Death Cab began as a solo project of Ben Gibbard, now the band's vocalist and guitarist. Gibbard took the band name from the satirical song Death Cab for Cutie, performed by The Bonzo Dog Band in The Beatles' 1967 experimental film Magical Mystery Tour. As Death Cab for Cutie, Gibbard released a cassette titled You Can Play These Songs with Chords; the release was surprisingly successful, and Gibbard decided to expand the band into a complete project. He recruited Chris Walla (who had also worked on the cassette) as an electric guitarist, Nick Harmer as bass guitarist, and Nathan Good to play drums.
The four released the LP Something About Airplanes on August 18th 1998. The album was favorably reviewed in the independent music scene, and in 2000 the band released We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes. Nathan Good left the band at some point during this album's production. His playing on “The Employment Pages” and “Company Calls Epilogue” were kept, but Gibbard played drums on all other songs.
Michael Schorr would first appear on The Forbidden Love E.P., released on October 24, 2000. In 2001, another LP was released, entitled The Photo Album. Limited editions of this album contained three bonus tracks, which were later released separately as The Stability EP.
In 2003, there was another change of drummer, with Jason McGerr of Eureka Farm replacing Schorr. McGerr would play drums on the next release, Transatlanticism.
Transatlanticism was released in October of 2003. It received critical praise and also became the band's top-selling album, with 225,000 copies sold during its first year out.
In spring of 2004, the band recorded a live E.P. titled The John Byrd E.P., named for their sound engineer. The E.P. was released on Barsuk Records in March 2004.
In November of 2004, Death Cab for Cutie signed a “long-term worldwide deal” with Atlantic Records, leaving their long-time label Barsuk Records. Gibbard stated on the official website www.deathcabforcutie.com that nothing would change except that “Next to the picture of Barsuk holding a 7", there will be the letter "A" on both the spine and back of our upcoming albums.” This was a marked change from Gibbard's earlier views on major-label relations, which he said “are set up to fuck you and take all your money.”. After signing to Atlantic, the band was still nervous about corporate economics, and encouraged fans to download its songs from the Internet.
The first and second singles off the band's Atlantic Record release Plans were “Soul Meets Body” and “Crooked Teeth”, respectively. The full album was released in August of 2005. Plans was somewhat well-acclaimed by critics and fans, and received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album of 2005. It achieved Gold Status in 2006 after charting on Billboard for 47 consecutive weeks.
The band released a touring DVD titled Drive Well, Sleep Carefully in 2005. Known for their contributions to animal rights, the band is supporting the activist group PETA in giving away copies of the DVD to promote animal rights.
In early 2006, the band announced the upcoming release of Directions, eleven short films inspired by songs from the Plans album, each directed by a different person. The videos were posted one at a time at the band's website and the DVD went on sale April 11, 2006.
On May 12, 2008 their album, Narrow Stairs, was released and was well received by both critics and fans. It was their first album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200. The album contains the singles "I Will Possess Your Heart", "Cath..." and "Grapevine Fires".
The band's latest released The Open Door EP, which was released on March 31, 2009. Their main styles consist of slow progressive rock with dark lyrics.
The band's seventh album, Codes and Keys, was released on May 31, 2011. The album's first single was "You Are A Tourist".
On October 11, 2013, the band reportedly began working on their eighth studio album. This was then confirmed by the group's official Instagram profile in which an image was uploaded with the caption "DCFC LP8 begins". The new album will be produced by Rich Costey and is expected to be released in early 2015. In an interview with Stereogum, Gibbard said of the new album, "I do think from start to finish it's a much better record than Codes And Keys. If that record turned anybody off, I feel pretty strongly that this one could win them back. There are threads in this one that connect back to our earliest stuff that people love." On October 29, 2013, the band released a remastered tenth-anniversary version of their 2003 album Transatlanticism. The new album included a vinyl LP and MP3 download, with demos for all the songs from the album.
As part of the 2014 Record Store Day, the band released its first live album, a vinyl-only double LP recorded during various 2012 tour dates with Magik*Magik Orchestra. Included within the packaging was a code for a digital download of the recording.
On August 13, 2014, after 17 years as a member of Death Cab for Cutie, guitarist and songwriter Chris Walla decided to part ways with the band, with his last performance occurring on September 13, 2014 at the Rifflandia Music Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. Walla states that he plans to "...continue making music, producing records, and erring on the side of benevolence and beauty whenever possible." When asked in an interview about Walla's involvement in the eighth album, McGerr confirmed that Walla "played on everything and has been involved all the way through, even in the mixing. Even though he's played his last show with us, he's still been involved in everything involving this record."
02.A Movie Script Ending
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the shop fronts on holly are dirty words (asterisks in for the vowels).
We peered through the windows... new bottoms on barstools but the people remain the same, with prices inflating.
As if saved from the gallows.
There's a bellow of buzzers and the people stop working and they're all so excited.
Passing through unconscious states.
With your hand on my shoulders, a meaningless movement... a moviescript ending,
And the patrons are leaving, leaving.
Now we all know the words were true in the sappiest songs (yes, yes).
I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep, they're just shuffling the sheets, they toss and turn,
(You can't begin to get it back).
Passing through unconscious states.
When I awoke I was on
The onset of a later stage... the headlights are beacons on the highway.
In "A Movie Script Ending," Death Cab for Cutie creates a melancholic and dreamy atmosphere with their lyrics. The song revolves around the theme of nostalgia as the singer takes a trip down memory lane to a past lover. The lyrics create a vivid image of a small town where nothing ever changes except the prices, and everyone is stuck in the same place. The mention of the hazy air of the railroad and the dirty words on the shop fronts on Holly gives us a sense of familiarity with the place, which adds to the nostalgia.
The singer finds himself in a state of unconsciousness as he passes through different states, and when he wakes up, he finds himself on the highway. The mention of the headlights being beacons on the highway gives us an image of hope and direction, leading to a later stage of his life. This shows us that even though he misses his past lover, he is moving forward and finding a new direction in life.
The line "With your hand on my shoulders, a meaningless movement... a moviescript ending" suggests that the relationship they had may have lacked passion or closeness, and it ended with a predictable script-like ending. The patrons leaving the bar symbolize the end of an era, as the singer is moving on from his past and leaving his old life behind.
Overall, "A Movie Script Ending" by Death Cab for Cutie is a beautifully written song that captures the essence of nostalgia and moving on from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever I come back, the air on railroad is making the same sounds.
Returning to this place, the familiar sounds of the nearby railroad fill the air.
And the shop fronts on holly are dirty words (asterisks in for the vowels).
The stores on Holly Street are covered in graffiti and symbols to censor offensive language.
We peered through the windows... new bottoms on barstools but the people remain the same, with prices inflating.
Looking into the bar, we see new furniture, but the same people and rising prices.
As if saved from the gallows.
It feels like a miraculous escape from death.
There's a bellow of buzzers and the people stop working and they're all so excited.
The sound of alarms cause people to stop working and become excited.
Passing through unconscious states.
Moving through states of unawareness or lack of consciousness.
When I awoke I was on the highway.
After being unconscious, I regained awareness on a highway.
With your hand on my shoulders, a meaningless movement... a moviescript ending,
Your touch feels empty and the experience seems scripted like a movie's climax.
And the patrons are leaving, leaving.
The customers are all departing from the location.
Now we all know the words were true in the sappiest songs (yes, yes).
We all understand that the lyrics of the most sentimental songs are based in truth.
I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep, they're just shuffling the sheets, they toss and turn,
Even though I try to push these thoughts aside, they persist and keep me from restful sleep.
(You can't begin to get it back).
It's impossible to fully recover what has been lost or damaged.
The onset of a later stage... the headlights are beacons on the highway.
The beginning of a new phase is represented by the bright lights of cars on the highway.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks