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."
Brothers On A Hotel Bed
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise the youthful boy below
Who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for
Both a beginning and an end
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident
On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind
But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete in the city where we still reside
'Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides like brothers on a hotel bed
In "Brothers on a Hotel Bed," Death Cab for Cutie's lead singer Ben Gibbard reflects on the passage of time and the changes it brings to a relationship. He acknowledges that he has aged and lost some of his youthful charm, but notes that his partner still sees something in him. However, the two of them have grown apart to the point where they're like "brothers on a hotel bed", sleeping side by side but not really connecting. The song's powerful lyricism and slow, melancholic melody bring out the emotional weight of this realization.
The opening lines of the song set the stage for the themes that will be explored throughout: "You may tire of me as our December sun is setting 'cause I'm not who I used to be / No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise the youthful boy below". Gibbard acknowledges that he has aged and lost some of his youthful charm, but notes that his partner still sees something in him that he can't see in himself anymore. This sense of disconnection is compounded by the refrain: "But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident". The singer is aware that he has changed, but isn't sure who he has become.
The second verse describes a failed attempt to leave behind the routine and mundanity of daily life: "On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind / But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete in the city where we still reside". It is a nod to the longing for escape and adventure that many couples experience, but it also highlights the limitations of the world they live in. The song ends with the bittersweet image of two people who have grown apart, but who still share a deep connection, saying goodnight "like brothers on a hotel bed".
Line by Line Meaning
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting 'cause I'm not who I used to be
I understand that as time goes by, you may lose interest in me because I am not the same person I once was.
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise the youthful boy below
Although my exterior has aged, my inner self is still youthful and vibrant, masked by my wrinkles.
Who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for
When I met you, I unexpectedly found something I didn't even know I was searching for.
Both a beginning and an end
Our relationship is both the start of something new and the end of our old lives.
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident
I sometimes don't recognize myself when I catch my reflection because I have changed so much since we first met.
On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind
The two of us were on a motorbike, trying to escape our old lives and start anew.
But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete in the city where we still reside
Even though we were moving quickly, we couldn't escape the city we live in, both physically and emotionally.
And I have learned that even landlocked lovers yearn for the sea, like navy men
As someone who is not near the sea, I have learned that even those who are landlocked can long for it, just like those in the navy.
'Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides like brothers on a hotel bed
Our relationship has come to a point where we are still together, but living separate lives, like two brothers sharing a hotel room bed but sleeping on opposite sides.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin Gibbard, Christopher Walla
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Local Disk D
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting
Cause I'm not who I used to be
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise
The youthful boy below
Who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for
Both a beginning and an end
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident
On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind
But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete
In the city where we still reside
And I have learned that even landlocked lovers yearn
For the sea like navy men
Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting
Cause I'm not who I used to be
Jonathan Morse
This song puts me in a very specific place; I'm probably about 12. I'm sitting in front of my TV, playing Final Fantasy X while my mom cleans up our apartment. It's a Sunday. Pretty sunny, but nothing special. I probably won't go outside. My little brother shoots me with a Nerf gun. We watch Lord of the Rings the next morning. And the next morning.
That's literally it. It's one of the happiest, most joyful memories I can go back to.
derraucherhase123
lil peep skyscraper listen to it
Sara
Love this!
Artemis
Hold on to it, man, trust me. In those memories, you (and they) can live forever.
Matej Ilakovac
"And I have learned that even landlocked lovers yearn
For the sea like, navy men" must be the best line ever written... So real and heartbreaking
ikarusxv
Lovers or Lubbers? Honest question
Anthony S
A friend put me onto this band last week, can't get enough of them now. Don't believe they have been around for 20 years. This song is one of my faves. His vocals are so vulnerable.
Ian-Devon Lewis
You should check out Ben Gibbards Tiny Desk live performances on the NPR channel. Really good.
EPöXY
The vocals are great but I really appreciate the first minute and half. The piano chords and nightmare machine followed by the drum beat and guitar is the peak of chill music
Local Disk D
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting
Cause I'm not who I used to be
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise
The youthful boy below
Who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for
Both a beginning and an end
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident
On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind
But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete
In the city where we still reside
And I have learned that even landlocked lovers yearn
For the sea like navy men
Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
Like brothers on a hotel bed
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting
Cause I'm not who I used to be