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.
Complicated
Ben Gibbard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you would only let it be
Then you would see
I like you the way you are
When we’re driving in your car
And you’re talking to me one on one
But you’ve become
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else - gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
And you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
And promise me you’re never gonna find you fake it
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you’re something else
Where you are and where it’s at you see
You’re making me
Laugh out when you strike your pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know you’re not fooling - - this is serious!
- - become
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else - gets me frustrated
Life’s like this you
And you fall and you crawl and you break
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
And promise me you’re never gonna find you fake it
Chill out whatcha yelling for
Lay back it’s all been done before
And if you would only let it be
Then you would see
Somebody else ‘round everyone else
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You’re trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
The lyrics of the song "Complicated" by Ben Gibbard tell the story of someone who is trying too hard to be someone they're not. The opening lines are meant to calm the person down and ask them to stop yelling and laying back since everything has already been done before. If they allow themselves to be their true selves, they will see that the person whom they like, likes them just the way they are.
As the song progresses, the narrative shifts to the frustration that the singer is feeling since the person they liked has started to act differently in front of everyone else. The singer is watching the person they admired before become someone else - someone who is always watching their back and trying too hard to look cool in front of others. The singer is unable to understand why the person has made things so complicated for themselves.
In the end, the song asks the person to be true to themselves and show the world who they really are. The singer assures them that it's okay to fall and crawl and break, but they should always be honest with themselves and never fake who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Chill out whatcha yelling for
Relax, why are you making a big deal out of nothing?
Lay back it’s all been done before
Take it easy, everything that's happening has already happened before.
And if you would only let it be, Then you would see
If you relaxed and stopped trying to control everything, you would see things more clearly.
I like you the way you are
I like you just the way you are, you don't have to pretend to be someone else to impress me.
When we’re driving in your car, And you’re talking to me one on one
I enjoy spending time with you, especially when we're alone and free to talk without anyone else around.
But you’ve become somebody else ‘round everyone else
However, when you're around other people, you act like a different person and try to be someone you're not.
You’re watching your back like you can’t relax
You're constantly worried that people are judging you and can’t relax and be yourself.
You’re trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
You're acting like you're too cool for school, but to me, you just look silly and out of place.
Tell me, Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated
I don't understand why you're making everything so complicated and difficult when it doesn't have to be.
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else - gets me frustrated
I'm frustrated because you're trying so hard to be someone else that you're not being true to yourself.
Life’s like this you
That's just the way life is.
And you fall and you crawl and you break
Life can be tough, and you'll have your ups and downs.
And you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
But you can take those experiences and turn them into something honest and true to yourself.
And promise me you’re never gonna find you fake it
Promise me that you'll never pretend to be someone you're not just to impress others.
You come over unannounced, Dressed up like you’re something else
Sometimes you come over unannounced and try to impress me by dressing up like someone you're not.
Where you are and where it’s at you see, You’re making me
But it's not necessary, and it's actually making me uncomfortable.
Laugh out when you strike your pose, Take off all your preppy clothes
I can't help but laugh when you strike those poses and try to look cool, but it's not working.
You know you’re not fooling - - this is serious!
You're not fooling anyone, and this is actually a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
Contributed by Kennedy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anna Zhang
my goodness this man is amazing! ahahah, i loved the part when he sang "pose" like avril did in the actual song. man, i wish he could've done this at the death cab show i went to.. or was this on his solo tour?
Jac
To be honest, if I had no idea who Avril Lavigne was, I'd probably think this was Ben's own handwritten song lmao
David Brubacher
"Guys it's a serious song" but he can't but laugh. I love this.
incircles
i just spent the last hour working up a slow, folky cover of this song. i was amazed by how much i could actually feel the lyrics when i sang them; it's a great song, really. and now i find out that this punk beat me to it.
Mike Lee
Its amazing how he can turn any song into a masterpiece. Solid singer he is
chmtucke
I love when he says, "this song is serious guys." hahaha
LingProductions
ah, Ben Gibbard, everything he sings is simply amazing and this is no exception, i personally always liked this song for it's lyrics and such, tho i feel it's recieved so much hate from the indie listeners simply because it was made by a pop princess. sigh, well this is still awsome, sing on Ben Gibbard
Charles Ho
he hits every note and pitch perfectly, he has like total control of his voice
JophieXD
Very nice voice!!!I like it!!^^Don't stop singing!!
charmed3690
he actually makes this song worth listening to, Gibbard is the man