Plain White T's are a pop-punk band formed in 1997 in Illinois, United Stat… Read Full Bio ↴Plain White T's are a pop-punk band formed in 1997 in Illinois, United States. They are best known for "Hey There Delilah", an acoustic song performed solely by singer Tom Higgenson originally released in 2005 and later hit #1 in the US in 2007.

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.

Broken Record
Plain White T's Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It was summer love,
She was like a drug,
Bit me like a club,
Everything was alright,

I was James Dean,
She was Billie Jean,
California Queen,

Everything was alright,

From the bad beat,
To the back scene,
In the heat heat,
Everything was alright,

Lovers and gears of common bomb,
She'll always be my favorite song
She was silent gold,
She was Rock'n'roll
I should have never let her go go go

[Chorus]
Kiss me goodbye and I knew it was final,
Got in her daddy's car and she was gone like vinyl,
Her memory pops up when I least expect it,
It's stuck in my head like a broken record,
Pa pa pa pa pa Broken Record,
P-p-pa pa pa Broken record,
A broke, a broke, a broken record,
P-p-pa pa pa Broken record,

She was hot file,
She was low file,
Burning up July,
Everything was alright,

Let me with a kiss,
I wonder where she is,
If that she ever miss me,
Oh oh oh,

Lovers and gears of common bomb,
She'll always be my favorite song
She was silent gold,
She was Rock'n'roll
I should have never let her go go go

[Chorus]

I wished I could find her,
Ooh oh oh,
Cause I need to remind her,
Ooh oh oh,

[Chorus]

Skip skip through my head,

Skip skip through my head,
Skip skip skip through my head all day.

Overall Meaning

The song "Broken Record" by Plain White T's is a nostalgic ode to a former lover. The lyrics bring to light the carefree and exhilarating nature of a summer romance that was fueled by passion and all things youthful. The verses indicate that the relationship was intense like a drug, as the singer likens the lover to the likes of Billie Jean and James Dean, who were cultural icons of the '80s. The California Queen portrayed in the lyrics represents the quintessential aspects of the Golden State lifestyle that is closely associated with freedom, fun, and living on the edge.

The chorus delves into the aftermath of the relationship and how the memories of the lover are still present in the singer's mind like a broken record. The repetition of the line "P-p-pa pa pa Broken record" signifies how the singer is unable to forget about the past or move on from a captivating love that once was. The last verse, where the singer wishes to find or remind the lover of their past, is an indication that the love was pure and should not have ended the way it did.

Overall, "Broken Record" is a heart-wrenching song about a summer love that never quite went away. It's a testament to how powerful love can be, and how it can shape and impact a person's life in indescribable ways.

Line by Line Meaning

It was summer love,
The love they had was like the warmth and excitement of the summer season.

She was like a drug,
She was addictive and every encounter left him wanting more.

Bit me like a club,
Her passion was intense and left a lasting impact on him.

Everything was alright,
Despite any issues or complications, everything felt manageable and okay while they were together.

I was James Dean,
He felt like a rebel, living life to the fullest and breaking the rules.

She was Billie Jean,
Like the famous song's character, she was alluring and mysterious.

California Queen,
She embodied the spirit and freedom of the Californian lifestyle.

From the bad beat,
From the difficulties and hardships they faced.

To the back scene,
To the behind-the-scenes or private moments they shared.

In the heat heat,
In the passionate and intense moments.

Lovers and gears of common bomb,
Their relationship was volatile and explosive, but still amazing.

She'll always be my favorite song
She will forever hold a special and nostalgic place in his heart.

She was silent gold,
She was precious and valuable, but also quiet and mysterious.

She was Rock'n'roll
She was wild and free-spirited like the iconic music genre.

I should have never let her go go go
He regrets ever letting her leave and wishes he had fought harder for their love.

Kiss me goodbye and I knew it was final,
Her goodbye kiss was a definitive and permanent ending to their relationship.

Got in her daddy's car and she was gone like vinyl,
Her leaving was sudden and permanent, like a record being taken off a turntable.

Her memory pops up when I least expect it,
Thoughts of her come to him unexpectedly and when he is not prepared to deal with them.

It's stuck in my head like a broken record,
Thoughts of her are repetitive and constantly replaying in his mind like a damaged record.

She was hot file,
She was exciting and attractive, like a sought-after file in a drawer.

She was low file,
Despite her appeal, she was also down-to-earth and relatable.

Burning up July,
Their love was so hot and intense, it felt like the middle of summer.

Let me with a kiss,
Their final goodbye was marked with a kiss.

I wonder where she is,
He often thinks about her and where she is now.

If that she ever miss me,
He wonders if she ever thinks about him too and if she misses him.

I wished I could find her,
He wants to find her and reconnect with her.

Cause I need to remind her,
He wants to remind her of the love they shared and how special it was.

Skip skip through my head,
Her memory skips around in his mind.

Skip skip skip through my head all day.
Her memory consumes him and is constantly in his thoughts.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM HIGGENSON, ZAC MALLOY, CHRIS TOMPKINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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