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Ben Folds

A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons Paperback – 1 Aug. 2019

by Ben Folds (Author)

4.6 924 ratings

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Ben Folds is an internationally celebrated musician, singer-songwriter and former front man of the alternative rock band, Ben Folds Five, beloved for songs such as ‘Brick’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’, ‘Rockin’ the Suburbs’ and ‘The Luckiest’.

In A Dream About Lightning Bugs Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming, funny and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. He opens up about finding his voice as a musician, becoming a rock anti-hero, and hauling a baby grand piano on and off stage for every performance.
From growing up in working class North Carolina childhood amid the race and class tensions that shaped his early songwriting to painful life lessons he learned the hard way, he also ruminates on music in the digital age, the absurdity of life on the road, and the challenges of sustaining a multi-decade, multi-faceted career in the music business.

A Dream About Lightning Bugs embodies what Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds.

‘As a fan and a musician, this is truly a gift.’ Jamie Cullum

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster UK
Publication date

1 Aug. 2019
Dimensions

15.3 x 2.35 x 23.4 cm
ISBN-10

1471188051
ISBN-13

978-1471188053
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Product description

Review

'I read this in one glorious, giant gulp. As a fan of [Ben’s] work and a musician, this is truly a gift.’ (Jamie Cullum)

"A Dream About Lightning Bugs reads like its author: intelligent, curious, unapologetically punk, and funny as hell. This intimate look at his life from his own unique perspective is a rare and unforgettable gift that does what Ben Folds always has done for me as an artist and a friend: encourages me to be more myself, with a lot of swear words." (Sara Bareilles)

"Delightful...Singer-songwriter Folds explores the ways in which music shaped his life and offers glimpses into the process of making music....Folds's fans will take great pleasure in this charming and insightful memoir." (Publishers Weekly)

‘I’m gonna learn to read for this’ (Josh Groban)

"Besides being super talented, and an incredibly poignant and multifaceted musician, Ben Folds is a fantastic author. I couldn't put this book down - and not just because I taped it to my hand. Ben takes us into his mind and into his process from the very beginnings of his childhood to where he is today - one of the greatest musicians and writers that has ever graced the art." (Bob Saget)

"A masterfully written memoir, and so much more. Folds imbues this literary work with keen insight and humor to create an elegant and moving tribute to art and life itself." (Daniel Levitin, author of #1 New York Times bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind)

From the Back Cover

In A Dream About Lightning Bugs Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming, funny and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. He opens up about finding his voice as a musician, becoming a rock anti-hero, and hauling a baby grand piano on and off stage for every performance. From growing up in working class North Carolina childhood amid the race and class tensions that shaped his early songwriting to painful life lessons he learned the hard way, he also ruminates on music in the digital age, the absurdity of life on the road, and the challenges of sustaining a multi-decade, multi-faceted career in the music business. A Dream About Lightning Bugs embodies what Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you've got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK; 1st edition (1 Aug. 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1471188051
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471188053
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.3 x 2.35 x 23.4 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 253,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,273 in Biographies about Artists, Architects & Photographers
- 1,619 in Rock & Pop Musician Biographies
- 4,328 in Theatre & Performance Artist Biographies

Customer reviews:
4.6 924 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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Tim B.

Easy To Read Bio About The Man Himself - Lacks Details on Album Chapters

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2019

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Having been a fan of Ben Folds nearly 25 years and having met him a few times, I was intrigued to read this autobiography and overall, it's a great read if you want to get into the mind of the man himself. It's a very easy read with the chapters being quite short so it's easy to pick up and put down when needed. The book is a little uneven though with the most time being spent on Ben's upbringing and everything before he formed Ben Folds Five. Once it gets to the the band and his solo career, there is a lack of depth to those areas with only 7-8 pages (i.e. 1 chapter) dedicated to each album etc. These are the areas I was most interested in but it felt like there was a rush to get through the making of each album which left me wanting to know more about how each album came about, the songs etc.

It's a great overall read though and an interesting insight into Ben, how he writes songs and what he's been through throughout the years.

2 people found this helpful

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Nattygann

Clever, funny and honest.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 August 2019

Verified Purchase

Ok, so maybe I’m biased because I’ve been a Ben Folds/Five fan since the 90s... but this is a great read. It’s beautifully written, funny(hilarious in places), honest and sometimes self-depreciating. What is unusual for an autobiography/memoir is that there’s also lots of advice and encouragement about the creative process, which as a visual artist, I found didn’t just apply to musicians. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to any Ben folds fan or to those who would like to find or fan their own creative spark.

2 people found this helpful

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Bamlett

Great book but unlikeable author :-/

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 September 2019

Verified Purchase

Really good and honest book which is really easy to read however in parts it does make Folds come across as quite an unlikeable character, which is a shame...

3 people found this helpful

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Joe Jones

Moving, funny, illuminating memoir.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 November 2019

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A touching and heartfelt memoir. Ben Folds fans will certainly enjoy this. There are some great stories from childhood right up to recently that open a window at least a little bit into Ben's heart.

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Amazon Customer

Delightful read for fans

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 March 2020

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Ben Folds writes ver conversationally about his growth as a musician. I really loved every story and was a bit sad when I cam to the end. Delightful!

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Dr. Gareth S. Getvoldsen

As well written as Ben's music

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2019

Verified Purchase

Honest, insightful and well written. I kept all my Ben Fold's records to hand so I could listen to relevant songs as he talks about them,

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Ian C.

Couldn’t put it down.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2019

Verified Purchase

A brilliant book... read it.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2019

I only really ever heard “Underground”, loved that track but never looked into it further. Reading this book makes me think I may have been missing a trick. The guy isn’t quite right, but it makes for an entertaining book. I have been reading parts aloud to anyone within earshot. Now people are leaving the room at any sentence that starts “oh God, then he...”
Recommended.

One person found this helpful

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