Phantom Planet are: Alex Greenwald on vocals, Sam Farrar on bass, Darren Robinson and Jeff Conrad, who replaced original drummer Jason Schwartzman after he left to continue pursuing his acting career.
They played their first show ever in 1995 at The Dragonfly in Hollywood. Most of their friends couldn't attend because they were still in high school, while the Dragonfly only serves customers that are 21 and over. Two of the songs they played are featured on the bonus material of the Chicago, Chicagogoing, Chicagogone DVD. Among the songs performed were "My Friend Liz's Dad" (misprinted as "My Friend Liz Is Dead on the DVD), and a cover of the Beastie Boys' 1994 song "Sabotage".
Phantom Planet has appeared on the televison programs "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", Performing So I Fall Again, and "American Dreams", playing British rock band The Zombies. They have appeared in the remake of the feature film The Bad News Bears, playing a band called The Bloodfarts. In 2005 they covered the CSNY track, Our House for the movie The Chumscrubber.
The band is named after the theme song of a 1961 b-movie called The Phantom Planet. They decided on the name in 1994 in a Pizza Hut.
The band has opened for many well-known artists, including Sting, Elvis Costello, Incubus, Guided By Voices, The Hives, American Hi-Fi, Maroon 5, and even Ludacris.
Lead singer and song writer Alex Greenwald became a popular model and the familiar face of many commercials for clothing retailer Gap. Greenwald also played a sociopath in the 2001 film Donnie Darko. Bassist Sam Farrar is the son of John Farrar, the singer/songwriter known best for notable songs from the movie Grease ("You're the One That I Want" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You") and other hits sung by Olivia Newton-John.
Ex-drummer Jason Schwartzman is the son of actress Talia Shire, brother of Rooney singer Robert Schwartzman and nephew of famed director Francis Ford Coppola. Schwartzman is now an acclaimed actor. He starred in Rushmore, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Roman Coppola's CQ, Bewitched, and appeared in his cousin Sofia Coppola's film Marie-Antoinette.
The band released their fourth and most recent album in April 2008 called Raise the Dead.
They announced, on November 25th, 2008, that they are on an indefinite hiatus.
On November 4, 2011, an official Phantom Planet reunion Twitter account was created which stated they would be reuniting in 2012. Since then, they have held their first practice in 3 years. In late January 2012, Phantom Planet announced their first reunion show, June 13, at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. On January 31, they announced the addition of a second Troubadour show to be played June 14, 2012. Former member of the band, Jacques Brautbar, joined them for songs at the June 13th show.
Also on January 31, guitarist Darren Robinson hinted at a Phantom Planet tour with the following Facebook status update: "Preparing for June shows for 5 months, in a huge positive way." No tour was announced.
In Augusts of 2013, the band, under Alex Greenwald & Phriends, performed a new song titled Balisong, which ended up being on Greenwald's solo album. This performance did not have bassist Sam Farrar because he was touring with Maroon 5. He was replaced by Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender.
A Phantom Planet Instagram account was created on January 19, 2019, indicating that the band could be reforming. Additionally, band members posted the logo on their personal social media accounts. It was confirmed that the band played a small secret private show January 19, 2019, at No Name on Fairfax in Los Angeles.
On March 18, 2019, the band officially announced "Hiatus. Over." They announced their first "public" show in over 7 years at Hanson's "Hop Jam" Music and Beer Festival in Tulsa, OK on May 19, 2019. Before that event, they scheduled three shows across Southern California.
Knowitall
Phantom Planet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Must have wished it on myself
When I got
Lost in thought
While we were out
Hours have passed and I have seen
The terror I am stuck between
Who I've been
I could be
I was listening to a battle begin
Wondering which side would win
Did you say
Something I'm
Sorry I
Apologize
I can tell
After this there's nothing else
Nothing you can't solve
If you're such a know it all
Maybe I'm not good enough
Or you don't resemble what I've built up
After months
See it
Looming over us
Tell me I made some mistake
Entertaining a second date
I'm a mess
So nervous and it's
Getting late
What should I do?
I'll tell you
Pretty soon
I'll shatter in two
Just because
You place something high enough
The harder it can fall
But you knew that.
You're a know it all
The lyrics to Phantom Planet's song 'Knowitall' suggest feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. The opening line "I came home as someone else, must have wished it on myself" can be interpreted as the singer feeling a disconnect from their true self and struggling to maintain their identity. The line "Lost in thought while we were out, hours have passed and I have seen the terror I am stuck between" conveys the idea that the singer is feeling stuck in a situation where they are unsure of who they are and where they fit in. It is clear that the singer is struggling with their sense of self and trying to reconcile who they are with who they aspire to be.
The lyrics also suggest a struggle to communicate with others, with lines like "Did you say something I'm sorry I apologize" and "What should I do? I'll tell you, pretty soon I'll shatter in two". It appears that the singer is experiencing anxiety and self-doubt in social situations and is struggling to connect with those around them. However, the chorus takes a more confrontational tone, with the singer addressing someone as a "know it all" and suggesting that they may not be good enough. It could be interpreted as the singer projecting their own feelings of inadequacy onto someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
I came home as someone else
I returned home feeling like a different person
Must have wished it on myself
Perhaps I wanted to feel this way
When I got
At the time of my arrival
Lost in thought
My mind was wandering away
While we were out
During our time outside
Hours have passed and I have seen
Several hours have gone by and I observed
The terror I am stuck between
I am experiencing an immense dilemma that feels overwhelming
Who I've been
My past identity and experiences
And who I'm thinking
The ideal I am currently aspiring to become
I could be
The possibility of who I might transform into
I was listening to a battle begin
I was hearing an argument
Wondering which side would win
Thinking about which argument is stronger
Did you say
Can you repeat what you said?
Something I'm
Is there anything
Sorry I
Apologies
Apologize
My sincerest regrets
I can tell
I notice that
After this there's nothing else
This is the end of the matter
Nothing you can't solve
You have the solution to every problem
If you're such a know it all
Since you have all the answers
Maybe I'm not good enough
Perhaps I am inadequate
Or you don't resemble what I've built up
Or you are not what I imagined
After months
Several months later
See it
Can you recognize
Looming over us
The problem that is about to overtake us
Tell me I made some mistake
Inform me of any faults I may have made
Entertaining a second date
When I considered going out again
I'm a mess
I am not in good shape
So nervous and it's
Anxiety has taken over
Getting late
Time is running out
What should I do?
I don't know what the next course of action should be
I'll tell you
Let me inform you
Pretty soon
Shortly
I'll shatter in two
I will completely fall apart
Just because
Only on the basis of the fact
You place something high enough
If you raise your expectations too high
The harder it can fall
The greater the possibility for failure
But you knew that.
You already knew this information
You're a know it all
You have vast knowledge and are quick to criticize
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alexander Greenwald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind