Ben’s My Friend Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I woke up this morning, August 3rd
It's been a pretty slow and uneventful summer
Went to visit a friend in Santa Fe
Went to New Orleans and went to see my family
Woke up this morning and it occurred
I needed one more track to finish up my record
I was feeling out of fuel and uninspired
Laid on my bed too long, a little down, a little tired
Met my girl and we walked down Union Street
I was scattered and my head was in a bunch of places
Bought a $350 pair of lampshades
And we ate at Perry's and I ordered crab cakes

[Break 1]
Blue crab cakes
Blue crab cakes
Blue crab cakes


[Verse 2]
She said I seemed distracted and asked what was going on with me
I said, "I can't explain it, it's a middle age thing"
She said, "Okay," and ate her eggs Benedict

And I looked at the walls cluttered with sports bar shit

[Break 2]
Sports bar shit
Sports bar shit
Sports bar shit

[Break 4]
And we laughed and it was alright
And we laughed and it was alright
And it was alright


[Verse 5]
There's a thin line between a middle-aged guy with a backstage pass
And a guy with a gut hanging around like a jackass

Everybody there was twenty years younger at least
I'll leave with this, not my fondest memory
I carried my legs back down the hill
Gave my backstage passes to two cute Asian girls
I drove to my place near Tahoe
Got in my hot tub and I thought, "Well, that's how it goes"
And it was quiet, and I was listening to the crickets
And Ben's still out there, selling lots of tickets
And though I'm contented, there's a tinge of competitiveness
But Ben's my friend, and I know he gets it

Then, in a couple of days, my meltdown passed
Back to the studio doing twelve-hour shifts
Singing a song about one thing or another
Another day behind the microphone this summer

[Break 5]
This Tenderloin summer
This Tenderloin summer
This Tenderloin summer

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About

Genius Annotation

The final track on Sun Kil Moon’s sixth studio album Benji, “Ben’s My Friend” serves as an epilogue of sorts, moving away from Benji’s reflective, minimalist folk to a mid-tempo, saxophone-laced tune that takes us into the present as Kozelek grapples with writer’s block and the throes of middle-age.

The song’s climax takes place at a The Postal Service concert as Kozelek reflects on his age and the divergent career paths of him and the titular Ben, Ben Gibbard, showcasing a side to being a musician that isn’t often displayed in their craft.

Q&A

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Release Date
January 1, 2013
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