"Driven by our love for music and each other, 504plan hails from the Windy City as one of several upcoming bands in creating a stir for something new in Chicago. 504plan began in the fall of 1999 with the intentions of impressing friends who lived on the block. With everything, things grow and sometimes tend to grow apart. After minor changes in 2000, Tom Conrad (guitar), Adam Anderson (Bass and vocals), Mikey Russell (vocals and guitar), and Nick Scimeca (drums) make up what 504plan is today after continuous growth of brother like friendship. We are still constantly growing, together and individually, with our lives and our music.
In January of 2002, after building a small following in Chicago by playing local shows, 504plan debuted with a 9-song release, entitled “Treehouse Talk”, on LLR Records (Chicago), as our first serious step. Production included engineer and producer Dan Wleklinski, ex guitarist for 88 Fingers Louie (Hopeless Records) and Rise Against (Fat Wreck records) at Sonic Iguana and Bombshelter Studios.
While still half was in high school, 504plan shared such stages at the Metro (Chicago), Fireside Bowl (Chicago), Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA) and Klub Phenomenon (Freeport, IL) with artists like Knockout, Rise Against, the Eyeliners, Allister, Big Wig, the Reunion Show, Buck O Nine, and Showoff as well as several dates in 2001 and 2002 on the Vans Warped Tour on the Drive Thru Records, Build-it and Ernie Ball Stage. After heading out on the road for the first time on a West Coast tour in the summer of 2002 and becoming even more in tune with ourselves and each other, 504plan has become more than a priority to us, its why we wake up every morning.
504PLAN, CHICAGO - 2002" -band website '02.
"Driven by their love for music and each other, 5o4plan hailed from the Windy City as one of several upcoming bands in creating a stir for something new in Chicago. 5o4plan began in the fall of 1999 with the intentions of impressing friends who lived on the block. With everything, things grow and sometimes tend to grow apart. And after minor changes in 2000, Tom Conrad (Guitar), Adam Anderson (Bass and Vocals), Mikey Russell (Vocals and Guitar), and Nick Scimeca (Drums) made up what 5o4plan was known as today. After continuous growth of brother like friendship, they constantly grew together and individually, with our lives and our music.
In January of 2002, after building a small following of fans in Chicago by playing handfuls of local shows, 5o4plan debuted with their 1st 9-Song LP release, entitled Treehouse Talk, on LLR (Little League Records) out of Chicago, as their first serious step into the music world. Production included engineer and producer Dan Wleklinski, ex. guitarist for 88 Fingers Louie and Rise Against, at Sonic Iguana and Bombshelter Studios.
And while half of its member's were still in high school, (Mikey and Nick reigned from J.B. Conant High School) they still shared such big and small stages around Chicago (The Metro, Firside Bowl, Knights of Columbus, Klub Phenomenon) and the U.S. During this time they shared the stage with other great Chicagoan artists such as Knockout, Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, Allister, Showoff, August Premier, The Academy (Is...) and also others like the Eyeliners, Big Wig, the Reunion Show, Buck O' Nine, and Motion City Soundtrack. They even had several dates in 2001 and 2002 on the Vans Warped Tour on the Drive Thru Records, Build-It, and Ernie Ball Stage.
Then in late 2002, 5o4plan hit the studio's again, but this time with Sean O'Keefe as their producer. They began to put songs down at Smart Studios in Madison, Wi and Gravity Studios in Chicago. With all of their songs written, in early 2003, they began recording for their new EP. After they finished recording they waited patiently for the much waited release. But when everything was looking good for the four Chicago boys, news broke when bassist Adam Anderson left the band for unknown reasons. The lose of Anderson was big, but got band friend Jon Walker to fill in at bass. While getting their band chemistry down, 5o4plan toured and finally self-released their new 6-Song EP "Minutia." It was a huge hit to the Chicago scene. "Minutia" combined powerful melodies with raw emotion to deliver a well-rounded, heart-felt recording. It was a perfect follow-up to the band's first release "Treehouse Talk."
But even after it's great response with "Minutia" the 5o4 struggled to keep the band together after much inter-band turmoil. And after much long debate, in early 2004, 5o4plan decided to split up and go on in seperate ways in the music world.
So now after 5o4plan has gone so far, touring the nation twice, traveling on the Vans Warped Tour for two years in a row, and playing so many sold-out shows at the Metro, they leave with the great memories of something that that was so special. the five oh four plan..." -myspace
Cancer
504 Plan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Prosthetic light, falls over my eyes,
And these words were spoke in fear,
Catacombs of rotten smiles,
Did I mention that I'm real,
All this light shines through me,
I ride reflections in your eyes,
Happiness was linked with pain,
Cancer made me do this,
Fields of fallen angels cry,
While I was singing,
Break these walls,
I break my hands,
The lies that I've been told again,
Elastic feelings tend to snap and then break,
The world burned down without my help
The lyrics to "Cancer" by 504 Plan appear to be discussing someone who is dealing with some kind of illness or disease. The metaphor of being infected deep inside could be interpreted as referring to the physical manifestation of cancer. The line "prosthetic light falls over my eyes" could be interpreted as referring to the artificial light used during medical treatments. The imagery of catacombs of rotten smiles could represent the singer's feelings of being surrounded by death and decay.
The next section of lyrics introduces the idea that the singer is real, but this reality is somehow not what it seems. The lines "all this light shines through me" and "I ride reflections in your eyes" could suggest a sense of disconnection from reality or a feeling of being removed from the world around them. The line "cancer made me do this" could be interpreted as either the disease itself causing them to act differently or the diagnosis causing an existential crisis. The final lines about the world burning down without their help could be seen as a reflection on their own mortality, and how ultimately they will not be able to change the fate of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Infected deep inside
I have a disease that is causing me pain and suffering.
Prosthetic light, falls over my eyes
Despite my illness, I try to remain positive and optimistic.
And these words were spoke in fear
I am afraid of what may happen to me because of this disease.
Catacombs of rotten smiles
I am surrounded by people who pretend to care but are actually fake and insincere.
Did I mention that I'm real
I am a genuine person, despite others' perceptions of me due to my illness.
All this light shines through me
I am a bright and positive person, even on my darkest days.
I ride reflections in your eyes
I see myself reflected in the eyes of those around me and use this to motivate myself to keep fighting.
And notice I'm not broken
Despite my illness, I am still strong and capable of overcoming challenges.
Happiness was linked with pain
I have experienced both good and bad in my life, and they are often intertwined.
Cancer made me do this
My illness has changed me in a way that I never could have imagined, and I am doing the best that I can.
Fields of fallen angels cry
I am surrounded by others who are also suffering and struggling, and it is heartbreaking.
While I was singing
Even in the midst of my pain, I find solace in music and art.
Break these walls
I am determined to overcome any obstacles that come my way, even when they seem insurmountable.
I break my hands
I will work tirelessly to improve my situation and ensure that I am doing everything I can to fight my illness.
The lies that I've been told again
People often try to give me false hope, but I know that I must face the reality of my illness.
Elastic feelings tend to snap and then break
I have experienced extreme emotional ups and downs as a result of my illness, but I am doing my best to cope and stay strong.
The world burned down without my help
Even when I am struggling, I know that I am just one small part of a much larger world, and that things will continue to happen regardless of my personal struggles.
Contributed by Sarah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@travisdunlop2133
Thank you for keeping these Jams alive… especially now a CD player in a car hard to find!!