[1999]
Lyrics & Music by Benjamin S. Folds
Album: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner

"Army" is an alternative rock song by the band Ben Folds Five from their 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, and reached #28 on the charts in the UK.
Extremely popular among fans of the band and even after the band's break up, the song is still almost always performed at Ben Folds' solo concerts. The song deals with indecision, independence, conflict, and freedom, and contains many memorable moments, including the opening line ("Well, I thought about the army, Dad said: 'Son, you're fucking high!'") and the bridge, which consists of a horn ensemble.
Folds has explained at live performances that the entire song is based on personal experiences, with a few exceptions.. most notably that he never grew a mullet (haircut).
Here's Ben's explanation from a recording at... (Continues)