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.
Your Fault
Plain White T's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no reason to cry about it now
You changed your plans
Hope that's still more important to you now
No, I don't wanna talk
You better know that this is all your fault
I hope you know that this is all your fault
You can't look back
All that shit doesn't matter anymore
You're way off track
Why do you think about it
Why do you sing about it
Why do you care at all
Man, I don't know what I can say
It's like she can't appreciate me
And it makes me feel so Goddamn small
I try to tell you but I've got no voice
And you won't listen so I have no choice
It's time for you to move on without me
Just don't forget that this is all your fault
All your fault
You can't come back
Things could never be the same as before
Can't have me anymore
You say I'm going nowhere
And that's what makes me keep dreamin'
You wish I would just shut up
And that's what makes me keep screamin'
You tell me to watch my step
Instead I'm falling out of love
I thought you were all that I had
But without you I've got it all
Why do you think about it
Why do you sing about it
Why do you care at all
Man, I don't know what else to say
It's like she can't appreciate the things
She knows will make her feel so tall
"Your Fault" by Plain White T's is a song about the aftermath of a failed relationship where the singer is placing the blame on their ex-partner. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and hurt from the singer as they begin to move on from the relationship. The first verse sets the tone by stating that the ex-partner had their chance and there's no point in crying over it now. They changed their plans, but the singer hopes that those plans are still important to the ex-partner. The chorus emphasizes the responsibility of the ex-partner for the end of the relationship, saying that it's all their fault. The second verse is more confrontational, telling the ex-partner to move on without them, but not to forget that they are the reason for the breakup. The bridge repeats the questions of why the ex-partner still cares and why they keep thinking about it. The song ends on a note of empowerment, with the singer proclaiming that without the ex-partner, they have it all.
Throughout the song, the singer is grappling with the fallout from the end of their relationship, but the ex-partner's actions are presented as the cause of their emotional pain. The lyrics convey a sense of a person trying to make sense of a breakup and looking for someone to hold accountable. The song could be interpreted as both cathartic for the singer, who needs to blame someone for their heartbreak, and as a warning to the ex-partner to take responsibility for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
You had your chance
You were given an opportunity to make things right
There's no reason to cry about it now
It's too late to feel sad or regretful
You changed your plans
You altered your intentions
Hope that's still more important to you now
I hope what you did was worth it
No, I don't wanna talk
I don't feel like discussing this matter further
You better know that this is all your fault
You should realize that you caused this problem
I hope you know that this is all your fault
I hope you understand that you are to blame
You can't look back
You can't dwell on what's already happened
All that shit doesn't matter anymore
Those past events are no longer relevant
You're way off track
You've lost sight of where you're going
Why do you think about it
Why do you keep dwelling on this issue
Why do you sing about it
Why do you keep expressing your feelings through music
Why do you care at all
Why are you still invested in this matter
Man, I don't know what I can say
I'm not sure how to respond to this situation
It's like she can't appreciate me
It seems as if she doesn't value me
And it makes me feel so Goddamn small
And it causes me to feel insignificant
I try to tell you but I've got no voice
I attempt to communicate, but I am not being heard
And you won't listen so I have no choice
And since you refuse to hear me out, I have no other option
It's time for you to move on without me
It's time for you to proceed without my involvement
Just don't forget that this is all your fault
But don't forget that you're responsible for this outcome
You can't come back
You can't return to the way things were
Things could never be the same as before
The situation is irreversibly different
Can't have me anymore
You can no longer possess me in the same way
You say I'm going nowhere
You believe that I am not progressing
And that's what makes me keep dreamin'
And that's what motivates me to continue pursuing my aspirations
You wish I would just shut up
You desire for me to stop speaking my mind
And that's what makes me keep screamin'
And that's what causes me to keep expressing myself more loudly
You tell me to watch my step
You advise me to be cautious
Instead I'm falling out of love
But instead, I am losing my affection for you
I thought you were all that I had
I believed that you were my only source of support
But without you I've got it all
But without you, I have everything I need within myself
Man, I don't know what else to say
I'm still uncertain how to respond to this situation
It's like she can't appreciate the things
It seems as if she doesn't value the things
She knows will make her feel so tall
That she's aware will elevate her confidence
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE MAST, TOM HIGGENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind