Battle of Who Could Care Less

Album: Whatever and Ever Amen (1997)
Charted: 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Ben Folds to be the lead single off Whatever And Ever Amen, this piano-driven tune was based on the lacklustre slacker lifestyle the band encountered at the time in their North Carolina home base. Bassist Robert Sledge told Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast, "With 'The Battle Of Who Could Care Less,' that was about the attitude in Chapel Hill, like it's a competition who can be cooler and more indifferent. That was definitely a shared frustration between the band because like for me, I'm always striving to play really well and expand myself, but that's just not cool, at all."
  • The song achieved Ben Folds Five's joint highest UK chart position of #26 (along with "Brick"). It was helped by a comedic video directed by Norwood Cheek.
  • The Whatever and Ever Amen album title came from a line in this song.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.