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."
Call
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and dress them up to make a better you,
'cause all the company calls amount to one paycheck.
I'd squeeze a heart through my fingertip,
but I type too slow to make expressions stick.
And it's like TV with a microchip.
Set your sights, destroy this party line,
Cause it's so tired.
Set your sights, destroy this mock-shrine,
Cause it's so tired.
Let's cut our losses at both ends
and aim your car away from all our friends,
leaving the dishes stacked in the sink.
[Chorus]
I'd keep my distance 'cause the complications cloud it all,
and mail a postcard sending greetings from the Eastern Bloc.
Synapse to synapse: possibilities will thin or fade.
Your wedding figurines: I'd melt so I could drink them in,
and drink them in, and drink them in
I'll take the best of your bad moods
and dress them up to make a better you,
'cause all the company calls amount to one paycheck.
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie's song Company Calls touches on the themes of disillusionment, the desire to escape routine, and the futility of urban life. The singer attempts to modify and improve upon his partner's negative emotions, perhaps hoping to salvage a deteriorating relationship. However, he also acknowledges that the daily grind of making "company calls" on the phone and working a job just to make "one paycheck" is unfulfilling and unsustainable.
The chorus challenges the listener to "destroy" the "party line" and "mock-shrine" that dictate how one should live their life, suggesting that breaking from routine and social expectations is necessary to find new meaning and purpose. The sentiment is echoed in the second verse, with the singer advocating for leaving behind their old life and friends and avoiding the complications that come with them.
The lines "Synapse to synapse: possibilities will thin or fade" and "Your wedding figurines: I'd melt so I could drink them in" continue this exploration of the limitations of urban life, suggesting that even the potential for change or escape is diminishing, and that consuming material goods and memories is the only way to find comfort.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of dissatisfaction and disillusionment with urban life, while also offering a hope that breaking away from routine and expectations can lead to a more fulfilling existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take the best of your bad moods
I will take the positive aspects of your negative emotions
and dress them up to make a better you,
and use them to improve your overall persona
'cause all the company calls amount to one paycheck.
because at the end of the day, all the work we do only results in one salary
I'd squeeze a heart through my fingertip,
I wish I could express my emotions through actions
but I type too slow to make expressions stick.
but I am not good at expressing myself through technology
And it's like TV with a microchip.
The way we communicate is impersonal, similar to modern day technology
Set your sights, destroy this party line,
Break free from societal norms and expectations
Cause it's so tired.
Because it's become mundane and unfulfilling
Set your sights, destroy this mock-shrine,
Break free from false idols and shallow beliefs
Cause it's so tired.
Because it's become stale and irrelevant
Let's cut our losses at both ends
Let's minimize our losses without sacrificing too much
and aim your car away from all our friends,
And distance ourselves from our social circle
leaving the dishes stacked in the sink.
Neglecting our household chores in favor of exploring something new
I'd keep my distance 'cause the complications cloud it all,
I try to stay away from complicated situations because it makes the situation worse
and mail a postcard sending greetings from the Eastern Bloc.
I would rather communicate from a faraway and exotic location
Synapse to synapse: possibilities will thin or fade.
Ideas and opportunities will eventually diminish
Your wedding figurines: I'd melt so I could drink them in,
I would dissolve everything associated with my past, including my wedding, so that I can move forward
and drink them in, and drink them in
Repeatedly immerse myself in this new way of life
I'll take the best of your bad moods
I will take the positive aspects of your negative emotions
and dress them up to make a better you,
and use them to improve your overall persona
'cause all the company calls amount to one paycheck.
because at the end of the day, all the work we do only results in one salary
[Chorus: x2]
Refrain from societal expectations and stereotypes.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD, CHRISTOPHER WALLA, NICHOLAS HARMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
strokesfan1107
I remember learning this song on the guitar when i was 15. I devoted the entire summer to the chorus, it was difficult!
a name
god im doing it right now it's so hard. Could you send some tabs on the off chance you see this?
Pierce Jorgensen
I'm literally doing that right now! I love this song
clone003
Underrated album
juliancisthebest
This is an awesome song. I love the album title and the point of the lyrics
디오 12
my favorite death cab song on my favorite death cab album
Josie
I love this little prog section of We Have the Facts. Two of my favorite songs of all time.
Emerald Wolf
I'll take the best of all your bad moods, and dress them up to make a better you.
Mason Sullivan
3rl
ash tuesday
@Simetry i like this lyric better