Their debut album, In This Way They Found Me, was released on Portland, Oregon's Panther Fact Records in 2000. After releasing saloon song +2 on Barsuk, they played a 2001 national tour with Death Cab For Cutie. The trio's second record, Under the Same Stars, was released in 2002.
Living in the past
The Prom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
your things have long been gone, but mine still remain
I guess that I am living in the past
This time capsule in which I sleep is choking me fast... so fast.
In the mornings I wake up so tired and alone;
scared of the outside and conversations.
"is she well?", "how are you?", "are you feeling alright?"
I just want to sleep: I can see her in my dreams.
Gazing for hours and old photgraphs,
she's beautifully standing there frozen in a laugh.
I know that I look awkwardly alone waiting so patiently next to the phone.
'cause i know when she calls I just might smile and live for a while.
this nightingale screams out every night.
Locked in a cage wishing to be next to your side.
I'd give up my voice just to hear yours in my ear saying,
"goodnight, sweetheart, just rest my dear"
I'm pacing in the living room.
I don't know what to say or do.
I'm waiting for your phont call and for the snow to fall in love with me for all eternity.
The Prom's song "Living in the Past" is a heart-wrenching ballad about the pain of letting go of a lost love, and being trapped in a reverie that hinders the emotional healing process. The song paints a picture of a broken-hearted individual who is still clinging onto the remnants of a relationship that has long been over. The singer of the song admits that although the other person has moved on, they are still living in the past, unable to let go of the memories and the physical reminders of their love. The furniture is still in the same place, but only the singer's things remain, causing them to feel trapped in a time capsule that is suffocating them.
The lyrics convey a sense of loneliness and isolation, as the singer wakes up every morning feeling tired and alone. The singer is afraid of the outside world and interactions with other people, lying to them about their well-being, and pretending that they are okay. They just want to be left alone to sleep, so they can see the person they lost in their dreams. The chorus of the song serves as a metaphor for the singer's situation, comparing the experience to being trapped in a cage like a nightingale, longing for the company of their loved one.
The second verse of the song talks about the singer's obsession with old photographs of their ex. While they gaze upon the pictures, their ex still looks beautiful and happy, while the singer looks awkward and alone. The singer is waiting patiently by the phone for their ex to call, hoping that they will hear their voice and live for a while. The song ends with the singer pacing in their living room, waiting for their ex to call and for the snow to fall in love with them, expressing the desire for a forever love that may never come.
Line by Line Meaning
I left the furniture in the same place;
I haven't moved anything since you left; my world is still the same as when you were here.
your things have long been gone, but mine still remain
You've taken all your belongings away, but I can't seem to let go of mine because they remind me of you.
I guess that I am living in the past
I realize I'm stuck in time; unable to move forward since you departed.
This time capsule in which I sleep is choking me fast... so fast.
My present existence is like a time warp - it's stifling me quickly, and I'm suffocating within it with each passing moment.
In the mornings I wake up so tired and alone;
Each day begins listlessly, with a sense of isolation despite being surrounded by others.
scared of the outside and conversations.
I'm afraid of venturing out or engaging in meaningless small talk with anyone.
"is she well?", "how are you?", "are you feeling alright?"
People ask about my well-being, but I brush off the questions and say I'm fine, even though I'm crumbling inside.
I lie to everyone and say I'm just fine cause I don't want to talk
I keep up the facade that I'm doing well to avoid any scrutiny or concern from others.
I just want to sleep: I can see her in my dreams.
All I want to do is sleep, so I can be with her in my dreams, as that's the only place where we can be together.
Gazing for hours and old photographs,
I spend hours staring at pictures of us from the past.
she's beautifully standing there frozen in a laugh.
She looks gorgeous in the photograph, captured in a moment of joy.
I know that I look awkwardly alone waiting so patiently next to the phone.
I look pathetic sitting alone and waiting for her call, afraid of missing it or being unable to speak coherently.
'cause I know when she calls I just might smile and live for a while.
If she does call, my spirits could lift, and I might be able to feel happy, if only briefly.
this nightingale screams out every night.
Every night, I am tormented with the sound of a bird crying out in agony.
Locked in a cage wishing to be next to your side.
I feel trapped like the bird in a cage, longing to be with her again but powerless to make it happen.
I'd give up my voice just to hear yours in my ear saying,
I would sacrifice anything to hear her voice, especially if she was saying something sweet and intimate.
"goodnight, sweetheart, just rest my dear"
A comforting and loving phrase that I didn't realize how much it meant to me until it was gone.
I'm pacing in the living room.
I'm so anxious and distraught that I can't even sit still; I'm pacing back and forth.
I don't know what to say or do.
I'm at a loss for words or actions, unsure of how to proceed or face the future without her.
I'm waiting for your phone call and for the snow to fall in love with me for all eternity.
I'm waiting for two things that are unlikely to happen - her to call and for it to snow perpetually, symbolizing a fantasy of love that will never come true.
Contributed by Camden P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"Truth is like a recipe for deception." ,dan'
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"My honesty lasts for about 15 minutes. The thorn in my side is my optimism. It's my mom. It's my sister. It's my brothers. Not having a shoulder to cry on that isn't more absorbent than a tampon."
,dan'
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"Components, competence, DNA. Hardware, software, words, ,dan' and the prom discuss none of everyone's business."
,dna'
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"The Prom met Son Ambulance, paid for by Ben Gibbard."
,dan'
(Cursive meets Tom Waits)
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"The only like belongs to me? This is a beautiful album. Just proves my point that the heavy hitting artists of yesterday have a chokehold on music and they're even tickling it's asshole in hopes that dimes will come trickling out, and they'll sue. Man someone should look at these "artists" and give them a plate of truth that would turn their stomach. I am mad enough to starve them until they eat up. Time appetizes the most putrid and rancid of rot. It's truth. Welcome and don't turn either cheek. It won't go away until you say "Hi"."
,dan'
"One mans estate is a dozen or more others rental agreements and eviction notices us by our walk."
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"The only album I ever stole was the Christmas album by Cursive."
,dan' (on the ugly organ again)