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.
bruise
Plain White T's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But sometimes he looses his temper
And again he'll come home and look for a fight
But she tells herself it's alright
She hopes someday it's alright
she doesn't tell anybody but everyone can tell
That there's something she's hiding, she hasn't been herself
She hopes someday it's alright...its alright..its alright..its alright
she has to make excuses for all of this abuse
And it's sad the truth is she's scared of what he'll do
If she'd ever walk out of his life
So she tells herself it's alright
She hopes someday it's alright..it's alright..
It's alright... it's alright.. it's alright... it's alright..
She sits and she waits its not getting any better
It's never too late but she knows its now or never
She'll get up the strength to stand up to him tonight
'cause she knows that it's alright
The Plain White T's song "Bruise" tells the story of a woman who is in an abusive relationship. The first verse describes how she tries to hide the bruises from her partner, even though she knows he is the one causing them. The second verse illustrates how she keeps the abuse a secret from others but can't help but feel like everyone can tell that something is wrong. Despite the abuse, she goes out every night and tries to convince herself that everything is alright. The chorus repeats the phrase, "she hopes someday it's alright," indicating that she is trying to hold onto hope that things will get better.
The third verse focuses on how the woman has to make excuses for the abuse and is scared of what her partner will do if she leaves. Once again, she tells herself it's alright and hopes that things will improve in the future. However, the final verse shows her reaching her breaking point and realizing that she needs to stand up to her abuser. She knows it's now or never and gathers the strength to take action.
The song's powerful message sheds light on the issue of domestic violence and the struggles of those who experience abuse in their relationships. It portrays the complex emotions that these individuals often feel, such as fear, hope, and despair. Through its lyrics, "Bruise" encourages listeners to recognize the signs of abuse and support those who are going through it.
Line by Line Meaning
She tries to hide the bruises she says it wasn't him
She attempts to conceal her bruises and claims that someone else caused them, but deep down, she knows it was her partner who caused them.
But sometimes he looses his temper
Occasionally, he loses control of his emotions and becomes violent towards her.
And again he'll come home and look for a fight
He frequently comes home looking for a confrontation with her.
But she tells herself it's alright
Despite the abuse, she tries to convince herself that everything is fine and that it will get better soon.
She hopes someday it's alright
She holds onto the thought that someday things will improve, even though it may seem unlikely at the moment.
she doesn't tell anybody but everyone can tell
Even though she doesn't speak to anyone regarding her problems, people can perceive that she is hiding something and that she is not herself.
That there's something she's hiding, she hasn't been herself
People around her feel that something is amiss and that she is not acting like herself due to the trauma that she is experiencing.
But she still goes out everynight
Despite her emotional and physical pain, she still goes out, possibly to escape her problems or to pretend that everything is okay.
she tells herself it's alright
She convinces herself that nothing is wrong and that it's all in her head.
She hopes someday it's alright...its alright..its alright..its alright
She keeps hoping for a brighter tomorrow and tries to brush off the pain she's experiencing, telling herself that everything is okay.
she has to make excuses for all of this abuse
She has to come up with reasons to explain her injuries while covering up the fact that her partner is responsible.
And it's sad the truth is she's scared of what he'll do
The truth of the matter is that she is afraid of what her partner might do to her if she tries to leave him.
If she'd ever walk out of his life
She considers leaving her partner, but she's scared of the consequences if she does.
So she tells herself it's alright
She keeps deceiving herself into believing that everything is going to be okay in the future, in the hope of easing the internal conflict she faces.
She hopes someday it's alright..it's alright..
Despite how difficult it may seem, she hopes for a positive change in her life.
It's alright... it's alright.. it's alright... it's alright..
In the face of constant turmoil, she keeps telling herself that things will get better.
She sits and she waits its not getting any better
She has been waiting for a change in her life but nothing has improved, and she continues to suffer silently.
It's never too late but she knows its now or never
She knows that she needs to take action now to better her situation, realizing that it is never too late to do so.
She'll get up the strength to stand up to him tonight
She finally summons the courage to confront her partner and stand up for herself tonight.
'cause she knows that it's alright
Despite the fear and uncertainty, she knows that she deserves better and that standing up for herself is the right thing to do.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind