Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976 in Bremerton, Washington) is an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976 in Bremerton, Washington) is an American musician and songwriter who has formed several indie bands. He is most notable as the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie; his other projects include The Postal Service and All-Time Quarterback. He has also created music under his name and under the band Pinwheel. Gibbard has released two solo albums: "Former Lives" (2012) and a full-length cover of Teenage Fanclub's album "Bandwagonesque" (2017).

Gibbard has been actively writing, recording and releasing music since 1994, when he graduated from Olypmic High School. He appeared as a guest on Jimmy Tamborello's (his Postal Service collaborator) Dntel album entitled Life is Full of Possibilities (2001) - Specifically, he contributed vocals to the song "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan.". In addition, played bass for the band Pedro the Lion on their 2000 tour, and he played drums on the song 'Carparts' for The Long Winters' 2002 album, "The Worst You Can Do Is Harm." He has also released a split EP with Andrew Kenny (of American Analog Set) in the Home Series on the Post-Parlo record label on March 30, 2004. Styrofoam's 2004 album Nothing's Lost features Gibbard's vocals on the track "Couches in Alleys." Additionally, Ben contributed vocals to a song (Handle With Care) on Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis's side project Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins's album, Rabbit Fur Coat.

Gibbard will make his acting debut in the film "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men," an adaptation of David Foster Wallace's collection of short stories. Actor John Krasinski (NBC's "The Office") wrote the screenplay and directed the film.

Church Mouse In The Church House
Ben Gibbard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Does he know? No, no (4x)

You can be a little church mouse
In a box at the church house
If you never make a sound, now
And he never finds out, now

But you couldn't keep a little church mouse

Not with all the money in your purse, now
Not for all the liquor in the church house
Or the pussy keeping watch now

Does he know? No, no (4x)

Does he know he could'a' saved me? (2x)

How can he know and not be crazy? (2x)

Overall Meaning

In Ben Gibbard's song Church Mouse In The Church House, the lyrics explore themes of secrecy, hiddenness, and the power dynamics between two individuals. The line "you can be a little church mouse in a box at the church house" suggests a desire to hide, to be small and unnoticed, possibly out of fear of being discovered or exposed. The following line, "if you never make a sound, now, and he never finds out, now," suggests that there is a specific person that the singer is referring to, and that they do not want this person to know about their existence, perhaps due to a power imbalance or a forbidden relationship.

However, the lines "but you couldn't keep a little church mouse, not with all the money in your purse, now, not for all the liquor in the church house, or the pussy keeping watch now" suggest that the singer is not content with their invisibility and may be willing to risk exposure or confrontation in order to assert themselves. The references to money, liquor, and a "pussy keeping watch" imply that there may be some sort of temptation or power struggle at play between the two individuals involved.

The recurring line "does he know?" suggests that the singer is constantly preoccupied with the idea of being discovered or exposed. The lines "does he know he could'a' saved me?" and "how can he know and not be crazy?" suggest that the singer may be dealing with a difficult or traumatic situation for which they feel they need saving, but at the same time, they may be struggling with their own feelings of guilt or shame.

Line by Line Meaning

You can be a little church mouse
You can be quiet and go unnoticed

In a box at the church house
You can hide in the church building

If you never make a sound, now
If you don't speak up, remain silent

And he never finds out, now
If he doesn't realize, he'll never know

But you couldn't keep a little church mouse
It's impossible to keep hiding silently

Not with all the money in your purse, now
Money can't ensure safety

Not for all the liquor in the church house
Alcohol or anything else found in the church won't do the trick

Or the pussy keeping watch now
Even if someone is watching out for you

Does he know? No, no (4x)
He's unaware

Does he know he could'a' saved me? (2x)
Is he aware that he could have saved me?

How can he know and not be crazy? (2x)
If he knew he could have saved me, wouldn't he be crazy with guilt?