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.
The Brilliant Dance
Dashboard Confessional Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The painful realization
That all has gone wrong
And nobody cares at all,
And nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
And burned the letters lover wrote,
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
In the hall where you had your first kiss
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
Our sidestepping has come to be
A brilliant dance
Where nobody leads at all,
Where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
And the ringing from this empty sound
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
And thinking's just too much to ask
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Well, this is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
Yes, this is love for the first time.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
The song "The Brilliant Dance" by Dashboard Confessional is a ballad that talks about coming to the realization that everything in life has gone wrong, and nobody seems to care. The lyrics start off by describing the pain and confusion that come with this realization. The singer is in the midst of a difficult situation, and they feel like nobody is there to help or even notice their suffering. The chorus emphasizes why nobody cares and highlights the fact that life can be unpredictable and full of disappointment.
As the song progresses, the lyrics talk about how the singer has attempted to cope with their situation in various ways. They have buried their lover's clothes and burned their letters, but this does not make things better. The plaster dented from their fist in the hall where they shared their first kiss serves as a reminder of fading memories. The second verse describes how the singer feels like they are part of a strange dance in which nobody is leading. This relates to the idea that sometimes in life, people can find themselves going through the motions without really knowing where they're going.
Line by Line Meaning
So this is odd,
It's strange and unusual that something has gone wrong.
The painful realization
An upsetting admission or acknowledgement.
That all has gone wrong
Everything has deviated from its intended course.
And nobody cares at all,
The realization that no one is interested or concerned.
And nobody cares at all.
Repetition emphasizing and reinforcing the thought that no one seems to care.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
You disposed of reminders of your lover's presence in your life.
And burned the letters lover wrote,
You destroyed tokens of your lover's affection for you.
But it doesn't make it any better.
Despite efforts to remove reminders of the past relationship, it hasn't brought any relief.
Does it make it any better?
Asking a rhetorical question in response to the previous line.
And the plaster dented from your fist
A physical manifestation of frustration and anger, represented by a damaged wall.
In the hall where you had your first kiss
A reminder of a happier time, now linked to the current unpleasant circumstances.
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
Despite the current distress, the pain will eventually subside with time.
So this is strange,
The current situation is still atypical and unusual.
Our sidestepping has come to be
The way we're maneuvering through our difficulties is akin to dancing around each other.
A brilliant dance
The way we move around each other is remarkable in some way.
Where nobody leads at all,
Neither party is taking control or making decisions.
Where nobody leads at all.
Restating the fact that neither person is guiding the situation or relationship.
And the picture frames are facing down
The symbols of happiness represented in photos have been turned over or put away.
And the ringing from this empty sound
The pervasive feeling of loneliness is palpable and profound.
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
The noise of your own thoughts and emotions is so overwhelming, it's causing insomnia.
And breathing is a foreign task
The simple act of respiration feels difficult and unfamiliar.
And thinking's just too much to ask
Cognition is becoming challenging and overwhelming, likely due to excessive stress or anxiety.
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Feeling like time is racing by, and every moment is significant, yet you feel powerless to influence its passage or direction.
Well, this is incredible.
The current feeling or experience being had is something astonishing or extraordinary.
Starving, insatiable,
Desperately craving something, likely an emotional connection or outlet.
Yes, this is love for the first time.
The new, uncomfortable sensations being felt are attributed to first-time experiences with love.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Feeling like you could handle anything, that you were not susceptible to emotional damage - a simplistic view of one's resilience.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Reflecting that perhaps everyone has felt this way or thought like this before.
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Wondering if perhaps the way to build emotional strength and resilience is to experience loss and heartbreak at least once in our lives.
Well this is the last time.
The current situation is highlighting the emotions and behaviors that are not sustainable, and that changes need to be made moving forward.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANDREW CARRABBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ash ns
So this is odd,
the painful realization that has all gone wrong.
And nobody cares at all,
and nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
and burned the letters lover wrote,
but it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
in the hall where you had your first kiss
reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
our sidestepping has come to be a brilliant dance
where nobody leads at all,
where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
and the ringing from this empty sound
is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
and thinking's just too much to ask
and you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
This is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
yes, this is love for the first time.
Well you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
The Essence Identity
LOVE OLD ALBUMS
L Y R I C S
So this is odd,
The painful realization
That all has gone wrong
And nobody cares at all,
And nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
And burned the letters lover wrote,
But it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
In the hall where you had your first kiss
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
Our sidestepping has come to be
A brilliant dance
Where nobody leads at all,
Where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
And the ringing from this empty sound
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
And thinking's just too much to ask
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Well, this is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
Yes, this is love for the first time.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
Christopher Andrew Carrabba
L Mainello
Here's the lyrics for those like me who prefer to see them while listening. And I just copied and pasted them fyi....
So this is odd,
The painful realization
That all has gone wrong
And nobody cares at all,
And nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
And burned the letters lover wrote,
But it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
In the hall where you had your first kiss
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
Our sidestepping has come to be
A brilliant dance
Where nobody leads at all,
Where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
And the ringing from this empty sound
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
And thinking's just too much to ask
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Well, this is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
Yes, this is love for the first time.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
superxmike
I used to sing this song at the top of my lungs on my drive to college. Windows all down, wind blowing in my face. Good memories.
Jason Smithers
Same! At nights alone or with bros. I have seen Dash in concert many times. Great band.
ty durden
same. and on the way home.
Jonny Monarrez
My ex gf loved this band.....I love this album but can’t listen to it without thinking about her.......she cried when we saw them. I just thought she was being a girl, I should have realized that was our moment. I know she’s happy now which makes me happy. God damn I’m emo af right now hahaha sorry guys
defygravity04
it do be like that lol (= =(
Ash ns
So this is odd,
the painful realization that has all gone wrong.
And nobody cares at all,
and nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
and burned the letters lover wrote,
but it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
in the hall where you had your first kiss
reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
our sidestepping has come to be a brilliant dance
where nobody leads at all,
where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
and the ringing from this empty sound
is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
and thinking's just too much to ask
and you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
This is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
yes, this is love for the first time.
Well you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
Nobo Espadilla
When I listen to this all I remember is highschool.
Torment
Oh wow this was 2 yrs old lol oops oh well
Torment
Dude, i literally just shared this album wīțh the text saying, "album was my shiiit in h.s.!" Lol
Naltddesha
For sure