happiest chord’ - the song being in the key of D major.
Backstory
On the album Ben Folds Live, Folds explained: “People ask me what this song’s about… I was asked about it a lot, and I didn’t really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn’t really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who’s gone through that before, then you’ll know what the song’s about.[2]
On Ben Folds’ recent iTunes Originals compilation, he confesses that he had attempted to write a song about the abortion for quite some time, but he had trouble getting the song finished because it was too literal, but thanks to Darren Jessee’s chorus, the song was given just enough mystique to be the hit that it was. (Folds even jokes that “I’ve never understood a hit chorus. I wish I did.”)
Backstory
On the album Ben Folds Live, Folds explained: “People ask me what this song’s about… I was asked about it a lot, and I didn’t really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn’t really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who’s gone through that before, then you’ll know what the song’s about.[2]
On Ben Folds’ recent iTunes Originals compilation, he confesses that he had attempted to write a song about the abortion for quite some time, but he had trouble getting the song finished because it was too literal, but thanks to Darren Jessee’s chorus, the song was given just enough mystique to be the hit that it was. (Folds even jokes that “I’ve never understood a hit chorus. I wish I did.”)
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Shouts
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checkonfitz wrote:
Beautiful and sad
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Benfolio wrote:
Epic upright bass playing by Mr. Robert Sledge, ladies and gents.
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saklut wrote:
This sounds like a different version than what is normally played on the radio.
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la_perdida wrote:
the saddest song in the happiest chord? wow.
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rayneonme wrote:
<3333
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sarahfasano wrote:
@Bigtnew ... wait, what? did that actually happen?
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koalaqt wrote:
so sad, but beautiful...
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zwarby wrote:
this songs about him and his highschool girlfriend getting an abortion, beautiful song, but quite depressing.
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Bigtnew wrote:
Just heard this song preformed at the 2009 vma's it was wonderful! But I'm not sure Kanye West did it justice!
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Benfolio wrote:
I heard originally Darren wanted to use coat hangers on the snare drum.
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bdancer12 wrote:
pretentious ? Its about an abortion - geez, way to be judgmental! Beautiful song
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Tearsday wrote:
heard this song while tuning Last.fm "Sad Tag Radio" (2)
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Taren wrote:
Just gorgeous.
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tut0101 wrote:
great song, it conveys a lot of emotion, for better or for worse
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iain316 wrote:
@ mamafanfan.. So's yer face! Seriously though why leave negative comments? Go listen to something you like! Its a love inn maaaaaan...
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HavinAGoodTime wrote:
Ben is great in concert
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Hiuxing wrote:
Heard this song while tuning Last.fm "Sad Tag Radio" <3
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fridayiminluv wrote:
I think this is the first Ben Folds Five song I ever heard... <3
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GRWittig wrote:
She's a Brick... House! Oh wait, wrong song... weird
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mamafanfan wrote:
pretentious.
Ben Folds Five
Brick
full track
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Recent Activity
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allmylife, fmilligan, Butter7524 and 1 other person loved Ben Folds Five – Brick. 2 hours ago
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Rambaldi47 tagged Ben Folds Five – Brick with abortion, sad and 90s. 7 hours ago
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BIGDUMNOOB, abzalutzero, THEREAPERRABBIT and 22 other people loved Ben Folds Five – Brick. 7 hours ago
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mwu2 added Brick to the playlist Lovley. yesterday morning
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mwu2, CYCLEMADNESS, Sjules03 and 22 other people loved Ben Folds Five – Brick. yesterday morning
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kevink6077 added Brick to kevink6077’s library. Friday afternoon
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XxCJTxX, scremer, joshluvsmath and 11 other people loved Ben Folds Five – Brick. Friday morning
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juled1 tagged Brick with ‘mine’. Thursday evening
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mentalfloss40, nokondinama and EnglishNick loved Ben Folds Five – Brick. Thursday afternoon
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supakinger added Brick to the playlist Top 100. Thursday morning
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