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.
The Face of the Earth
The Dismemberment Plan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It wasn't anything out of the ordinary
The alkaline lips
The fingers hooked around my belt
She had to go
She took a step back in and then she started to smile
I heard a funny sound
A crazy wail
A funny shutter of a bad magnetic event
A ghost ran through us
Moving like a shadow of a cloud
And I wasn't sure
I thought that something happened but I didn't know what
The moment seemed to fade
And I turned my eyes back to her
That's when I saw
I freeze the look of pre-alert and study it still
Her smile starts to loosen
Her pupils yawn wide and then she's blown
From the face of the earth
There wasn't any wind
No noise, no nothing
Just a body jerked skyward
Limbs flailing like an unloved marionette
At impossible speed
Receding away like a faraway dot
I can see her still
Scream for help but no one answered
She turned end on end
Moving like a long-lost astronaut
I felt the summer air reclaim me
The chirp of a bird, the whisper of leaves
And I was frozen
To the face of the earth
I never really knew the way she lived her life
I tried a couple numbers but they never called back
I didn't know her family or friends at all
With no one to call, summer turned into fall
I gave up
It's been a couple years
And I guess I'm fine about it
It's not like we were married
It was three or four months
And nothing's really different
Though it seems like I've spent my life in planes
Which is kind of strange
But I don't know
I don't know, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
"The Face of the Earth" by The Dismemberment Plan tells the story of a unique and unsettling experience of the singer with a woman he was seeing. From the beginning, the lyrics describe a kiss that wasn't anything special, but it's the events that follow that change everything. Suddenly, the woman gives a crazy wail, and a strange ghost-like entity seems to pass through both of them. The singer is unsure what happened, but then he notices a look of pre-alertness in her eyes that seemingly freezes in place. Then she's shot into the sky in an instant, limbs flailing like an unloved marionette. The singer is left to stand on the face of the earth, shocked and in disbelief, never to see or hear from her again.
The lyrics of "The Face of the Earth" leave much open to interpretation, but it seems to be about the unpredictable nature of life and how something completely out of left field can change everything. The experience the singer has with the woman is surreal and troubling, and it ultimately leads to her disappearing without a trace. The singer has no closure or answers, leaving him to wonder what really happened.
Line by Line Meaning
As kisses go
This kiss was nothing out of the ordinary.
It wasn't anything out of the ordinary
The kiss was unremarkable and didn't stand out in any way.
The alkaline lips
Her lips tasted slightly acidic, like how alkaline substances taste.
The fingers hooked around my belt
She held on to my belt as we kissed.
She had to go
She had to leave, but she hesitated before doing so.
She took a step back in and then she started to smile
As she stepped back, she started to smile and looked like she was up to something.
I heard a funny sound
I heard a strange noise that caught my attention.
Then everything seemed to shift, yeah
After the noise, everything seemed to change in a sudden and unexpected way.
A crazy wail
A loud and unsettling scream echoed through the air.
A funny shutter of a bad magnetic event
A chaotic and unusual disturbance in the magnetic field occurred, causing a shuttering effect.
A ghost ran through us
It felt like a ghostly presence passed through us.
Moving like a shadow of a cloud
The presence moved quickly and smoothly, like a cloud's shadow moving over the ground.
And I wasn't sure
I wasn't certain about what happened or what it meant.
I thought that something happened but I didn't know what
Something significant occurred, but I couldn't identify it or its implications.
The moment seemed to fade
The event was brief and ended abruptly.
And I turned my eyes back to her
I looked back at her, confused and trying to make sense of what happened.
That's when I saw
I noticed a change in her appearance and demeanor.
I freeze the look of pre-alert and study it still
I took a mental snapshot of her expression before it changed further.
Her smile starts to loosen
Her smile became more forced and less genuine.
Her pupils yawn wide and then she's blown
Her pupils dilated suddenly, and then she disappeared in a flash.
From the face of the earth
She vanished completely and without a trace.
There wasn't any wind
Despite the sudden and inexplicable event, there was no noticeable weather disturbance.
No noise, no nothing
There were no other sensory clues to explain what happened.
Just a body jerked skyward
She was lifted into the air by an unseen force, with no apparent cause or explanation.
Limbs flailing like an unloved marionette
Her body moved unnaturally and uncontrollably, like a puppet with broken strings.
At impossible speed
She was taken away at a velocity that defied natural laws.
Receding away like a faraway dot
She disappeared into the distance, becoming smaller and smaller until she was no longer visible.
I can see her still
Despite the passage of time, the memory of her disappearance remains vivid in my mind.
Scream for help but no one answered
I attempted to call out for assistance, but no one was around to hear me.
She turned end on end
She spun rapidly and uncontrollably through the air.
Moving like a long-lost astronaut
Her movements were reminiscent of someone floating aimlessly through space with no sense of direction.
I felt the summer air reclaim me
The warmth and comfort of the summertime surroundings surrounded me once again.
The chirp of a bird, the whisper of leaves
The sounds of nature filled the air, providing a peaceful contrast to the chaos of the event I witnessed.
And I was frozen
I was temporarily unable to move or respond to what had just happened.
To the face of the earth
I felt rooted to the spot, unable to leave or forget what I had just witnessed.
I never really knew the way she lived her life
I never had a clear understanding of her personal life or backstory.
I tried a couple numbers but they never called back
I attempted to contact her loved ones for answers or comfort, but received no response.
I didn't know her family or friends at all
I had no personal connection or relationship with anyone close to her.
With no one to call, summer turned into fall
Without any answers or support, time passed uneventfully and I was left to cope on my own.
I gave up
I eventually stopped actively trying to find answers or closure, accepting that the event was a mystery beyond my understanding.
It's been a couple years
Time has passed, and years have gone by since the event.
And I guess I'm fine about it
I have made peace with not knowing what happened, and have accepted it as an unexplained mystery.
It's not like we were married
Our relationship was brief and not particularly deep, making it easier to move on from.
It was three or four months
The length of our relationship was relatively short, making it easier to process the loss and move on.
And nothing's really different
Despite the passage of time and the strange event, my life has continued as normal.
Though it seems like I've spent my life in planes
My travels and time spent on airplanes have given me a greater sense of perspective and distance from the event.
Which is kind of strange
It may seem unusual or nonsensical that travel has helped me cope, but that is the reality.
But I don't know
I still don't have any clear answers or explanations for what happened.
I don't know, no
I remain uncertain about the true nature and cause of the event.
No, no, no, no, no
Despite my confusion and lack of answers, I have come to accept that it is something beyond my control or understanding.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
I have accepted my inability to comprehend the event, and have moved on from it as best I can.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Eric Christian Axelson, Jason Andrew Caddell, Joseph Wilson Easley, Travis Michael Morrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nature Guitar Run Man
As kisses go
It wasn't anything out of the ordinary
The alkaline lips
Her fingers hooked around my belt
She had to go
She took a step back in and then she started to smile
I heard a funny sound
And everything seemed to shift, yeah
A crazy wail
A funny shutter of a bad magnetic event
A ghost ran through us
Moving like a shadow of a cloud
And I wasn't sure
I thought that something happened but I didn't know what
The moment seemed to fade
And I turned my eyes back to her
That's when I saw
I freeze the look of pre-alert and study it still
Her smile starts to loosen, her pupils yawn wide
And then she's blown
From the face of the earth
There wasn't any wind, no noise, no nothing just a body jerked skyward, limbs flailing like an unloved marionette
At impossible speed
Receding away like a faraway dot
I can see her still, scream for help but no one answered, she turned end on end, moving like a long-lost astronaut
I felt the summer air reclaim me
The chirp of a bird, the whisper of leaves
And I was frozen
To the face of the earth
I never really knew the way she lived her life
I tried a couple numbers but they never called back
I didn't know her family or friends at all
With no one to call, summer turned into fall
I gave up
It's been a couple years and I guess I'm fine about it
It's not like we were married, it was three or four months
And nothing's really different though it seems like I've spent my life in planes
Which is kind of strange
But I don't know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, yeah...
Nature Guitar Run Man
As kisses go
It wasn't anything out of the ordinary
The alkaline lips
Her fingers hooked around my belt
She had to go
She took a step back in and then she started to smile
I heard a funny sound
And everything seemed to shift, yeah
A crazy wail
A funny shutter of a bad magnetic event
A ghost ran through us
Moving like a shadow of a cloud
And I wasn't sure
I thought that something happened but I didn't know what
The moment seemed to fade
And I turned my eyes back to her
That's when I saw
I freeze the look of pre-alert and study it still
Her smile starts to loosen, her pupils yawn wide
And then she's blown
From the face of the earth
There wasn't any wind, no noise, no nothing just a body jerked skyward, limbs flailing like an unloved marionette
At impossible speed
Receding away like a faraway dot
I can see her still, scream for help but no one answered, she turned end on end, moving like a long-lost astronaut
I felt the summer air reclaim me
The chirp of a bird, the whisper of leaves
And I was frozen
To the face of the earth
I never really knew the way she lived her life
I tried a couple numbers but they never called back
I didn't know her family or friends at all
With no one to call, summer turned into fall
I gave up
It's been a couple years and I guess I'm fine about it
It's not like we were married, it was three or four months
And nothing's really different though it seems like I've spent my life in planes
Which is kind of strange
But I don't know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, yeah...
Andrew
Such a great song. I love everything about it.
Finluz
love how weird this one is-- goes from peaceful and tranquil into being really upbeat with just those hints of twanginess in those sharps and flats
bassgirl_denalia
Bass refreshing as a cool summer breeze.
Roy Crowley
The deepest band that ever existed.
Rosa Maria Quiñones
IKR?!! I have been thinking about how to introduce them to folks who are initially resistant about it. They're shouty, some folks think. Pfft. Some folks, y'know?
Belowski
My favourite song
Luke Rogers
Definitely one of mine, too. The lyrics and the meaning behind them have always struck a chord with me.
Redfishingboat
The best ever song about getting ghosted -- before people used the term "ghosted"
Anesthetized
very true