Ben Folds is one of my very favorite artists in part because he’s a master of both the melancholy and the manic. For every subtle, soft-hearted piano ballad you have an off-the-tracks ivory crasher.
‘Sports & Wine,’ from Ben Folds Five’s self-titled debut, is as light on its feet as anything the band produced. The studio version (my Song of the Day #873) gives each of the band members a chance to shine, especially Darren Jesse on drums.
This demo version dials back on the musical acrobatics for a much more subdued and jazzy feel.
Monday afternoon
Wednesday you’ll be crawling
And you’ll pray to be there soon
With sports and wine
Yeah yeah
Sports and wine, no no
Some men never grew up
Fortunate like you
Some men never found out
What it takes to be a dude
That’s sports and wine, yeah yeah.
Sports and wine, no no
The girls don’t understand it
What you think is art
My, oh my, we’re all impressed
How sensitive you are
Everybody’s talking about you now
You know it’s true
Because it always has been
Sports and wine for you
So you asked me how I think I know
Just what makes you tick
I know what I know, you know
I know you make me sick
Sports and wine
Sports and wine
The girls don’t understand it,
Anything you say
I don’t understand it either
Guess that makes me gay.
Everybody’s talking about you now
You know it’s true
No, no, no, no, no…
Meet Me In Montauk 
For those not familiar with this song, I strongly recommend listening to the previously posted album version. While this demo is okay, it really doesn’t convey just how fun and great this song really is.
Though it’s hard to go wrong with any track from BFF’s debut album, for my “fun” selection, I probably would have gone with “Underground” or “Philosophy.”