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.
Go back
Plain White T's Lyrics
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And start again from there
Skinny dippin' is so much fun
Even in your underwear
It's cool and you just don't care
You just don't care
It's easy you can never be afraid
You just gotta know ooh just let yourself go
We'll see you at the show
I'm all dressed up in the plain white t's
And now the girls can't stop looking at me
I got the windows down and the radio LOUD
You can feel something in the air
It's cool and you just don't care
You just don't care
It's easy you can never be afraid
Listen to the music cause this is what our dreams are made of
You just gotta know ooh just let yourself go
We'll see you at the show
The CD is over go back to track one
And start again from there
Come on over we'll so much fun
And life will never be unfair
And love is always in the air
There's always something happening there
It's cool and you just don't care
You just don't care
It's easy you can never be afraid
Listen to the music cause this is what our dreams are made of
You just gotta know ooh just let yourself go
We'll see you at the show
You just don't care
It's easy you can never be afraid (You can never be afraid)
Listen to the music
Cause this is what our dreams are made of (This is what our dreams are made of)
You just gotta know (You just gotta go)
Ooh
Just let yourself go (Let go)
We'll see you at the show (See you at the show, see you at the show)
We'll see you at the show (See you at the show, see you at the show)
We'll see you at the show (See you at the show, see you at the show)
We'll see you at the show (See you at the show, see you at the show)
We'll see you at the show (See you at the show, see you at the show)
"Go Back" is a song that conveys the idea of letting go and enjoying life without any worries or stress. The opening lines, "The CD is over go back to track one, and start again from there" suggest that the band wants the listener to relive the good moments of life and not worry about the bad ones. The singer suggests skinny dipping, an activity that promotes the freedom and letting go of inhibitions, even in one's underwear. The song's chorus encourages people to let themselves go, and not be afraid to live life. The line "Listen to the music cause this is what our dreams are made of" implies that good music is akin to an escape from reality and will transport individuals to a dream world where everything is possible.
The second verse continues on the same theme as the first, with the singer dressed in the plain white t-shirts, causing heads to turn wherever he goes. The windows down and the radio loud indicate a sense of freedom and joy. The message of living life to its fullest without care is reiterated, and the chorus returns, encouraging the listener to let themselves go.
The third verse encourages individuals to come together and enjoy life's moments with one another, spreading love, and positivity. The line "It's cool and you just don't care" repeats throughout the song, reinforcing the idea of living life without worry. The repetition of the chorus underlines the importance of breaking free from one's inhibitions and enjoying every moment of life.
Line by Line Meaning
The CD is over go back to track one
Let's start over and go back to the beginning
And start again from there
We can always start fresh and try again
Skinny dippin' is so much fun
Swimming naked can be enjoyable
Even in your underwear
You don't need to be completely naked for it to be fun
It's cool and you just don't care
It's a carefree experience and you're not worried about judgment
You just don't care
You're not concerned with what other people think
It's easy you can never be afraid
It's a simple and fear-free feeling
Listen to the music cause this is what our dreams are made of
The music can evoke feelings of hope and inspiration for our dreams
You just gotta know ooh just let yourself go
You need to release yourself and not hold back
We'll see you at the show
We look forward to seeing you at the concert
I'm all dressed up in the plain white t's
I'm wearing the band's merchandise, showing my support
And now the girls can't stop looking at me
I'm feeling confident and attracting attention
I got the windows down and the radio LOUD
I'm driving with my windows down and music blasting
You can feel something in the air
There's an exciting energy in the atmosphere
And life will never be unfair
We can make the most out of life and it won't feel unfair
And love is always in the air
There's always a chance for love and connection
There's always something happening there
There's always something exciting going on
We'll see you at the show
We hope to see you at our performance
We'll see you at the show
We're looking forward to seeing you there
We'll see you at the show
We can't wait to perform for you
We'll see you at the show
We hope you come and enjoy our concert
We'll see you at the show
We're excited to see all our fans at the concert
We'll see you at the show
Our fans are important to us and we look forward to seeing you at the concert
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind