Ben Folds Five - Smoke Lyrics

Thanks, I hadn't heard this song in 20 years, what great memories, great song

Here’s the time I took the blame — throw it on the fire

Where do all the secrets live......

I have yet to see anybody mention the book "The Sound And The Fury" in these comments...Was Ben Folds a fan of William Faulkner and trying to one-up him ("the past is never dead; it isn't even past")?

Smokey robinson and the miracles💜🌏🙌🎼🙏😇☺😶😶😶

Best Alban ever out of Ben Folds, srry to say.

A song that is sad, beautiful, and totally makes sense, put this in your ear. It's a waltz of heartbreak.

reminds me of my ex wife... i have moved on but ill always love you.

I remember finding this cd in my dads car when I was like 10 and him never knowing I took it . I still listen to that same cd and I’m 22 now haha. Ben folds is a master musician .

So well done. Still reminds me of when I bought the tape of this album went it came out

this has been a favourite for many years. still is. thanks ben.

These guys are just a cheap phish knock off.

wrong about that my friend! Cheerio!

Deleting my ex on FB and all our messages brought me back to this song. All of the laughter and all of sadness and all of the rage that her and I once shared, it's all smoke now. It lives on only in each of our memories. It was a tremendously cathartic thing to do, I just wish I'd done it sooner. Was good to be able to listen to this song and take comfort in music that described exactly how I was feeling in that moment.

I love this song it makes me feel at peace with life and the struggles of school

i want more music like this

This song. It touches me to my core. It makes me think of fucking up my very best relationship I ever had. Totally my fault. I can never get it back and think constantly of what might have been. I can never get it back. This song encapsulates that.

This song really grew on me. I fought it for a long time. But I finally came to the conclusion this was a great song.

Rugged Amethyst Isn't it funny? Some burn up quick and some don't.

You're not the only. Just one of the only up admit it

Nobody makes music like this.

It really is fantastic

One of the most soulful, sensitive songs from Ben Folds. 

As much as I like Folds, I've never liked One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn faces or Song for the Dumped. 
Love Smoke, Selfless Cold and Composed and other slower songs by Folds.

Well I do like rocking the suburbs and army, I like your choices and landed

Good song.

Thxs interpol radio

reminds me a little bit of billy jole and counting crows with a 17 year old singer named ben

they sure know how to include the harpsichord

i actually wasnt sure what a melodica was.  But i looked it up and now i know!  I cant play your link my browser is pretty old.

thats a harmonium or a accordion not a harpsicord...a harpsicord is the insturment in the beatles in my life..its a piano with feathers for hammers

Ryan it might just be a feather on a piano but I remember grade school and that damn auto harp... Tell me isn't an auto harp basically a what you said just not compact?

Ryan Hilgert actually In My Life by the Beatles wasn't done with a harpsichord but a double speed piano. They played the piece at half tempo (-8ve) then doubled the speed to give it that sound.

A famous harpsichord use was in Golden Brown by the Stranglers

Ty Jake!!!

I was lucky enough to experience this song live with WASO. It was incredible- gave me shivers!!
'Now its smoke"

The song about Elliot Smith is 'Late' off of Songs for Silverman. It's just Ben, not the whole group

love the bass line. robert sledge is amazing

You're absolutely right. I really don't think he gets enough credit as a great bass player! As a bass player myself who learned to play in the 90's I always loved his sound. I know I'm stumbling upon this comment from 4 years ago, but I had to reply! :-)

I can't find a Ben Folds song - Can't remember the title, even!  It SWINGS like jump, jive and wail upbeat JAZZ.  It was really big for a while on the light rock stations. HELP?!
 

Thanks everyone! I'm still stumped, but it's alright.

Jackson Cannery

What I was going to suggest.

pro tip: *just listen to his entire discography*

This song is a work of art.

Forever one of my favorite songs

Thanks to my girlfriend, she brought me to a record store on Pharr road in Atlanta where this album was being played...the guy that worked there, actually looked like an older version of Ben Folds, hipped me to the album. I bought it and have been listening to it all day; it's beautiful music.

What book exactly are they talking about

It's a book of memories with his ex.

Could also be a metaphor for the relationship. Tearing the book apart and throwing it on the fire could mean letting go of the relationship and accepting that it's definitely over and there'll be no coming back to it.

Book of life

this is good song. very good.

The farm I grew up on is getting destroyed by developers soon, my friend recommended this song to me.

GeoDelGonzo Same thing happened to me.

Isn't that the whole game?

It reminds me of the Russian level in Tetris.

I love how Ben Folds just abuses his pianos.

one of my favourites!

Thumbs up if the nick hornby songbook brought you here

Only just got round to reading it, started reading it due to a breakup and this song more than fitted

such an amazing song..

::sigh:: used to listen to this en route to see the girl i've loved more than anyone else. seems prescient in retrospect. still love you J. great song, great album.

Awesome. I think 'Frankie Teardrop' damaged me, however.

Beautiful song:)

too many things that get pushed out have devauled the product. why pay for a money maker when so many better people go ignored and never get heard. irony is an assult and youve ripped us off enough.

It's the winding of a music box.

I forgot how much I love this freaking song!!! Why did I ever have to get rid of my cds?!

The clunking sound - I don't know

But the zzzzzt sound is him running his fingers up and down the bottom strings on the piano.

It's him scraping the microphone along the piano strings

Phil Cruse's favorite song from the album.

If anyone is wondering, what this song is is the letter his wife (now ex-wife) sent him after their divorce put to music, he simply added the word "smoke".

@leeroytheguitarist that's very true. Another great album Matchbox 20's Yourself or Someone Like You,

I think many can agree with this thought. There are very few albums in which i deeply feel ever song. Whatever and ever amen is in that other category. Simply put this album is a beautiful piece of music

@TheDouGhBoYsTyLe i take it you read nick hornby;s book, "31 songs"? haha

@hpsnorlaxdirector Sounds like a guitar pick.

@xCommonGoodx You're right.

@hpsnorlaxdirector I'm glad SOMEBODY else actually knew hahah :)

this album was released on the day i was!

Simple message. Burn the memories. Forget the future. Live in the now.

@jhillst It's a mixture of tuning the piano and rubbing the string.

i could listen to this all day. actually i'm pretty sure i have...

@hpsnorlaxdirector As a matter of fact, that sound is heard again starting at 3:24

@jhillst He rubs something across the strings of the piano, but I'm not sure what.

What's that sound you hear before the song starts?

This song almost always brings a tear to my eyes :')

love it

ben folds five do amazing songs and lyrics.

classic band. well i am referring to their first two albumns.. not sure about the other albumns..

@lilsweeti13 Actually, you're hearing the sweet sound of the melodica.

sublime

Im pretty sure this song is not about Elliot smith... Although yes, he was great. One of the best.

ben folds five is the best.

No matter what the song may mean to Ben, it means something to eeryone who hears it. All of their songs make a difference to SOMEONE, and this one means alot to me... ^^

love it

BFF, great as usual. One of his deeper songs. I think Ben wrote this song to try and allow himself to let go from something in the past.

ben folds five ROCK!