Aside from a brief interlude in 1998 and 1999 when they were signed by major label Interscope Records, the band recorded for local label DeSoto Records. Their third record and breakthrough album, Emergency & I, was actually created during their time at Interscope; however, they were dropped from the label shortly after its completion, and thus took it back with them to DeSoto, where it wound up being released. The Ice of Boston EP is the only item of theirs Interscope actually released during their tenure there.
Following the massive underground success of Emergency & I, the band received an even higher profile after being invited to open for the European leg of Pearl Jam's 2000 tour. The band recorded and released a follow-up to Emergency & I, Change, in 2001 using the severance money they received from Interscope, and a subsequent co-headlining tour in 2002 with Death Cab for Cutie (cheekily called the "Death and Dismemberment Tour") also worked well to raise both bands' profiles and cross-pollinate their fanbases, as well as forge creative ties between several members.
Later that summer and fall, the Dismemberment Plan started to debut songs for their follow-up to Change. In 2002, the band put all the music tracks from their last two albums on their website, encouraging fans to remix the songs. The result was 2003's A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan. On January 19, 2003, however, the band announced on their website that they had decided to break up after a few tours that year. A final show was planned for July 28, 2003 in Washington D.C.'s famous outdoor show space, Fort Reno Park. However, come show-time, a heavy rain had driven off all but the most devoted fans, leading the band to add one more final show.
On September 1, 2003, the band closed out the first part of their career with a sold-out show at the renowned 9:30 Club. Following the split, Travis Morrison took the post-Change songs with him for further work, and released many of them on his first album, Travistan, in 2004. Jason Caddell worked with Morrison on Morrison's second album, All Y'all, which was released under the name Travis Morrison Hellfighters. Eric Axelson started a band called Maritime with former members of The Promise Ring; they released an album, Glass Floor, in 2004. Axelson subsequently left Maritime and joined the band Statehood in mid-2006 with Joe Easley until the tragic death of Clark Sabine in June 2009. The Dismemberment Plan itself even reunited for two shows to benefit Cal Robbins at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on April 29 and April 30, 2007. A full reunion still seemed unlikely, though, and on July 2, 2009, Travis Morrison announced his retirement from music, stating that there would be no more shows or bands.
In late 2010, however, the Dismemberment Plan announced that they would reunite for a full-scale tour in 2011 coinciding with Barsuk's vinyl reissue of Emergency & I. At the time, the band denied that they were planning a new record, but implied that one could be possible. By the time the tour was finished, the band played on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as well as three performances in Washington, D.C., the Pitchfork Music Festival, Philadelphia's Roots Picnic, and ten other dates.
The band reconvened once again in 2012 and played several small-venue shows in Baltimore, Maryland and Fredericksburg, Virginia, where they debuted eight new songs; a month later, Travis Morrison confirmed that they were working on a new record. On June 26, 2013, the band officially announced their fifth studio album (and first new record in 12 years), entitled Uncanney Valley. It was released via Partisan Records on October 15, 2013.
Come Home
The Dismemberment Plan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made myself some coffee and I listened to the rain rattling leaves, yeah.
I told myself there's nothing wrong and stared right through the paper for a
long, long time
Stuck inside your dream so long it wears you down and grows you cold....and
Cold light comes to clear the fog away from time to time....it'll be back soon
I used to think that justice had to rule for happy lives, but now I'm not so
sure at all
Come home
Why don't you come home I could not remember why you left
And I'd rather been happy than right this time
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Called my dad to check in and to maybe find some common sense...more or less
He says common sense is such a scam, and I'm like 'Dad, what do you mean?, oh'
He says you're either wrong or right and life will go on either way, whatever
you chose....but I know...
That anger's all right..and bitterness no.
Cold uncontrollably sad, and unable to let it go.
And it should be as easy as telling a scab from a scar
Well I don't know (repeats x6)
Called in sick to work today I couldn't have gotten a damn thing done
The Dismemberment Plan's song "Come Home" is a reflection on the weight of regret and the struggle to move forward from a failed relationship. The lyrics follow the singer as they call in sick to work and spend their day ruminating on the past. The opening lines set the tone for the song, as the singer sees no point in working since their mind is already consumed by thoughts of the past. The rain provides a soothing backdrop for their thoughts, but the long stare at paper suggests that they are unable to fully escape the constant reminders of their past love.
The chorus of the song, "Come home, why don't you come home, I could not remember why you left, and I'd rather been happy than right this time," shows the singer's struggle to let go of their pride and admit their faults in the relationship. They acknowledge that they were so focused on being "right" that they may have caused the end of the relationship. They plead for their former partner to come back, not because they necessarily want to fix things, but because they want to be happy again.
The verses are filled with conflicting emotions, as the singer seeks advice from their father and grapples with their own feelings of anger and sadness. The final line, "I couldn't have gotten a damn thing done," shows that the singer is stuck in a cycle of nostalgia and regret, unable to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Called in sick to work today, I couldn't have gotten a damn thing done anyhow.
I decided not to go to work because I knew I wouldn't be productive.
Made myself some coffee and I listened to the rain rattling leaves, yeah.
I brewed coffee and listened to the sound of rain on the leaves outside.
I told myself there's nothing wrong and stared right through the paper for a long, long time
Despite my distractions, I tried to convince myself that everything was fine.
Stuck inside your dream so long it wears you down and grows you cold....and that's a fact
If you stay in your dream world for too long, it can be draining and make you feel distant.
Cold light comes to clear the fog away from time to time....it'll be back soon
Occasionally, you can gain perspective and clarity, but it doesn't last forever.
I used to think that justice had to rule for happy lives, but now I'm not so sure at all
I believed that justice was necessary for happiness, but now I'm uncertain.
Come home, Why don't you come home I could not remember why you left And I'd rather been happy than right this time Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
I want you to return home to me, even if I can't remember why you left, because I value happiness over being right.
Called my dad to check in and to maybe find some common sense...more or less
I called my dad for advice and guidance in hopes of gaining some clarity.
He says common sense is such a scam, and I'm like 'Dad, what do you mean?, oh'
My dad explained that common sense is not always reliable.
He says you're either wrong or right and life will go on either way, whatever you chose....but I know...
My dad said that being right or wrong doesn't matter because life goes on, but I still have my own opinions.
That anger's all right..and bitterness no.
It's okay to be angry, but bitterness is not helpful.
Cold uncontrollably sad, and unable to let it go.
Feeling sad and unable to let something go can be difficult to manage.
And it should be as easy as telling a scab from a scar, Well I don't know (repeats x6)
It should be easy to distinguish between wounds that will heal and those that are permanent, but it's not always clear.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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