Alec Benjamin: I Built a Friend Meaning

Song Released: 2017

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I Built a Friend Lyrics

I built a friend,
with three pieces of plastic and a pen
I made him on the table in the den
I gave him my old cell phone for a head,
for a head
And we spent holidays at my house
And we left presents in a stocking
And we bought bolts and...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   Dresden_C

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   Dec 21st 2021 report

   Alec had a childhood friend, who spent a lot of time with him. In the song, it's represented by a clock to represent the moments he and they had. Alec went to college and had to leave his friend behind. His friend wasn't stable all alone and couldn't function properly because of mental/internal issues. While Alec was at college, he met a girl and forgot about his friend. Alec's friend became lonely and wrote a note saying "I cant take this anymore, no-one is here for me, things are just to hard to be alone". Alec's friend then killed himself and when Alec came back, he was devastated.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 31st 2022 report

   I think the song is about Alec having a friend who made memories with him at the kitchen table and that's where they became close. They spent a lot of time together, escaping from reality. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered. They forgot they were sick, that they were having a hard time. They had fun. They got to live their lives. But then the other friend went to college to escape his life. Because he didn't want to be there anymore. They cried because they were leaving, the other friend not expressing how much he turly wanted the other friend to stay. The other friend brought pictures of them together to college with him but it wasn't the same, they needed each other. The friend met a girl. He forgot about his other friend. He was supposed to visit him on vacations but instead he hung out with the girl. Forgetting about the other friend, even though they promised they'd always be friends forever. When the friend came home, he realized that his friend left him a note saying "he wasn't stable all alone." It's sad because all those chances he'd had to visit his best friend, he'd spent with some girl he harldy knew. Having to be alone in this tough world without his best friend was too much. He didn't feel cared about. So, he killed himself. The friend that found him was looking around, remembering his last moments, staring at his best friend, remembering all the memories. He remembered all the things they did together, the fun they had, the way they escaped together. But by then it was too late. All he could do was say he'd built his friend.But he'd also broke him.
   
   Remember, even if your friends don't always know how to show it, they care about you. Give them a hug the next time you see the. Tell them you care about them. Tell them that you need them to survive. Make them feel special. You never know what someone esle is going through. Because some people just get so good at hiding the pain. So please, make sure to tell your friends you care. And maybe they'll show they care too :)

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 16th 2021 report

   This song is about two friends who were close growing up until College hit. The friend who was left behind wasn't stable all alone and couldn't function properly because of mental/internal issues most likely, and so in result of that that friend killed themselves because of the thoughts and not being able to keep himself in check because their only reality and stable thing in their life was their friend that was at college hanging out with a girl instead of them.
   So, he wrote a note saying "I couldn't do this anymore, things got to hard" basically and his friend was crushed about that that his oldest "creation" (friend) wasn't there anymore.
4. anonymous

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   Feb 3rd report

   this part shoud be a rap part*look yeah i wish we coud still be friends but your gone so when we where kids we aways hanged out yeah

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
5. anonymous

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   Nov 8th 2022 report

   I feel this song is about how Alec had a friend who was maybe different or had a disability or learning difference, and he was the only one who would pay attention to him and give him the love he deserved, so when he left, it was an extremely sad occasion, hence "And we wept". Eventually, Alec meets a girl at graduation who he ends up dating, and he completely forgets about this friend, and eventually all his loneliness and intrusive thoughts became too much, he left a note, and killed himself. the "glass of water" is probably symbolizing this friend's blood, indicating he stabbed "spilled water" on himself. God, this song makes me cry every time I listen to it.
6. anonymous

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   Nov 6th 2022 report

   The song is probably about a childhood friend, whom he had to leave behind when he went to college, when he left, his friend become sad (and/or) lonely, depressed. His mental health declined, and when he couldn't take his intrusive thoughts, he killed himself. Left him, (Alec), a note that probably said something on the lines of, "i'm sorry, i couldn't take it anymore." saying that he was "unstable" and had killed himself. He left behind his oldest friend, or, "creation", for a girl who he had met in collage
   
   It's a sad song. Don't leave your friends behind!
7. anonymous

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   Aug 22nd 2022 report

   A boy has schizophrenia. He is diffrent from others and has no friends so he makes himself an imaginary friend. They play togehter, they have fun and the boy is happy but the parents are concerned. They take the boy to a doctor and the doctor dicides he need to go into a clinic which is the "college in september" he says goodbye to his imaginary friend and goes to the clinic. There he meets a "girl at graduation" which are pills to help him. So he forgets about his friend. Years after he finally can get out and he remembers his old friend just to see nobody when he gets home.
8. anonymous

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   Apr 18th 2022 report

   It's about Alec's imaginary friend, I think. He built an imaginary friend, but as he grew up, he needed him less. So when he went in College and left him behind, he realised he didn't need him anymore. When he came back, his friend left him a note; he couldn't be stable all alone, and as he wasn't necessary to the boy anymore, he disappeared.
9. anonymous

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   Mar 13th 2022 report

   I think this song is about two friends who had hard childhoods growing up, and helped each other. This is shown by the “I built a friend” they built each other up, helping each other. The one friend could go to college, and get out of the hard life a little, while the other couldn’t. The one in college very much enjoyed being where it is nicer. With no one to help stabilize them, missing the one thing that kept them going, the friend not at college took their own life. The other friend came home and realized they are all the other friend had, and was devastated. This song is in dedication to them.
10. anonymous

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    Feb 13th 2022 report

    Yes he built a childhood friend, they made beautiful memories; life goes on The boy left and continued to build memories and have fun where the robot stayed status quo and didn’t have opportunities to continue to grow. Ergo, the robot felt trapped and didn’t have anyone to connect with so he took his life. Message: take care of you, you need to connect, make an effort, and keep moving forward! Don’t stay stagnant while waiting for people. Reach out
11. anonymous

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    Dec 30th 2021 report

    This song is about alec having a friend that had something wrong with him or didn't get attention from his parents. When alec went to college and met a girl alec forgot about his childhood friend. He didn't get the attention from his friend that he needed and wrote a note before killing himself, so when alec came he saw his dead body and the note next to it.
12. anonymous

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    Jun 25th 2021 report

    It's about the loss of innocence.
    
    The friend he built was the freedom of childhood. Playing, exploring, learning...
    
    Then he went to college where he learned how to be an adult, get a career, have a relationship, and became responsible with no time to play and have fun like he did as a child.
    
    He had to lose his fun, playful inner child because it was too hard to be free and to become a "responsible adult" at the same time.
    
    We should all remember to take time to play no matter how many responsibilities we amass in life.
13. anonymous

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    Apr 19th 2021 report

    Alec built a clock (three pieces of plastic and a pen) as his friend to represent the moments spent as a child and when he left for college, he met a girl and forgot about his childhood memories. The clock/friend/memories got no attention and decides that's the end of their friendship and as time went by the clock spoiled/friend died and it symbolizes that after one time is a next.
    
    Never forget childhood memories/friends when you reach another stage of life.
14. Abtin

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    Apr 12th 2021 report

    All posts sound reasonable, but I think it can be about the boy's CHILDHOOD (NOT a childhood freind of him).
    
    All of us creat our childhood and have a lot of fun together.
    
    As we grow up and find new things, we forget the beautiful childhood we created before and it disapear
15. anonymous

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    Jan 29th 2021 report

    I guess I boy had built a friend and they were great friends. The boy grew up and went to college. He met a girl, and forgot about the robot he built. The robot was abandoned and he committed suicide because he was so sad that the boy never came back to him. The boy came home realizing how long he had not kept in touch with his old friend.
16. anonymous

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    Dec 17th 2020 report

    A kid and his robot were very close friends and promised they would be friends forever, but then the kid grew up and left for college, they each had pictures of each other so they could remember, then at graduation he met a girl, and was more focused of her then remembering his old friend. Because of this, his friend got lonely and committed suicide.
    Lesson: Hold on to your friends tight and don’t let them go, because they might be able to hide it (That they miss you) but either way, keep in touch.
17. anonymous

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    Dec 16th 2020 report

    I feel like this song is about a boy who built a best friend. Then one day he left for collage, forgot abt his best friend, and he met a girl. Then when he got home, the friend had a note that said he wasnt stable all alone. So he poured a glass of water on his old phone head.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
18. anonymous

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    Nov 17th 2020 report

    Alec had a childhood friend, they were really good friends. Alec left for college and soon forgot about him because of a girl he had met, but his friend missed him too much. Alec came home after a while to find his beloved friend had killed himself. I believe this is trying to tell you to never forget your loved ones, friends or anyone that matters to you.
    
    - Anonymous 17/11/20

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