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."
A Movie Script Ending
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The air on Railroad is making the same sounds
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
Inflating
There's a bellow of buzzers
And people stop working
And they're all so excited, excited
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
With your hands on my shoulders
A meaningless movement, a movie script ending
And the patrons are leaving
Leaving
Passing through unconscious states
When I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
And 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
Just shuffling the sheets to 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, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
Highway, highway
In the song “A Movie Script Ending” by Death Cab for Cutie, the singer returns to his hometown and notices that things appear to be the same, yet different. The air on Railroad is making the same sounds, and the shop fronts on Holly are laden with dirty words. Despite new bottoms being added to the barstools, the people remain the same. It seems like the prices are inflating to keep people from facing the gallows. Suddenly, there's a bellow of buzzers, and people stop working. They seem excited about something.
The singer then passes into a state of unconsciousness and wakes up on the highway, with someone's hands on his shoulders. This movement feels meaningless, like it's a part of a movie script ending. The patrons leave, and it's clear that the words spoken were true, even if they were sappy. The singer puts the words to bed, but they remain awake, shuffling the sheets and tossing and turning. He can't begin to get them back.
The singer then passes into another state of unconsciousness, and he awakens at the onset of a later stage. The headlights are beacons on the highway, which suggests that the singer is on a journey or a transition. The song's lyrics seem to convey a sense of being stuck in a loop, trying to escape memories of the past, but never quite succeeding.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever I come back, the air on Railroad is making the same sounds,
Every time I return to this place, the sounds and atmosphere remain exactly as they were before.
And the shop fronts on Holly are dirty words (asterisks in for the vowels)
The storefronts on Holly Street are covered in vulgar language, censored by the addition of asterisks.
We peered through the windows, new bottoms on barstools but the people remain the same.
We looked inside the bars and saw new furniture, but the same old people were still there.
With prices inflating, as if saved from the gallows.
Despite the rising prices, it feels like the businesses are being saved from financial ruin.
There's a bellow of buzzers and the people stop working and they're all so excited.
The sound of buzzers causes people to stop what they're doing and become excited.
Passing through unconscious states, when I awoke, I was on the highway.
I was driving on the highway, lost in thought and unaware of my surroundings.
With your hands on my shoulders, a meaningless movement, a movie script ending.
Your touch feels hollow and scripted, like a scene from a movie without real emotion.
And the patrons are leaving, now we all know the words were true
As the customers leave, we realize that the things we were saying were actually true.
In the sappiest songs (yes, yes)
Even in the most sentimental songs, there can be truth.
I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep, they're just shuffling the sheets,
I'll try to forget these thoughts and feelings, but they won't go away and keep me up at night.
They toss and turn (you can't begin to get it back)
I can't seem to reconcile or recapture what has been lost.
Passing through unconscious states, when I awoke, I was on the onset of a later stage:
I realized that I am entering a new chapter of my life while feeling disoriented and lost.
The headlights are beacons on the highway.
The headlights of cars on the highway are guiding lights in the darkness, leading me towards my uncertain future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
michaelyn watson
Whenever I come back, the air on Railroad is making the same sounds,
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, when I awoke, I was on the highway.
With your hands on my shoulders, a meaningless movement, a movie script ending.
And the patrons are 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.
Noncandeggiare
Almost 15 years since I first discovered this song, and every single time it still gives me goosebumps (in a good way)
november ajax
I say ghe same. Since 2007 still hurting
Beth
I can’t remember how many times I fall asleep by listening this song (crying).
I’ve been in a long distance relationship for 4 years! And it was hard as hell. Distance makes you sad and every time you have to say goodbye to your loved one it’s exactly this video... tons of emotions and time goes so fast.
Next week I’m taking an airplane...
¡Im getting married to my boyfriend!
and finally we will be together, in the same country, in the same city, without saying goodbye. :)
november ajax
I can say a very similar situation, but with a bad ending.
BreadlySteadly
@november ajax can I hear it?
november ajax
@BreadlySteadly she is from France, me from the south of Hispanic América. We met in a barbecue, I never forget how shocking was the "love at the first sight" for both. a very good relationship in my country and a complicated long distance relationship. After all things, I hate airports.
BathroomTile
Happy for you, hope your marriage is going well
rosechanel
This video is so good because its so realistic. Unlike most music videos this doesn't have crazy dream stuff going on and models for the parts. It's homey and very relatable. Such a good video.
gg_nugu
I'd always loved this song for some strange reason. It's essentially about coming back to your hometown after a long period of time and looking at the way things have stayed the same, so it reminds me of mine. This video, however, really hits home for me. Its the story of two young people in love, one of them is going away, and it basically shows their last day or two together. I've literally lived through this situation, and it's so spot-on. By the end I'm always crying.
James Og
Being someone who just travelled back home for the weekend, I know this conflict of familiarity and unfamiliarity very well. Bittersweet…..You know that you're growing and change is inevitable, but it sucks to see places that hold old memories become different.