For over a decade, Plain White T's have been playing to packed audiences craving for that perfect pop-punk punch. Their journey, which began in a small suburban basement playing covers, has taken the band to Warped Tour three times, and landed them opening slots for bands like Jimmy Eat World and AFI. Plain White T's are road warriors in the truest sense and with their first major label album, Every Second Counts, the band is ready to rock in a big way.
PWT's story started back in high school, when frontman Tom Higgenson first stepped into Chicago's famed rock club the Metro and saw his future on the stage. With the local music scene exploding nationally courtesy of bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt, he decided the time was ripe for his own dreams to be realized. Armed with paper, pen, and guitar, Tom went to task, experimenting with lyrics and melodies on a four-track in his parents' Villa Park, Illinois home. Once he'd reached a level of comfort with his songwriting, he worked up the courage to hand off a tape to Christian Lane, singer of 90's buzz band Loud Lucy, and to his surprise, Christian actually listened to it.
Once he'd recruited a group of school pals, including guitarist Dave Tirio, it was only a matter of a couple years before Plain White T's, who'd attracted a loyal following thanks to Tom's ridiculously melodic tales of teen angst and loveless nights, were playing the Metro themselves.
The music industry took notice of that success and after selling thousands of copies of their self-released 2002 debut, Stop, PWT's were picked up by Fearless Records who re-issued the album along with 2005's All That We Needed. But it was their heartfelt, acoustic-tinged "Hey There Delilah" that cemented their status as potential hitmakers.
Tom's songwriting evolved after the success of the romantically frank "Delilah," which really was a departure for a band known for their energetic powerpop. On Hollywood Records debut, Every Second Counts, Tom, along with bandmates Mike Retondo (bass and vocals), De'Mar Hamilton (drums), and Tim Lopez (guitar, vocals), continues to turn the personal into the universal. Throughout the album, he sings of hook-ups and break-ups and the emotional rollercoaster in between. A prime example is lead single "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)." In a similar vein, the lyrics for "Friends Don't Let Friends Dial Drunk" also showcases Tom's offbeat take on love and life, while its melody sucks you in with every turn of phrase. Delving slightly deeper into emotional territory are upbeat tracks like "Our Time Now" and "Come Back to Me" as well as one of the album's quieter numbers, "Write You a Song."
In 2008, the group released the album 'Big Bad World'. The album had two hit singles: "1, 2, 3, 4" and "Natural Disaster". Both were on the American Top 40 at numbers 1 and 2 for three consecutive weeks. By late 2008, the band had joined the Rock Band Live tour with Panic! at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional and The Cab. Later that year, the band played at the Give It a Name festival in the UK. In 2007, the band performed the single "Our Time Now" on an episode of the Nickelodeon television series, iCarly. "Our Time Now" was also the theme song of the ABC Family dramedy series, Greek.
The band's "Rhythm of Love" single was the first to be released from the group's 2010 album, The Wonders of the Younger.' The song reached number five on the Hot AC chart, and was in the top ten in 2010 as well. In 2012, the band also covered The Ramones' "Pet Sematary" for the song soundtrack of the 2012 Disney film Frankenweenie. Should've Gone to Bed, a four-song EP, was released on April 9, 2013.
The band left Hollywood Records after creative conflicts with the label during the production of the American Nights album. 'American Nights' was released by Megaforce Records on March 31, 2015.
In 2015, they also appeared on Blues Traveler's album Blow Up the Moon, co-writing the song "Nikkia's Prom." On November 22, 2015, the band released a music video for "American Nights" featuring Higgenson's son, Lennon.
In May 2017, Plain White T's released a music video for their song "Land of the Living." The band, which had left their label Fearless Records in 2005, returned to the label. As of April 2017, the band have said that they are currently writing new music.
12. Body Parts
Plain White T's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said "I've loved once. I'll never love again."
And my head at this replied,
"I'll miss her too. She was easy on the eyes."
And now all they do is look around for you
And every night with their lids closed tight
They're lost in dreams, but they'll awake and see
My feet could feel it in their soles
We've gone too far, and we'll never make it home.
And these hands, they felt the same
They held her once but they let her slip away.
And now all I do is look around for you
And every night with my eyes closed tight
I'm lost in dreams, but I'll awake and see
You lying next to me.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's how easy the tables turn.
And if there's one thing I know, it's the fine art of letting go.
My heart was talking to my head
Said "I've loved once. I'll never love again."
And now all I do is look around for you
And every night with my eyes closed tight
I'm lost in dreams but I'll awake and see
You lying next to me.
The lyrics of "Body Parts" by Plain White T's describe the internal conflict of the singer as he navigates the aftermath of a failed relationship. His heart tells him that he will never love again after experiencing heartbreak, while his head acknowledges that he misses his former partner. The singer's body parts - his feet and hands - also mirror this conflict as they recognize that they had the opportunity to hold onto the relationship but let it slip away. The chorus highlights the singer's yearning for his lost love, as he admits that he constantly searches for her even in his dreams.
The second half of the song reflects on the singer's personal growth since the breakup. He notes that he has learned how quickly "the tables turn" in relationships and has become skilled in "letting go" of past loves. Nevertheless, he still feels the echoes of the relationship and the desire to have his former partner back. The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes this longing and reflects the singer's continued struggle to reconcile his heart and head when it comes to love.
Overall, "Body Parts" offers a nuanced and relatable portrayal of the pain of heartbreak and the complicated emotions that arise in its wake. The use of body parts as a metaphor adds depth and complexity to the lyrics, while the repetition of the chorus creates a sense of longing and yearning that resonates with listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart was talking to my head
My emotions conflicted with my reasoning
Said "I've loved once. I'll never love again."
Heart claimed to have given up on love
And my head at this replied,
My reasoning responded to my emotions
"I'll miss her too. She was easy on the eyes."
Acknowledgment of physical attraction to former lover
And now all they do is look around for you
Heart and head constantly searching for former lover
And every night with their lids closed tight
Even in sleep, they seek for the lost lover
They're lost in dreams, but they'll awake and see
Experiencing dreams of reuniting with the lover but waking to reality
You lying next to me.
Yearning to have the lover by my side
My feet could feel it in their soles
Physical awareness of a long journey without the lover
We've gone too far, and we'll never make it home.
Realization that the relationship cannot be mended
And these hands, they felt the same
The feeling of loss is also felt by my hands
They held her once but they let her slip away.
Hands were once intimate with the lover but could not keep her
And now all I do is look around for you
Being alone fuels the longing for the lost love
And every night with my eyes closed tight
Dreaming of the past and what could have been
I'm lost in dreams, but I'll awake and see
Dreams provide temporary comfort but waking to reality hurts
You lying next to me.
Desire to have the lover back in my presence
If there's one thing I've learned, it's how easy the tables turn.
Love can change direction easily, and things can take an unforeseen turn
And if there's one thing I know, it's the fine art of letting go.
Understanding the difficult act of moving on from the lost love
My heart was talking to my head
Conflicted emotions and reasoning
Said "I've loved once. I'll never love again."
Losing trust in love after experiencing heartbreak
And now all I do is look around for you
The desire to reconnect with the lost love remains
And every night with my eyes closed tight
Dreams continue to provide temporary relief from the heartbreak
I'm lost in dreams but I'll awake and see
Reality keeps the pain of the loss fresh, but hope remains
You lying next to me.
The comfort and love of the lost lover that is missed
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIM LOPEZ, TIMOTHY JOHN LOPEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neptutron
I love this song so much...especially the part starting at 3:00, the melody sounds to me like recollecting scattered thoughts and gathering strength
midnightlake5
I love this song, Tim has an amazing voice!!
KL3PT0M4N1AC
When you're happy you enjoy the music, but when you're sad, you understand the lyrics.
bluegreen
I really love it when tim sings. His voice is really soothing and i totally love this song.
Mee L.
this song is so amazing. it really makes me cry ! their new album is so WONDERFUL !!!! go on, plain white t's !
idrc1415
I can relate so well to this song, it stirs tears just listening, bringing back so many memories.
Philipp Rohr
This song is way to underrated..
Todd Edge
ive listened to plain white ts since i was 3 and so far theyre my favorite band
Todd Edge
i never get sick of this song:)
Rika Rika
love this song...