In 1994, Plankeye released Spill, their first album, which was able to garner enough sales to catch the interest of Tooth and Nail Records. Spill was re-released on Tooth and Nail, as Plankeye went into the studio again to record a slightly less aggressive album, The Spark. In 1996, Plankeye released Commonwealth, which introduced a more polished and mature sound. Over the course of the next year, the group toured constantly, opening for the Newsboys. In November 1997, the group released their best selling album, The One & Only. To promote this album, Plankeye headlined "The One & Only Tour", featuring opening act, the Insyderz. One year later, lead singer Scott Siletta and drummer Adam Ferry left Plankeye to form the short-lived pop-punk band Fanmail. Siletta later formed a record label called "Vanishing Point Records" with a lineup including his new band "The Franchise".
In 1999, Balmer and Garcia released Relocation on a new record label, BEC Recordings. This album featured Plankeye's heartfelt single, "Goodbye". Some wondered if this song was subtly referencing Scott and Adam's departure from the band, something which Eric and Luis refuted.
In 2001, Plankeye's song, "When It Comes", was chosen by MP3.com to be included on their radio show 'The Download'. Plankeye beat out 12,000 or so other Alternative bands on MP3.com to get on the show.
In spring of 2001, Kevin Poush and Louie Ruiz joined Plankeye to record Plankeye's most experimental album to date, Strange Exchange. In 2002, Poush and Ruiz left the band, and Balmer and Garcia recorded Wings to Fly, a greatest-of compilation which also had 6 new songs including a re-recording of "Bicycle", from Commonwealth.
After Plankeye broke up, Eric Balmer formed a band called Fielding with his wife, Beth.
BOY
Plankeye Lyrics
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He lived his life in pain
Everyone thought he had it all
But no one knows the truth
Anger and hate so deep inside
Waiting for their chance...
A boy with no control looking down at a cold steel chamber
Mercy at last
His world gets painted black
The frail boy collapsed
The fight is done
Just one thing left to do
One technicality
Face to face with death
There's finally someone who cares
Darkness comes on so strong
His world gets painted black
The frail boy collapsed
The fight is done
The song "Boy" by Plankeye is about a young boy who is going through immense emotional pain and preoccupations with death. The first verse of the song outlines how people around the boy believe he has everything under control, however, the truth is far from it. The boy is filled with anger and sadness, and he is just waiting for the right opportunity to let it all out. The second verse of the song talks about the boy finally finding an outlet in a cold steel chamber, likely referring to a gun. The boy is relieved when he takes his own life, and darkness comes on strong, painting his world black. The fight against his emotions is finally done and just one technicality, facing death, is left to complete. In the end, there is someone who finally cares about the boy as he passes away.
The song's lyrics touch on the topic of mental health and suicide. Plankeye expresses how it's challenging to decipher someone's emotional state, even if they appear fine externally. The chorus of the song, where darkness comes on so strong, and his world gets painted black, depicts how hopeless someone can feel while going through a hard time. It also highlights the gravity of the situation by showing that it may be too late to help someone, as it is too late for the boy in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a boy that I once knew
I knew a boy once
He lived his life in pain
The boy suffered throughout his life
Everyone thought he had it all
Other people believed he had everything he needed to be happy
But no one knows the truth
However, nobody actually knew the reality of his situation
Anger and hate so deep inside
The boy harbored a lot of resentment and fury within him
Waiting for their chance...
Those negative emotions were just longing to be released
A boy with no control looking down at a cold steel chamber
The boy had lost all control and was facing a gun in despair
Mercy at last
Thankfully, his suffering found an end
Darkness comes on so strong
He felt overcome by a strong feeling of hopelessness
His world gets painted black
Everything seemed bleak and pointless to him
The frail boy collapsed
He couldn't bear the weight of his struggles anymore
The fight is done
He's given up the battle with his demons
Just one thing left to do
Now there's only one alternative left for him
One technicality
There's a mere technical detail to address
Face to face with death
He finds himself confronting his own mortality
There's finally someone who cares
However, he's reassured by the support of at least one caring person
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
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