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.
Leader
Phantom Planet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our Leader told us so beside
We follow him blind, to and fro
Wherever he decides to go
He speaks, we listen
We'll see his vision
We're all the missing pieces
Maybe you'll fit right in too
Ask yourself, it might be true
[Chorus]
Join our hands and come along
The day's about to dawn
I feel it coming
On and on the hour's upon you
Now it won't be long
I feel it coming
Now we'll put you in our uniform
Everyone will be reborn
Wear us over where your heart is
Your new life with us has started
You'll speak
He'll listen
We'll see
His vision
[Chorus]
Join our hands and come along
The day's about to dawn
I feel it coming
On and on the hour's upon you
Now it won't be long
I feel it coming
Sing on and on and on
We're on a ticking bomb
I feel it coming
On and on the hour's upon you
Now it won't be long
I feel it coming
Feel it coming...
Feel it coming...
Feel it coming...
Feel it coming...
Feel it coming...
[Chorus]
Join our hands and come along
The day's about to dawn
I feel it coming
On and on the hour's upon you
Now it won't be long
I feel it coming
Sing on and on and on
We're on a ticking bomb
I feel it coming
On and on the hour's upon you
Now it won't be long
I feel it coming
The song "Leader" by Phantom Planet seems to be a commentary on blind obedience and the dangers of following a charismatic leader without question. The opening lines acknowledge that there are many signs that the end is near, and that their "leader" has told them so. The chorus urges listeners to join with the group, promising rebirth and a new life with them. The second verse goes on to describe how the group will put the listener in their uniform and how everyone will be reborn.
The lyrics go on to describe a sort of brainwashing or indoctrination process: the group's leader speaks and the members listen, following his vision blindly. The lines "We're all the missing pieces / Maybe you'll fit right in too / Ask yourself it might be true" suggest that the group is looking for new members and encouraging them to join without question. The repeated phrase "I feel it coming" is ominous, suggesting that something terrible is on the horizon, and the ticking bomb imagery in the final chorus reinforces that theme.
Overall, "Leader" seems to be a warning against the dangers of following charismatic leaders blindly and without question. The repetition of the chorus and the insistent drums and guitar create a sense of urgency, and the ominous lyrics leave little doubt that listeners should beware.
Line by Line Meaning
There are so many signs the end is near
We are afraid of what the future holds and believe that it is pointing towards the apocalypse
Our Leader told us so beside
Our charismatic leader claimed to have received prophesies about the imminent end times
We follow him blind, to and fro
We blindly trust our leader and follow him wherever he leads us
Wherever he decides to go
We do not question our leader's decisions and instead put our full faith in him
He speaks, we listen
Our leader's words are considered divine and we must obey them without question
We'll see his vision
Our leader's insights are believed to be revelations and we embrace them completely
He explained so easily
Our leader is gifted at communicating his message and we find his teachings easy to understand
We're all the missing pieces
We feel incomplete and regard our leader's teachings as the missing key to our ultimate fulfillment
Maybe you'll fit right in too
We believe that others can find the same sense of belonging and purpose by joining our group
Ask yourself, it might be true
We encourage others to consider the appeal of our beliefs and the satisfaction they could gain by following our path
Join our hands and come along
We invite others to join us and experience the sense of community and shared purpose we have discovered
The day's about to dawn
We believe that we are on the verge of a major shift in the course of history
I feel it coming
We have a sense of certainty that our leader's predictions will be realized
On and on the hour's upon you
Time is running out and a decision must be made soon
Now it won't be long
We believe that the end is near and it is imperative to act quickly
Sing on and on and on
We demonstrate our unity and solidarity by singing together
We're on a ticking bomb
We believe that time is running out and that we are at great risk if we do not act soon
Feel it coming...
Our sense of urgency and anticipation is palpable
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alexander Greenwald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind