"Still Fighting It" by Ben Folds

I'm a sucker for father and son songs, and this one by Ben Folds is one of my all-time favorites. Mixing lyrics both mundane and profound seems an apt reflection of life's journey. Folds also manages to capture the pain of evolving relationships using both blunt (it sucks to grow up) and subtle phrasing (one day you'll fly away...from me). It was written for his son, Louis. 

"Still Fighting It" comes from his debut solo effort after taking a break from his band, Ben Folds Five. Released in 2001, "Rockin' The Suburbs" only reached #42 but is one of my desert island discs - a modern pop masterpiece.

Stunningly, this moving song did not drive up the charts. Folds only has one top 40 hit to date, and that goes back to 1997 when he scored with "Brick" (#19) while in Ben Folds Five. In my book, he is one of the greatest piano players and songwriters in music today and it is baffling he hasn't emerged as the Elton John of his generation.