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.
Peace and Quiet
Phantom Planet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was thinking of the future
Going out of my mind
When I think I left for a while
Without thinking of consequence at all
Tried to tell myself
We'd got lost in all the white noise
That it's no use
No use at all
There's no way out
‘Cause I have come down with the sickness
And you just listen to the cure
I just need some silence
I think sometimes we all need peace and quiet now
We were taken by surprise
And it messed with the confusion
I was hit from all sides
And it only started to get clear
When I came to
I have come down with the sickness
And you just listen to the cure
I just need some silence
I think sometimes we all need peace and quiet now
I have come down with the sickness
You just listen to the cure
I just need some silence
I think sometimes we all need peace and quiet
I think sometimes we all need peace and quiet
Quiet, quiet now
The lyrics in "Peace and Quiet" by Phantom Planet showcase the need for space and time to heal. The singer in the song has been overwhelmed by the constant noise and chaos in their life, leaving them feeling lost and confused. They acknowledge that they need silence to find peace and clarity within themselves. The lyrics express a sense of longing for stillness and calmness as a way to escape the sickness that is caused by the chaos around them. The song goes on to suggest that this sickness can only be cured by taking a break and finding tranquility.
The lyrics are open to interpretation and are relatable to many people. They express the idea that sometimes we just need some time away from the frenzy of modern life to regroup and find inner peace. This song effectively communicates this message in a poignant and relatable way. The song can be interpreted as a reflection on the difficulty of staying grounded in the fast-paced and often chaotic world we live in.
Overall, "Peace and Quiet" is a powerful song that resonates with many people who feel overloaded and need a break from the chaos of the world. The lyrics offer an escape for listeners to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life and find peace within themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
It was one day
One day, I was going about my routine
I was thinking of the future
I was envisioning where my life might lead
Going out of my mind
I began to feel insane or overwhelmed
When I think I left for a while
I may have spaced out or lost focus for a moment
Without thinking of consequence at all
It didn't occur to me what the outcome might be
Tried to tell myself
I attempted to convince myself
We'd got lost in all the white noise
We were overcome by background noise, preventing clear thought
But it was needless to say
It was obvious that
That it's no use
That it's futile
No use at all
Absolutely useless
There's no way out
There's no escape
‘Cause I have come down with the sickness
Because I have been struck with mental exhaustion, fatigue or frustration
And you just listen to the cure
You are just distantly letting me vent without offering solutions
I just need some silence
I need to not be disturbed
I think sometimes we all need peace and quiet now
It's important to recognize the need for relaxation, introspection or disconnection from everyday demands
We were taken by surprise
We didn't see it coming
And it messed with the confusion
And it further manipulated our bewilderment
I was hit from all sides
I became overwhelmed by assault from different sources
And it only started to get clear
And things only began to make sense for me
When I came to
Once I regained my focus or consciousness
Quiet, quiet now
It's important to keep silent and listen sometimes
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Athena Svoboda
Great song
Zachariah Herring
Hell yeah.