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.
Following Through
The Dismemberment Plan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
it coulda been something special
it may have had real potential
it never could show
It coulda been great
it could been something alright
but we never did keep it that tight
so whaddya know?
It coulda been swell
it coulda been off the hook now
if we ever had what it took now
I haven't a clue
I think it's as well
we may have been on the right track
finding all the pieces we lack
but what can you do?
Now I see that these are cards we drew some time ago, so if you don't know:
I can do it anywhere with anyone at anytime don't you forget
this is my life and it's going to be good, don't you know
not a promise or a threat or an ultimatum, though I can do that too
I'm just telling you, I've got this life I've got to live
I'm just following through
I dishonor the past
being so loose with my time
I could stand accused of high crimes
in the court of the dead
and I could be next
on a page about to turn soon
so I'm movin' my ass at high noon
you heard what I said
I could say I hope I'm not misread, but that's all right
I'm quite OK with losing that fight
The lyrics to The Dismemberment Plan's "Following Through" reflect the feeling of regret that comes with not fully embracing opportunities or potential in life, and the desire to make the most of what one has left. The first verse uses a series of conditional statements - "it could've been good," "it could've been great" - to suggest that something never quite lived up to its potential. The second verse is more resigned, acknowledging that although there may have been some pieces in place, the opportunity has passed. The final verse is a call to action to live life fully and without regret.
The lyrics also touch on themes of time and mortality. The line "I dishonor the past / being so loose with my time" speaks to the regret one might feel in realizing that time has been wasted, while the lyric "I could be next / on a page about to turn soon" suggests a sense of urgency to make the most of the time one has left.
Overall, "Following Through" is a song that urges the listener to take action and make the most of their life, rather than letting opportunities slip away.
Line by Line Meaning
It coulda been good
The situation may have had potential.
it coulda been something special
Something truly unique had the potential to emerge from the situation.
it may have had real potential
It possessed actual potential.
it never could show
The situation never evolved to its potential.
It coulda been great
The situation had the potential to be excellent.
it could been something alright
The situation could have been satisfactory.
but we never did keep it that tight
The situation was never fully realized.
so whaddya know?
The situation was not completed.
I get up at 5am I so don't need those dreams that I used to have
The artist has moved on from dreams because they are focused on their real life.
It coulda been swell
The situation might have been respectable.
it coulda been off the hook now
It may have been amazing.
if we ever had what it took now
If everything came together.
I haven't a clue
The singer is unsure of what happened.
I think it's as well
It's probably for the best.
we may have been on the right track
We could have been moving towards something great.
finding all the pieces we lack
Discovering the missing elements.
but what can you do?
There is nothing we can do about it now.
Now I see that these are cards we drew some time ago, so if you don't know:
The way we got here was based on the decisions we made before.
I can do it anywhere with anyone at anytime don't you forget
The singer has the power to decide their own path.
this is my life and it's going to be good, don't you know
The future is bright and promising.
not a promise or a threat or an ultimatum, though I can do that too
The artist is not making demands or threats, but they are capable of doing so if need be.
I'm just telling you, I've got this life I've got to live
The artist is simply informing others of their intentions.
I'm just following through
The singer is committed to making their own path in life.
I dishonor the past
The artist is not being respectful towards their past.
being so loose with my time
The singer has not used their time responsibly in the past.
I could stand accused of high crimes
The singer could be criticized heavily for their past actions.
in the court of the dead
The singer would not be judged kindly by those who have passed away.
and I could be next
The artist is aware that they will one day pass away as well.
on a page about to turn soon
The artist is about to turn the page on a new chapter in their life.
so I'm movin' my ass at high noon
The singer is wasting no time and is working hard.
you heard what I said
The singer is emphasizing their determination.
I could say I hope I'm not misread, but that's all right
The artist knows that others may not understand them, but they are okay with that.
I'm quite OK with losing that fight
The artist is okay with not being understood by others.
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