Jesusland (song)

"Jesusland"
Single by Ben Folds
from the album Songs for Silverman
Released	2005
Genre	Rock
Length	4:30
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Ben Folds
Ben Folds singles chronology
"Landed" (2005) "Jesusland" (2005) "You Don't Know Me" (2008)
Music video
"Jesusland" on YouTube

"Jesusland" was the second single from Ben Folds' 2005 album Songs for Silverman . ^{[1] [2] [3]} The song captures Folds' dismay as he travels through middle America, witnessing the growing wealth and the commercialization of Jesus' message. ^[4] Per Folds, "'Jesusland' is sort of a walk across the country. You know, 'There’s a billboard, there’s a McMansion, there’s a couple nice houses'... just trying to put together a montage that recreates the playing field as you have it." ^[5]

It reached No. 42 on the UK airplay chart in October 2005. ^[6] It has also been playlisted by Xfm London and BBC Radio 2 (which lists it as "download only"). It reached No. 8 on the Radio Two chart. ^[7] The track was slated for a UK single release in September 2005, but it never made it to store shelves.

The video for the single features Matt Lucas as a televangelist interspersed with scenes of a journey through what may well be "Jesusland" itself. ^[8] The pair became friends after Lucas interviewed Folds for NME. ^[9]

The track was featured in the 2008 Bill Maher comedic documentary Religulous . ^[10]

Chart history

Chart	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC) [11]	42

Other notable performances

• "Jesusland - University A Cappella Version" was first performed by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Loreleis in 2008 for Ben Folds' University A Capella album. ^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Folds performed "Jesusland" on Minnesota Public Radio's Live from Here with Chris Thile on their June 15, 2019 show. ^{[15] [16]}

References

1. Rocha, Zach (August 22, 2007). "BEN Ben Folds - "Songs For Silverman"". South Coast Today. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
2. McKinley Jr., James C. (2013-04-30). "Four Musicals, Coming Right Up (Published 2013)". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
3. Malcolm, Timothy (2009-10-09). "Ben Folds: Master of not going mainstream". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
4. Smith, Adam (2009-08-27). "Dogs, Dogma, Jesus and Ben Folds". Relevant. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
5. Atkinson, Brian (July 1, 2005). "BEN FOLDS: Music as Therapy". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
6. "The UK Radio Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 2005-10-01. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
7. "Radio Two" (PDF). Music Week. 2005-10-01. p. 31. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
8. Selasi, McLord (2022-12-07). "Does Matt Lucas have hair loss?" . Retrieved 2024-12-18.
9. "Dooley's Diary: Brits make a Popkomm stand" (PDF). Music Week. 2005-09-24. p. 29. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
10. "Religulous (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
12. Lyden, Jacki (2009-04-26). "Ben Folds Goes A Cappella, With Help". NPR. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
13. "Carolina in the News: Monday, April 27, 2009". UNC News Archives. 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
14. The Loreleis (2008-11-13). Jesusland - UNC Loreleis . Retrieved 2024-12-18– via YouTube.
15. "Ben Folds, I'm With Her, Tig Notaro | Live from Here with Chris Thile". www.livefromhere.org. 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
16. Radio Heartland (2019-06-18). Jesusland - Ben Folds | Live from Here with Chris Thile . Retrieved 2024-12-18– via YouTube.