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.
KILLER
Plain White T's Lyrics
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Would you come pillage the village with me?
We'll bury the treasure and go down together
If I was a pirate
If I was an outlaw, robbing a bank
Would you be my Bonnie, help me get away?
Would you pull the trigger and blow 'em away?
How bad would I have to be?
How bad?
If I was a vampire, roaming the night
Would you be my prey and put your neck on the line?
Live in the shadows and die in the light?
If I was a vampire
If I was a wanted man on the run
Would you take a fall if we were under the gun
And drop down beside me in the nooses they've hung?
If I was a wanted man on the run
How bad would I have to be?
How bad?
If I was the worst man in the world
Would you still be my girl?
The scariest monster you ever seen
Would you still love me?
If I was a killer with blood on my hands
Would you be my alibi and lie on the stand?
Swear on your life that I'm an innocent man?
If I was a killer
How bad would I have to be?
How bad?
The song "Killer" by Plain White T's is about hypothetical scenarios in which the singer asks their partner if they would support them in committing various heinous acts. The lyrics are presented as a series of questions, with each verse exploring a different scenario. The first verse asks if the singer was a pirate, would their partner join them in looting and pillaging. The second verse imagines the singer as an outlaw, and asks if their partner would help them rob a bank and escape the law. The third verse asks if the singer was a vampire, would their partner be willing to risk their life to be with them. The fourth verse imagines the singer as a wanted criminal, and asks if their partner would stand by them even when faced with the death penalty. The chorus then asks "How bad would I have to be?" to warrant this kind of support.
Ultimately, the song presents a dark and twisted view of love and loyalty, questioning how far someone would go to support the person they love. The repeated question in the chorus suggests that the singer is aware that their desires may be seen as immoral or even monstrous, and they are looking for reassurance that their partner will stand by them no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was a pirate, sailing the seas
If I lived a life of adventure as a pirate, would you join me in looting and pillaging villages?
Would you come pillage the village with me?
Would you accompany me on my exploits as we raid villages and steal treasure?
We'll bury the treasure and go down together
If we were pirates, we would hide our stolen loot and face any consequences together as partners in crime.
If I was an outlaw, robbing a bank
If I became a bank robber on the wrong side of the law, would you help me escape and evade the authorities?
Would you be my Bonnie, help me get away?
Would you be my partner in crime, aiding me in our escape from the scene of a crime?
Would you pull the trigger and blow 'em away?
If things got violent, would you be willing to use force to protect us and get away with the crime?
If I was a vampire, roaming the night
If I were an immortal vampire, would you be willing to live forever by my side and become part of the undead world?
Would you be my prey and put your neck on the line?
Would you be willing to risk your life for me by offering yourself as a vampire's food source?
Live in the shadows and die in the light?
Would you be willing to live a life of secrecy and danger, always hiding in the shadows, until the day you die?
If I was a wanted man on the run
If I became a fugitive and was being hunted by the law, would you stand by my side and help me escape?
Would you take a fall if we were under the gun
Would you sacrifice yourself to save me if we were in a dangerous situation?
And drop down beside me in the nooses they've hung?
If we were caught and facing execution, would you be willing to die alongside me?
If I was the worst man in the world
If I became the most horrible and evil person in existence, would you still choose to stay with me?
Would you still be my girl?
Would you continue to be in a relationship with me even if I became a monster?
The scariest monster you ever seen
If I became a terrifying creature, would you still tolerate my presence and continue to love me?
If I was a killer with blood on my hands
If I became a murderer and had blood on my hands, would you stand by me and help me avoid punishment?
Would you be my alibi and lie on the stand?
Would you be willing to lie in court to protect me and provide me with a false alibi?
Swear on your life that I'm an innocent man?
Would you put your own life on the line to protect me and swear that I'm not guilty of the crime?
How bad would I have to be?
What extent of wrongdoing would I have to commit before you could no longer stand by my side?
How bad?
What is the limit to the amount of wrongdoing you would be willing to tolerate in me?
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARTIN EDWARD DODSON, TOM HIGGENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind