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.
Welcome to Mystery
Plain White T's Lyrics
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An island off the coast of nowhere
A new destination of your own creation
Just waiting till you choose to go there
Blue tree tops and velvet skies
You ready to blow your mind
Ooh
All the problems today and go far, far away
This is a time with no history
Welcome to mystery
Imagine a city where everything's pretty
And you sir, you rule the kingdom
You call the shots you can do what you want to
Oh just imagine the freedom
Blue tree tops and velvet skies
You ready to blow your mind
Ooh
This is a place where your mind can escape
All the problems today and go far, far away
This is a time with no history
Welcome to mystery
Blue tree tops and velvet skies
You ready to blow your mind
Ooh
Imagine a room where the flowers they bloom
Through the cracks in the floor and the ceiling
Just you and the missus and roses and kisses
My, what a wonderful feeling
Ooh
This is a place where your mind can escape
All the problems today and go far, far away
This is a time with no history
Welcome to mystery
This is a place where your mind can escape
All the problems today and go far, far away
This is a time with no history
Feel no misery
Come and visit me
Welcome to mystery
The lyrics of Plain White T's’s song “Welcome to Mystery” describe a surreal, idyllic location in which individuals can escape their problems and immerse themselves in a world of freedom and beauty. The song is about people who want to escape the harsh realities of daily life and seek refuge in a place of their own creation, where they can experience the feeling of being free from all their problems. The singer visualizes this place as an island off the coast of nowhere, a city where everything is pretty, and a room where the flowers bloom through the cracks in the floor and ceiling.
The lyrics are so vividly descriptive that it offers a mental escape to the listener, providing them with a safe haven where they can leave their problems at the door. The singer’s descriptions of the blue treetops and velvet skies, along with the imagery of flowers blooming through the floor, transport you to the idealized world that he envisions. Ultimately, the song is about finding peace in times of uncertainty and enjoying the mystery of life, which offers endless possibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine a place you can always escape to
Picture a location where you can flee to anytime
An island off the coast of nowhere
A landmass distant from any place or civilization
A new destination of your own creation
A novel place that you can build yourself
Just waiting till you choose to go there
It's there, waiting for you to take a visit, sitting idle
Imagine a city where everything's pretty
Visualize a metropolis where all things are beautiful
And you sir, you rule the kingdom
And you, the master, reign over the realm
You call the shots you can do what you want to
You make the decisions, and you can do whatever seems fit
Oh just imagine the freedom
Oh think of the liberty that comes with it
Imagine a room where the flowers they bloom
Conjure up a chamber where the blossoms are blooming
Through the cracks in the floor and the ceiling
Via gaps present in the floor and the roof
Just you and the missus and roses and kisses
Just you and your spouse, the flowers and kisses
My, what a wonderful feeling
What a superb and fantastic sensation it would be
This is a place where your mind can escape
It's a location where you can give your mind some rest
All the problems today and go far, far away
To be away from all the troubles that arise today
This is a time with no history
It's an era when nothing much happened
Welcome to mystery
Enter the land of unknown
Feel no misery
Experience no discomfort
Come and visit me
Pay me a visit and have a look yourself
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER G TOMPKINS, TOM HIGGENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind