“1, 2, 3, 4” by Plain White T’s
The title of this song (“1,2,3,4”) is meant to allude to the notion of how “easy” it is for the vocalist to love the addressee. In other words, the way she treats him actually encourages Tom to cherish her even more. For instance, the addressee, who by the way is the vocalist’s real-life girlfriend, tends to uplift him when he’s feeling down. Also, she’s not the type to get angry just like that.
So basically, just as the title is simple in nature, so is the thesis sentiment of this piece. The singer not only feels blessed to have “found” that special someone but also, more to the point, is thoroughly smitten by her.
Facts about “1,2,3,4”
Plain White T’s is a band from Illinois who has managed to drop one album, 2006’s “Every Second Counts”, which made it onto the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (and UK Albums Chart).
Meanwhile “1, 2, 3, 4”, which ranks amongst their biggest single hits, is from the studio LP that came after, “Big Bad World“. And that project was made public by Hollywood Records on 23 September 2008.
The bandmates who participated on this song who still serve as the core of Plain White T’s are listed below:
- vocalist Tom Higgenson
- drummer De’Mar Hamilton
- guitarist Tim Lopez
- bassist Mike Retondo
And at the time, they were joined by rhythm guitarist Dave Tirio.
This piece was written by Tom Higgenson and produced by one Johnny K, a prominent studio owner based in Chicago. And Mike Venezia acted as the music video’s director which, despite being backed by minimal funding, proved to be a big hit.
The song itself also fared well, appearing on four Billboard US charts in addition to being certified double-platinum (as of 2013) by the RIAA.
This track is sometimes informally subtitled “I Love You”.
The “Big Bad World” Album
American rock band Plain White T’s released “Big Bad World” as their 5th studio album on August 23 of 2008. It was a follow up to their third studio album with the title “Every Second Counts”.
Groovemaster Studios in Chicago was where recording took place. American record producer Johnny K. was responsible for the album’s production. Jonny happens to be the owner of Groovemaster Studios.
Two American record labels namely, Hollywood Records and Fearless Records jointly backed the album’s release.
In promoting the album, the band embarked on some unorthodox methods. They collaborated with clothing store Aéropostale and gave out limited edition t-shirts from Plain White T’s for every album bought from the store. Customers also got a code to claim a free song (“Love at 10th Sight”) from the band’s website whenever they tried on a pair of jeans at the store.
In addition to “1,2,3,4”, one other single was released from “Big Bad World”. The single in question is titled “Natural Disaster”.
