The band's debut album was entitled Belongs to the Dead; and was released on Summersteps Records in 2006. The website AbsolutePunk gave their debut record a generally positive review, noting that "Tigers Jaw is fueled by emotionally-driven lyrics brought to life by vocalist Adam McIlwee, whose voice is one of those that reveal passion while at the same time giving the impression that he's barely trying." A self-titled album followed in 2008; which was released through Prison Jazz Records. Between their second and third albums, the band released an EP, Spirit Desire, via Tiny Engines; as well as a split seven-inch with Balance and Composure. Their third album, Two Worlds, was released on Run For Cover Records in 2010.
From 2010 to 2013, the band partook in several split releases and EPs. This included two acoustic releases for the Run For Cover Acoustic Series (both 2010), a split with The Sidekicks (2011), a seven-inch with two new songs, "Gypsy" and "Jimmy Piersall" (2011); a split with Tiny Empires (2011) and a four-way split release with Code Orange Kids, The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die and Self Defense Family. A seven-inch with two new songs, "Hum" and "Cool," was released in 2013.
On March 21, 2013, Collins made an announcement on the band's Tumblr: "After our show in Scranton two weeks ago, Adam, Pat, and Dennis let Ben and I know that for personal reasons they are unable to do Tigers Jaw anymore." Members of Basement filled in for former members of Tigers Jaw during their 2013 UK tour. The band released their fourth studio album, Charmer, in May 2014, though they are not broken up, it is the final album to feature McIlwee, Mishko and Brier.
Since McIlwee's departure from the band he has lead onto solo-recording act Wicca Phase Springs Eternal joining Gothboiclique in 2012, he has also released music with his group Misery Club started in 2018.
Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine
Tigers Jaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me everything is how it should be
Lie to me, did you have to?
Because in the end it never matters what I think
And I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline
And I can see myself reflected in your eyes
And this was all a dream
A portrait in grey scale
A perfect betrayal
And I can't even breathe with this weighing on my chest
You knew me at my best
Now I can't even stand on my own
"Plane vs. Tank vs. Submarine" is a hauntingly melancholic song that delves into the pain and trauma of a failed relationship. The chorus of the song, "Lie to me like you used to, tell me everything is how it should be," is a plea from the singer to their former partner to return to the days when they were happy together. The singer is thoroughly disillusioned with the end of the relationship and the subsequent realisation that their partner had been lying to them. The line "Because in the end it never matters what I think" speaks to the powerlessness felt by the singer, who was unable to affect the outcome of the relationship despite their efforts.
The verse "And I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline, and I can see myself reflected in your eyes" speaks to the singer’s confusion and disorientation in the wake of the relationship's ending. The reflection in the partner's eyes could indicate that the singer had lost their sense of identity in the relationship, and only saw themselves through the eyes of their partner.
The song's title is derived from a hypothetical question, "who would win in a fight between a plane, a tank, and a submarine?" The question is a metaphor for the conflict and argumentation that the singer is going through with their former partner. The song touches on themes of loss, betrayal, disillusionment, and powerlessness, making it a compelling insight into the human psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
Lie to me like you used to
Please pretend that everything is okay, just like you used to do.
Tell me everything is how it should be
Convince me that everything is normal and nothing has changed, even though it has.
Lie to me, did you have to?
Did you really have to lie to me, even though I already knew that things were different?
Because in the end it never matters what I think
It doesn't matter what I believe or how I feel because our relationship has already been compromised.
And I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline
I am so confused that I cannot differentiate reality from my imagination.
And I can see myself reflected in your eyes
Your eyes are so transparent that I can see myself reflected in them, which shows me how hollow our relationship has now become.
And this was all a dream
Our relationship was nothing more than an illusion created in my mind.
And it's coming back to me
I am now skeptical of everything that you have ever told me and I am starting to see the truth.
A portrait in grey scale
Our relationship is now devoid of any color, happiness or life. It is simply a dead and stagnant image.
A perfect betrayal
Our relationship had the perfect foundation of trust and honesty which you have now betrayed.
And I can't even breathe with this weighing on my chest
The weight of the betrayal has become too heavy for me to handle and I feel like I am suffocating under its burden.
You knew me at my best
You were present in my life when I was at my happiest and most contented self.
Now I can't even stand on my own
The betrayal has left me weak, vulnerable and shattered to an extent that I can no longer stand on my own.
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@FlippyFloopster
Lie to me like you used to
Tell me everything is how it should be
Lie to me, did you have to?
Because in the end it never matters what I think
And I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline
And I can see myself reflected in your eyes
And this was all a dream
And it's coming back to me
A portrait in grey scale
A perfect betrayal
And I can't even breathe with this weighing on my chest
You knew me at my best
Now I can't even stand on my own
@FlippyFloopster
Lie to me like you used to
Tell me everything is how it should be
Lie to me, did you have to?
Because in the end it never matters what I think
And I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline
And I can see myself reflected in your eyes
And this was all a dream
And it's coming back to me
A portrait in grey scale
A perfect betrayal
And I can't even breathe with this weighing on my chest
You knew me at my best
Now I can't even stand on my own
@willhokkey1698
thanks dumbass
@crimsn4405
It's been over 10 years and this will always be a banger 💜
@claytoneverett2139
"Lie to me, did you have to? Because in the end it never matters what I think."
These words live rent free in my soul
@ahnafdrubo9727
this started playing on my spotify discover weekly or sth. vibed w it instatly and have been listening ever since. just searched it up on yt to find it's 10+ years old, never would've guessed. totally sounds like the emo stuff going around nowadays
@Beatjoy5511
damn this takes me back to senior year of high school, i fell in love with this girl in a different school, n she was the first person i was serious about.
she showed me tigers jaw and ironically enough to lied to me during the other half of the relationship and this song brings so much different memories now because of it
@Six2Killah
2022 and it's still the best song to define the after betrayal
@marvincontreras7860
2022 and still listen to this song on repeat
@VBC_Records
as someone stemming out of the same era in that area watching them, title fight and a handful of others make their way out of the soulless pit that NEPA is, this is by far the best record to ever come out of the area with floral green a close second and theres no argument at all
@Henderson182
Nostalgia! First Tigers Jaws’ song I heard.