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.
So Beautiful
Dashboard Confessional Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't look like you're back to me.
With your focuses changing,
Your gaze is transfixed on
A point that I can't often see.
You've got your new ties. I've got my old knots.
You've got your inside line.
Careful now, you're so beautiful
When you've convinced yourself
That no one else is quite as beautiful.
I heard that you were living well,
But you don't look like you're living to me.
Though the sparkle is gone, your smile is in place,
So that everyone watching will see.
You've got them all convinced.
But I know so well that you could list your friends,
But you can't count on them.
Hold it now, you've got everyone convinced
That you're alright
When no one else is quite as vulnerable.
As soon as you've got it you want something else.
It's not the sale that you love, it's the sell.
It's not the price, that's gonna cost you,
It's just the weight, that's gonna bring you down.
Hold it now, you've got everyone convinced
That you're alright
When no one else is quite as vulnerable.
Careful now, you're so beautiful
When you've convinced yourself
That no one else is quite as beautiful.
As soon as you've got it,
You want something else.
It's not the sale that you love, it's the sell.
It's not the price, that's gonna cost you,
It's just the weight that's gonna bring you down.
The lyrics of Dashboard Confessional's song "So Beautiful" tell a story of a person who may appear to be living the perfect life on the outside, but on the inside, they are struggling in various ways. The singer has heard that this person has returned home, but something seems off about them. Their focus has changed, and they seem distracted by something that is not readily visible. The singer also seems to have old ties that they cannot get rid of, while the other person seems to have new ties but is never satisfied with what they have.
The chorus of the song is a warning to this person to be careful and not get caught up in their own self-perception of beauty and perfection. The singer warns that this person is only beautiful when they convince themselves that no one else is quite as beautiful. In other words, their beauty is not real or sustainable if it is based solely on their own perception of themselves.
The verses delve deeper into the idea that this person is not really living a happy life, despite what they present to the world. They may have convinced everyone around them that they are doing well, but the singer knows that they cannot count on their friends, and they are not as invulnerable as they seem. Ultimately, the song warns that the pursuit of material gain and self-perception of perfection can be a heavy weight that brings a person down.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard that you were home again,
I've been told that you're back but you don't seem like yourself.
But you don't look like you're back to me.
You don't appear to be fully present or engaged.
With your focuses changing,
Your priorities are shifting.
Your gaze is transfixed on
Your attention is fixed on
A point that I can't often see.
Something I can't quite perceive or understand.
You've got your new ties. I've got my old knots.
You have new connections, while I still have the old ones.
You've got your inside line.
You have insider information.
But you're never happy with what you've got.
You are always seeking more and are never satisfied.
Careful now, you're so beautiful
Be cautious, you can be captivating
When you've convinced yourself
Once you persuade yourself
That no one else is quite as beautiful.
That there is no one else as attractive or desirable as you.
I heard that you were living well,
I heard you're doing great
But you don't look like you're living to me.
You don't appear happy or fulfilled.
Though the sparkle is gone, your smile is in place,
Although your energy has faded, you keep up appearances.
So that everyone watching will see.
To make sure you are perceived a certain way.
You've got them all convinced.
You've successfully persuaded everyone.
But I know so well that you could list your friends,
I'm aware that you can name your acquaintances.
But you can't count on them.
But you cannot rely on them.
Hold it now, you've got everyone convinced
Stop for a moment, you have succeeded in persuading everyone
That you're alright
That you are doing okay.
When no one else is quite as vulnerable.
Even though no one else is as exposed or open as you are.
As soon as you've got it you want something else.
You are always seeking more, as soon as you attain something new.
It's not the sale that you love, it's the sell.
You love to sell something more than the actual product.
It's not the price, that's gonna cost you,
The expense will not be the monetary price.
It's just the weight, that's gonna bring you down.
It's the burden that will drag you down.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANDREW CARRABBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind