Ben Folds is clearly a witty guy with lots to say - Army demonstrates this in full effect - and he deserves great respect for the style of his lyricism and songwriting. He's been in the music industry for about 15 years in various forms and Army, released in 1999, is from his spell in Ben Folds Five.
The melody is catchy and upbeat and, although somewhat whiny, Folds' vocals suit the style of song he is singing. The instrumentation is similarly upbeat, and varied - employing his classic jazz piano style and horns for the bridge. However, the lyrics are what the song is all about. Almost entirely biographical, the song recounts Folds' college breakdown and attempt at joining the army. Even the line: 'Dad said "Son, you're fucking high"' is historically accurate.
This lyrical mastery, along with the piano, is Folds' calling card and Army is the perfect example of this. The lyrics are damn fine, and when sung they just get better and better:
well i thought about the army
dad said, son you're fucking high
and i thought, yeah there's a first for everything
so i took my old man's advice
three sad semesters
it was only fifteen grand spent in bed
i thought about the army
i dropped out and joined a band instead
grew a moustache and a mullet
got a job at chic-fil-a
citing artistic differences
the band broke up in may
and in june reformed without me
and they'd got a different name
i nuked another grandma's apple pie
and hung my head in shame
i've been thinking a lot today
i've been thinking a lot today
oh, i think i'll write a screenplay
oh, i think i'll take it to LA
oh, i think i'll get it done yesterday
in this time of introspection
on the eve of my election
i say to my reflection
god, please spare me more rejection
'cause my peers, they criticize me
and my ex-wives all despise me
try to put it all behind me
but my redneck past is nipping at my heels
i've been thinking a lot today
i've been thinking a lot today
i've been thinking a lot today
i thought about the army...
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