"Kristine from the 7th Grade" - Ben Folds with the NSO | DECLASSIFIED: Ben Folds Presents 

I love a RU-vid comments thread that reminds me of forgotten music theory. Thanks!

All hail that epic Picardy third!

I love this comment. It certainly has a somewhat humourous narrative but I've never found myself cracking a smile at it. A very tragic song that is all too common.

❤

Yes, exactly! This song contains all the acidic humour that Ben Folds is an expert about, but it's so, soooo tragic that makes me want to cry when I remember about all the good old friends that now are immersed in dubious narrative and fake beliefs. Perfect, tragic and, yet still, very familiar.

no comment

This song is absolutely genius on so many levels and doesn't only apply to people that fall into conspiracy theories like Qanon, where life is beautiful and ugly and even in the rain, the smell of wet leaves is amazing. I say it's genius though because it totally subverts and flips your expectations based on the types of songs Ben Folds often writes. So much of his stuff is about sentimental loss and being awake in the middle of the night wishing you had a chance to do it again and maybe you wouldn't be alone, either literally or alone in your bed with the thoughts of dread and shame from some thing you thought was this tiny tiny thing at the time...again, a lot of that is present in this song even...he's not just talking about Kristine. But where the song starts out with you thinking he was looking back at his crush in 7th grade and then suddenly she's sending him daily emails for two years and ok, that's a little weird, but there could be an explanation...and then it just continues getting weirder until the big reveal...it's freaking genius...reminds me a bit of a film noir or a Dean Koontz book with things looking not so much different in the dark, but as they really are in the dark and it's our own assumptions that we only later realize were the shadow that blocked our true perception that ironically was present in the light. That's a long way of me saying listen to Brick and the Kristine From the 7th Grade back to back and you'll see what I mean.

Saw him last night and I completed agree. He is a gem!

flashback to Brick. also tragically beautiful. ❤

🤨 You must be new here! 😎

Oh what a journey you could go on! Start with Emaline!

Oooh I hope so too, that’s exciting

Sorry you were disappointed! 😂

didnt know jon (john paint) cozart likes ben folds

Arranged by Jherek Bischoff (playing guitar here)

I do think there is intended to be some humor in it. It's kind of a laugh-to-keep-yourself-from-crying kind of vibe.

I think it was sardonic laughter. The audience was recognizing a Christine from their own life, or something close. This tune was almost like group therapy. Folds is both a master musician and a master social commentator.

the 'we went to a good school, Kristine' made me spit out my drink.

Gen Z here, and it still does happen. We see it younger and younger. High school wasn't that long ago for me and I already have friends I knew from there posting similar rhetoric. It's less email for us and more posts on other social media apps.

@anyway96 Ben said next year

I'm loving the Wicked references but wish I could understand how you tie these together. Enlighten me, please.

I just spent a good part a day trying to play along so I can figure this out. Had to hit the pause key an awful lot! Awesome piece and the lyrics really hit home.

🤣🤣 My thoughts as well!

Still laughing at this comment months later

They have a pianist

@@drmacvetsounds419 Oh yeah. Duh. I can't see where the other piano is in the wider shots. But, I see now that Ben Folds is not wearing a wedding ring and the hand at the end is.

@@sethbender2448 I was there for this concert. If you look in the orchestra it's on the left side, there is a black shape dividing some of the strings. That's the other piano.

@BenFoldsTV Ben, that was amazing! Could I trouble you to come to Iowa for your new album? ❤

@@marayochim1521 Thank you -- I thought it must have been offstage.

I'm so glad to read this, it's happening to my parents too. What's causing this?!!? It's like a 'TV will rot your brain' phenomenon but of our parents instead of our kids.

I’m in the same boat. I know my mom would love the orchestration on this song but I don’t dare share it with her because she’s into Qanon conspiracies 😔

Seriously. It’s exactly why I bounced from the book face app . Too many Kristines. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Nah, Kristine is dead wrong.

Sounds like Vicky Ann had some people block her over the last few years and is still salty about it.

Vicky, what the fuck are you taking about?

she’ssimply stating an opinion, man

@@osp3640 Indeed!

perhaps Kristine was unable to walk.

Nah, left wing can get wrapped up in conspiracies too.

I agree