Cover art for Alice Childress by Ben Folds Five

Alice Childress

Aug. 8, 19951 viewer

Alice Childress Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Some summers in the evening after 6 or so
I walk on down the hill
And maybe buy a beer
I think about my friends
Sometimes I wish they lived out here
But they wouldn't dig this town
No they wouldn't dig this town

[Chorus]
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore

[Verse 2]
Alice, the world is full of ugly things
That you can't change
Pretend it's not that way
It's my idea of faith
You can blow it off
And say there's good in nearly everyone
Just give them all a chance
Now let's give them all a chance

[Chorus]
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore
[Bridge]
No, it didn't work out
No, it didn't work out the way we thought it would
No, it didn't work out
An arranged marriage is not so good

[Verse 3]
Thank God it's you
Y'know your timing is impeccable
I'm not fooling you
I don't know what to do
Some dude just knocked me cold
And left me on the sidewalk
Took everything I had
Everything I had

[Chorus]
Try not to think about it, Alice Childress
Try not to think about it anymore
It's getting late where you are, Alice Childress
Anymore, no not anymore

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About

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Genius Annotation

The song is written by Anna Goodman, Ben Folds' wife from 1987 – 1992. It appears to be about how difficult it is to stay positive in the face of overwhelming evidence. Alice Childress was a playwright born in Charleston South Carolina who moved to Harlem aged nine. Ben Folds is from North Carolina.
The first verse about “walk on down the hill, maybe buy a beer” refers to Los Angeles “my friends wouldn’t dig this town”

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Credits
Bass Guitar
Release Date
August 8, 1995
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