Brick

"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.[citation needed] 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.")

[Verse 1] 6:00am, day after Christmas I throw some clothes on in the dark The smell of cold, car seat is freezing The world is sleeping, I am numb [Verse 2] Up the stairs to her apartment She is balled up on the couch Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte They're not home to find us out [Pre-Chorus] And we drive Now that I have found someone I'm feeling more alone Than I ever have before [Chorus] She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly [Verse 3] They call her name at 7:30 I pace around the parking lot Then I walk down to buy her flowers And sell some gifts that I got [Pre-Chorus] Can't you see It's not me you're dying for? Now she's feeling more alone Than she ever has before [Chorus] She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly [Bridge] As weeks went by, it showed that she was not fine They told me, "Son, it's time to tell the truth" And she broke down and I broke down 'Cause I was tired of lying [Verse 4] Driving back to her apartment For the moment, we're alone Yeah, she's alone, and I'm alone And now I know it [Chorus] She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly