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.
Raise The Dead
Phantom Planet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We climb, we climb, we climb, we climb
Down there they get you, down there
Again and again, forever and ever
Go on and give it a tug
Go on, pull up, I know it's tough
But down there it's deeper than deep
That hole is so steep
Hear it now, the night is calling us
Wave your hands and summon the spirits up
Tonight, tonight, tonight
we raise the dead!
The dark is plaguing our hearts
Pumping through us and collecting in our deepest parts
Well down there it's dripping like tar
And it's stuck to your arms
And it's sticking to you too long
The time is higher than high
Something lurking in your shadow that keeps trying to hide
Oh no, want it alive
To get out, to get out, to get out of your insides
Hear it now the night is calling us
Wave your hands and summon the spirits up
Tonight, tonight, tonight
we raise the dead!
Go on and pull yourself up, up, up
Go on, pull up, I know it's tough
But down there they get you, down there
Again and again
Forever and ever
Hear it now, the night is calling us
Wave your hands and summon the spirits up
Tonight, tonight, tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
we raise the dead!
The lyrics of Phantom Planet's "Raise the Dead" speak about the constant struggles that humans face in everyday life, and how we must keep pushing ourselves to overcome them. The opening lines, "Go on and pull yourself up, we climb, we climb, we climb, we climb. Down there they get you, down there. Again and again, forever and ever," emphasize the importance of striving hard to get out of difficult situations instead of letting them consume you.
The chorus "Hear it now, the night is calling us. Wave your hands and summon the spirits up. Tonight, tonight, tonight, we raise the dead!" talks about channeling the inner strength and positivity to overcome the obstacles in one's way. The darkness that clouds one's mind can be dispelled by summoning up all the strength that one can muster. The lyrics ask us to raise our heads high and summon the courage to face our fears by tapping into our inner resources.
As the song progresses, the lyrics speak about the darkness that sometimes threatens to engulf us. The line "The dark is plaguing our hearts. Pumping through us and collecting in our deepest parts" speaks about the emotional turmoil that we go through during difficult times. The next line "Well down there it's dripping like tar, and it's stuck to your arms, and it's sticking to you too long" is an image of how those emotions cling to us, affecting our lives.
In conclusion, the song tells us that life is all about facing challenges and overcoming obstacles. We must keep believing in ourselves and tap into our inner resources to overcome dark times and raise the dead.
Line by Line Meaning
Go on and pull yourself up
Encouragement to persevere and rise above difficult circumstances
We climb, we climb, we climb, we climb
Continuing to strive and make progress despite obstacles
Down there they get you, down there
Awareness of the dangers that exist in difficult situations
Again and again, forever and ever
The cycle of challenges and struggles that may seem never-ending
Go on and give it a tug
Encouragement to keep pushing through adversity
Go on, pull up, I know it's tough
Acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, but still urging perseverance
But down there it's deeper than deep
The level of difficulty and danger is significant and cannot be underestimated
That hole is so steep
The situation can feel insurmountable and overwhelming
And things are heavier
The weight of the situation and its impact on individuals is significant
Hear it now, the night is calling us
A sense of urgency and importance of addressing the situation at hand
Wave your hands and summon the spirits up
A call to use inner strength and belief to overcome obstacles
Tonight, tonight, tonight we raise the dead!
A metaphorical reference to overcoming difficult situations to emerge stronger and more resilient
The dark is plaguing our hearts
The negative impact of the situation is affecting individuals emotionally and mentally
Pumping through us and collecting in our deepest parts
The emotions and impact of the situation are affecting individuals at a deep and significant level
Well down there it's dripping like tar
The situation is worsening and becoming more dangerous and difficult over time
And it's stuck to your arms
The impact of the situation is difficult to escape and affects individuals significantly
And it's sticking to you too long
The duration and impact of the situation are significant and long-lasting
The time is higher than high
The urgency and importance of addressing the situation cannot be underestimated
Something lurking in your shadow that keeps trying to hide
The negative impact of the situation continues to affect individuals, even when it is not visible or acknowledged
Oh no, want it alive
A desire to overcome the situation and emerge stronger and more resilient
To get out, to get out, to get out of your insides
To escape the negative impact of the situation and address its effects internally
Go on and pull yourself up, up, up
Repeated encouragement to persevere and rise above the situation
Hear it now, the night is calling us
Continuing sense of urgency and importance of addressing the situation
Tonight, tonight, tonight we raise the dead!
Reiterated metaphorical reference to overcoming the situation and emerging stronger and more resilient
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alexander Greenwald
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind