Synopsis

Ben Folds Five perform "Brick" in a dark, flooded room, with Ben Folds at the piano while several inches of water cover the floor. Behind the trio, projected footage follows a distressed pregnant teenager through lonely, uncertain moments, including her departure in a car. The shadowy imagery, sparse lighting, and restrained performance mirror the song's painful account of an abortion and the emotional distance that follows.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1997 and runs for approximately five minutes.

• Ariana Richards, known for playing Lex Murphy in *Jurassic Park*, appears as the pregnant teenager. Her face is deliberately obscured for much of the video, appearing clearly only once.

• The flooded performance set gives the video one of its most memorable visual motifs. The band plays in roughly a foot of dark water while a film is projected behind them.

• "Brick" was inspired by Ben Folds' experience accompanying his high-school girlfriend to get an abortion. Folds initially avoided discussing the song's meaning in interviews because he considered the subject too personal.

• The song's chorus was written by drummer Darren Jessee, while Folds wrote the verses.

• "Brick" became Ben Folds Five's breakthrough hit and remains the band's signature song, despite its unusually somber subject matter and understated arrangement.