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.
Superpowers
The Dismemberment Plan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have fallen asleep in the shift of distant satin
I have watched the rich risk it all for 15 minutes in a Heathrow bathroom
I have shuddered as an unseen mouth slid down my spine every night
I have seized with the ice cold rage of a lover betrayed, half a million miles away
I have cried so hard for hours and not known why, I never do
I've been knocked down flat by joy that makes my face pulse like a sugar high
I guess you could call it superpowers
but no one is going to save the world with what I've got
an indigo light from silvery towers
surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see
I've been lost in a cold white space as an arrogant dream storms in from another life
I have felt the snaps of lines that bind us all to this world
I have felt such unreal pain and not known what to do, it isn't mine
I have stayed awake for weeks and slept for days... not one dream
under low grey skies
and a razored wind that tears at the walls
The lyrics to The Dismemberment Plan's "Superpowers" describe a collection of experiences that capture different emotions and moments in life. The verses are a series of vivid snapshots that illustrate the intense highs and lows that come with being human. From witnessing beauty and sensuality in private, to feeling the icy rage of betrayal, from being overwhelmed with joy, to feeling utterly lost and alone, these experiences are all part of the universal experience of living. The chorus suggests that these experiences amount to a kind of superpower, but one that is not going to save the world. The song acknowledges that these feelings and sensations are part of what makes us human and that, although they can be intense and overwhelming, they are ultimately what give life its richness and depth.
The song's use of imagery is particularly striking. The opening lines describe the experience of seeing beautiful women undress in private, which is both an intimate and voyeuristic experience. This is followed by a surreal image of falling asleep in a satin shift, which hints at both luxury and vulnerability. Later in the song, there is a haunting image of an unseen mouth sliding down the singer's spine, which evokes feelings of fear and violation. These images are powerful in their ability to convey complex emotions without explicitly naming them. The song's chorus reframes these emotions as superpowers, suggesting that they are not just experiences, but tools for navigating the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I have seen the world's most beautiful women undress in ordinary solitude
I have witnessed the intimate moments of beautiful women, as they undress privately, without any audience or attention.
I have fallen asleep in the shift of distant satin
I have drifted off to sleep while the sounds and sensations of silky fabric shifting and rustling in the distance filled my senses.
I have watched the rich risk it all for 15 minutes in a Heathrow bathroom
I have observed wealthy individuals taking hefty risks and engaging in questionable behavior, such as spending time in an airport bathroom for only a quarter of an hour.
I have shuddered as an unseen mouth slid down my spine every night
Every night, I have experienced a shivering sensation as if an unknown force or presence was sliding down my spine, causing a physical reaction.
I have seized with the ice cold rage of a lover betrayed, half a million miles away
Even when separated by thousands of miles, I have felt the burning, cold anger and pain of being betrayed by a lover.
I have cried so hard for hours and not known why, I never do
There have been times where I have wept inconsolably for hours on end, without any clear reason or understanding of what caused such profound sorrow.
I've been knocked down flat by joy that makes my face pulse like a sugar high
I have experienced ecstatic joy that has rendered me completely overwhelmed and has caused my face to pulsate with a sensation similar to a sugar rush.
I've been cornered by the screams of a body as it freed itself of its mind
I have found myself in situations where the screams of someone as they detach from their own mind and body have trapped me in a confined, helpless space.
I guess you could call it superpowers
All of these intense experiences could be seen as supernatural abilities or extraordinary capacities.
but no one is going to save the world with what I've got
However, I am aware that even with these capabilities, I am not capable of making substantial positive change or directly impacting the world in a significant way.
an indigo light from silvery towers
My supposed superpowers or insights can be likened to an ethereal, blue light emanating from shimmering, possibly celestial structures or spaces.
surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see
But these abilities or understandings are mere specks, dwarfed by the vast mountains and structures of reality that stretch to the horizon.
I've been lost in a cold white space as an arrogant dream storms in from another life
In moments of confusion or disorientation, I have felt myself wander aimlessly in a frigid, blank space while vivid dreams of an entirely different life or narrative burst into my consciousness.
I have felt the snaps of lines that bind us all to this world
I have sensed the cracking sounds of the invisible lines or connections that link us all together in this world.
I have felt such unreal pain and not known what to do, it isn't mine
At times, I have experienced intense, surreal pain that I cannot identify or attribute to any specific cause or source.
I have stayed awake for weeks and slept for days... not one dream
During periods of chronic insomnia or other sleep disturbances, I have gone days without falling asleep and slept for long stretches without experiencing a single dream.
under low grey skies
All of these experiences have taken place under the bleak and gloomy shade of overcast, grey skies.
and a razored wind that tears at the walls
While enduring these experiences, I have encountered the cutting, fierce force of a razor-like wind that seems to slice through any protective barrier or obstacle.
Lyrics © JUMPSUIT RECORDS
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