Formed in 1994, Phantom Planet is a Los Angeles band that has released four… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1994, Phantom Planet is a Los Angeles band that has released four albums of melodic, energetic Alt Rock. Helping to define the early 00s music landscape, they’re best known for writing anthemic hits like “California,” (theme of the TV series: The O.C.) and their wildly exciting live shows with deep fan engagement. The band has entertained the masses through a combination of stellar musicianship & compelling song writing which now spans 25 years.

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.

Nightmare
Phantom Planet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a nightmare in my closet
Never went away
And all the times I watched it slowly
Growing up afraid
Who was scared to turn and look when I was safe in bed?
Was it there for me that had the ghastly monster's head?

If a nightmare in my closet

Really did exist
Who grew up and noticed that the other one was missed?
Who was scared to turn and look when I was safe in bed?
Was it there for me that had the ghastly monster's head?

Were you the creature?
Please won't you tell me?

There's a nightmare in my closet
It's never gone away
More and now I've noticed that I'm growing up afraid

Who was scared to turn and look when I was safe in bed?
Was it there for me that had the ghastly monster's head?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Phantom Planet's song "Nightmare" tell a story of a childhood fear that still haunts the singer into adulthood. The opening lines reveal that there is something lurking in the singer's closet that haunts them whenever they try to sleep. As the singer grows up, the fear remains but they begin to question the nature of the monster in the closet. Was it real or just a figment of their imagination? They wonder if anyone else noticed the monster or if it was just a nightmare that they were plagued with alone.

The lyrics convey a sense of powerlessness and vulnerability as the singer reflects on their childhood fear, wondering who or what could have caused such a terror in their young mind. The chorus of the song repeats the question "Who was scared to turn and look when I was safe in bed?" emphasizing the sense of safety that is supposed to come with being tucked in at night. However, the singer's closet monster has stolen that safety away from them, growing more real and menacing as they grow older.

Overall, "Nightmare" is a haunting song that deals with childhood fears and the lasting impact they can have. It highlights how even as we mature, some of our irrational fears can remain with us, and how they can continue to affect our lives in different ways.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a nightmare in my closet
There is something terrifying that haunts me in my life

Never went away
It is a persistent and ongoing fear or anxiety

And all the times I watched it slowly
I have witnessed this fear gradually become stronger

Growing up afraid
It has caused me to be fearful throughout my life

Who was scared to turn and look when I was safe in bed?
I wonder who else may have been afraid like me

Was it there for me that had the ghastly monster's head?
Perhaps this fear is a monster that I have created in my own mind

If a nightmare in my closet
I wonder if this fear is even real

Really did exist
Is there actually something to be afraid of?

Who grew up and noticed that the other one was missed?
Did anyone else realize that they were also afraid like me?

Were you the creature?
I ask if someone else is the cause of my fear

Please won't you tell me?
I seek answers and understanding about this fear