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."
405 {Acoustic}
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stated that it's never ever been better than this
I hung my favorite shirt on the floorboard
Wrinkled up from pulling, pushing, and tasting, tasting
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
I missed the exit to you parents' house hours ago
Red wine and the cigarettes
Hide your bad habits underneath the patio, patio
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
You keep twisting the truth
That keeps me thrown askew
In "405 (Acoustic)" by Death Cab for Cutie, the lyrics tell a story of a relationship falling apart due to miscommunications and secrets. The singer takes the 405 - a highway in California - to meet their significant other, but the relationship has deteriorated so much that there's a sense of finality to this meeting. The singer makes it clear that they've arrived at their destination, using a stake as a metaphor. But then the singer backtracks, contending that things have never been better than this. This conflicting combination of finality and hopelessness adds to the tension of the song.
As the song continues, the singer reveals that they're struggling to trust their partner, who "keeps twisting the truth." The 405 has led them to an "alcoholic summer" that's left them lost and disoriented. The singer "missed the exit" to their partner's parents' house, signifying that they've reached a point in the relationship where they're no longer interested in pleasing their partner's family. The alcohol and cigarettes have become a refuge for them, hidden "underneath the patio."
Overall, the song explores the feeling of being lost in a relationship that's come to a dead end. The 405 serves as a metaphor for the singer's attempts to reach their partner, but the lyrics suggest that it's a futile gesture. The repeated refrain of "You keep twisting the truth / That keeps me thrown askew" highlights the main issue at the heart of the song: a lack of trust.
Line by Line Meaning
I took the 405 and drilled a stake down into your center
I drove down the 405, feeling like I had a deep connection with you, staking my claim on your heart and soul.
And stated that it's never ever been better than this
I'm so convinced that this relationship is the best thing ever, and nothing could make it any better.
I hung my favorite shirt on the floorboard
I carelessly tossed my favorite shirt on the car floor, too wrapped up in you to care about anything else.
Wrinkled up from pulling, pushing, and tasting, tasting
The shirt got wrinkled from all the physical contact as we explored our feelings for each other, tasting each other in every sense of the word.
You keep twisting the truth
You're not being completely honest with me, and it's causing me to feel lost and disoriented.
That keeps me thrown askew
Your dishonesty and lack of transparency are causing me to feel disoriented and off balance.
Misguided by the 405 'cause it lead me to an alcoholic summer
I thought the 405 would lead me to something good, but instead it led me to a summer of drinking and self-destructive behavior.
I missed the exit to you parents' house hours ago
I'm so lost and disoriented that I can't even find my way to your parents' house, a place I should know how to get to by now.
Red wine and the cigarettes
I drown my problems in alcohol and cigarettes, desperately trying to numb the pain of this failed relationship.
Hide your bad habits underneath the patio, patio
You're trying to hide your own bad habits, pretending like everything is okay while putting up a facade for the world to see.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks