Chris recorded his first album, The Swiss Army Romance, in 2000. The following year, he recorded Further Seems Forever's debut album The Moon Is Down. However, he left the band soon after the album's release, instead recording and releasing his sophomore album The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most, as well as a follow-up EP titled So Impossible.
By 2002, three other musicians had joined the band, including former Further Seems Forever band mate Jerry Castellanos and started the process of recording the band's next album. After the success of his second album, Carrabba was asked to perform on MTV Unplugged, and the subsequent release marked the first time many of the songs were recorded with a full band.
Also in 2002, the music video for "Screaming Infidelities" won the coveted MTV2 award at the MTV Video Music Awards, beating out Norah Jones, The Strokes, The Hives, Nappy Roots and Musiq. This video starred Chris in both the performance and the storyline. The video was directed by Maureen Egan and Matthew Barry.
In 2003, the band released its third album A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. Peaking at #2 on the United States Billboard charts, the album proved to be the band's most commercially-viable album yet. In the summer of 2004, Dashboard Confessional recorded the song "Vindicated" for the film Spider-Man 2. The song was featured on the soundtrack and played over the film's end credits. Because of this, the band gained a sizable audience for their next release the following summer.
In May of 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered the studio to record their fourth album with acclaimed producer, Daniel Lanois. The album was released on June 27, 2006; its first single was "Don't Wait". Following the release of Dusk and Summer, Dashboard Confessional went on a summer tour of the U.S. with special guests Say Anything and Ben Lee, followed by a co-headlining arena tour with alternative rock band Brand New.
In 2007, the band released its follow-up to Dusk and Summer, The Shade of Poison Trees.
During an interview with Billboard posted on September 11, 2007, Carrabba stated that he is 14 tracks into what would be the band's sixth studio album. He is also unsure about when it would be recorded, but plans to have 30 tracks to draw from. It may be a concept album: "only with the last three has it become, like, 'All right, these have a continuity and there's something going on,' so I'm excited to see where that leads".
The album, titled 'Alter The Ending', was released November 10 2009 (US). A two disc version of the album is available. In this edition, the first disc consists of full band workings of the twelve tracks while the second disc features acoustic versions akin to the first two Dashboard Confessional albums.
Drowning
Dashboard Confessional Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bursts of defection
If everything was up to me I would be gone by the first sign
The first sign of hope I'd be packed up and out of my way
Time has been spread so thin
It's just hours till the day begins
And the things that are you keeping you here are not keeping me here
You'll be sorry, isn't that what they'll say?
Don't follow your heart cause it just seems to get in your way
Don't ever leave here
And mope at your leisure
And straighten out your crease dear
And truth is in a tall beer
Are you drowning your fear
With a glass of deception
When everything is easy then everything will be okay
When everything is easy then you won't be sad that you stayed
Time has been spread so thin
It's just hours till the day begins
And the things that are you keeping you here are not keeping me here
The things that are keeping you here are keeping me away
You'll be sorry, isn't that what they'll say?
Don't follow your heart cause it just seems to get in your way
Don't ever leave here
And mope at your leisure
And straighten out your priest dear
And truth is in a jar here
In "Drowning," Dashboard Confessional sings about a relationship on the rocks. The singer is contemplating leaving his partner behind, but at the same time, he's fighting his ambivalence about the potential for things to improve. He's clearly struggling with wanting to move on from the relationship, but also feeling compelled to make things work. The chorus, "Don't follow your heart cause it just seems to get in your way," is the crux of the song. The singer is warning himself that his emotions may not lead him down the right path, and that he should instead rely on logic to make his decision.
The imagery and language throughout the song really drive home the singer's inner turmoil. For example, he talks about "burst of defection," which perfectly captures the feeling of wanting to leave and never look back. He also alludes to drowning and being weighed down, which adds to the sense of suffocation and claustrophobia he's experiencing in the relationship. At the same time, there's a sense of hopefulness and possibility -- if the first sign of hope were to appear, maybe he'd find the strength to follow his heart after all.
Overall, "Drowning" is a melancholy, introspective song that perfectly captures the bittersweet feeling of a relationship on its last legs.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I drowning you out
Am I overpowering your voice and feelings with my own?
Bursts of defection
Sudden urges to leave or withdraw from a situation or relationship.
If everything was up to me I would be gone by the first sign
I'm so ready to leave that even a slight indication of hope or change would make me want to pack up and go.
The first sign of hope I'd be packed up and out of my way
I'm so desperate to leave that even a small glimmer of hope or betterment would cause me to immediately leave.
Time has been spread so thin
I am so busy and stressed that I feel like time is running out and I can barely keep up.
It's just hours till the day begins
The time I have left to sleep or rest is so little that the day seems to come too quickly.
And the things that are you keeping you here are not keeping me here
The things that motivate you or keep you committed are not enough to keep me in this relationship or situation.
The things that are keeping you here are keeping me away
The reasons that you stay in this relationship or situation are the same reasons that push me away, causing me to distance myself.
You'll be sorry, isn't that what they'll say?
People will say that you will regret staying with me because I am so ready to leave.
Don't follow your heart cause it just seems to get in your way
I advise you not to follow your emotions or feelings because they may cause you more harm than good.
Don't ever leave here
Don't ever leave this relationship or situation.
And mope at your leisure
Instead of leaving, stay and feel sorry for yourself.
And straighten out your crease dear
Get yourself together and present yourself neatly and confidently.
And truth is in a tall beer
The real solution or comfort can be found in drinking and numbing oneself with alcohol.
Are you drowning your fear
Are you trying to silence or escape your fear by drinking or other means?
With a glass of deception
By deceiving yourself and others through drinking or other methods of escape.
When everything is easy then everything will be okay
If life were easy and without struggles, then I could stay and be content in this relationship or situation.
When everything is easy then you won't be sad that you stayed
If everything were easy and without conflict or struggle, then you would not regret staying in this relationship or situation.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRIS BARNES, ALLEN WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Colton B. Casey
Probably the least known song on the greatest hits, it's pretty good
A L
ill never forget being a teen in 2005 finding this CD in a small record shop while on vacation in the Lake Tahoe area. i couldnt believe my eyes, i was so happy.
amangogna68
Very nice !
Michael Lemley
And your truth is in a tall beer
Haha. Still looking good Carraba.
Hope to meet for more than just a picture again soon.
Love you buddy ♥
landshark321
Still great, 10 days short of 19 years later 😱
Dom Wings
@TheTexanHusky now 21 years
TheTexanHusky
Now 20 years.
ChattaMatt423
😎