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.
Season Of A Lifetime
Plain White T's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even Marie agrees.
She swears that in a few years,
She'll be the next big thing.
They don't believe her, but I let her keep dreaming.
This is the season of a lifetime passing you by.
The fat man is singing oh oh oh
The drummer boys beating oh oh oh oh
This year has been a good year,
I don't think Johnny agrees.
Christine the girl of his dreams,
Decided to cut him free.
He says he's fine, although his heart thinks differently.
This is the season of a lifetime passing you by.
The fat man is singing oh oh oh oh
The best things are always gone in the blink of an eye
The drummer boys beating oh oh oh oh
Next year will be better they always say
Next year the sun will shine our way
This year has been a good year,
That's what their all telling me.
They swear that this is our year
We're gonna make it big
I'd like to believe them, so I let them keep dreaming.
This is the season of a lifetime passing you by.
The fat man is singing oh oh oh oh
The best things are always gone in the blink of an eye
The drummer boys beating oh oh oh oh
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
The song "Season of a Lifetime" by Plain White T's captures the emotions of nostalgia and reflection on the past year. The opening lines indicate that this year has been a good one, with Marie dreaming of making it big in the future. However, despite the dreams and aspirations, the belief in those dreams remains shaky, as emphasized by the line "They don't believe her, but I let her keep dreaming." The lyrics imply that the future is uncertain and that the present moment is fleeting.
The chorus of the song is where the central message is highlighted. The season of a lifetime is passing by quickly, and the best things in life are fleeting. The metaphor of the "fat man singing" represents the passage of time, while the drummer boy beating represents life's swift pace. The passage "Next year will be better they always say/Next year the sun will shine our way" portrays the hope that everything will work out in the future.
The final verse reaffirms the reality of the uncertainty of the future. The belief that this year will be the year when they make it big is not set in stone, but the hope is still there, and they let it bloom. The overall message of the song is that while life may be unpredictable, it is crucial to keep dreaming and hoping.
Line by Line Meaning
This year has been a good year,
The year has been favorable for the singer.
Even Marie agrees.
Marie also acknowledges that the year has been favorable.
She swears that in a few years,
Marie believes that in a couple of years, she will be very successful.
She'll be the next big thing.
Marie thinks that she will attain significant fame and success in her chosen field.
They don't believe her, but I let her keep dreaming.
Though most people do not believe in Marie's destiny, the artist lets her continue with her aspirations.
This is the season of a lifetime passing you by.
The present time is a unique period that one should cherish as it passes by quickly.
The fat man is singing oh oh oh
The person who has a deep voice is loudly declaring a message.
The best things are always gone in the blink of an eye
Valuable things are ephemeral and can be lost instantly.
The drummer boys beating oh oh oh oh
The percussive sound of the drum represents the rhythm of life's fleeting moments.
Next year will be better they always say
People typically believe that the next year will be better than the current year.
Next year the sun will shine our way
The singer hopes that the next year will bring favorable conditions and experiences.
This year has been a good year,
For the artist, this year has been pleasant according to what others say.
That's what their all telling me.
The singer is being informed by multiple people about the goodness of the year.
They swear that this is our year
The singer's acquaintances are very convinced that this year will usher in success for all of them.
We're gonna make it big
The singer and their acquaintances are going to achieve significant success in their lives.
I'd like to believe them, so I let them keep dreaming.
Although the artist is hesitant to believe in their acquaintances' claims, they encourage them to continue dreaming.
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
A vocal expression of feeling.
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
A vocal expression of feeling.
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
A vocal expression of feeling.
Yeah, oh oh oh oh
A vocal expression of feeling.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind