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."
Cath
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she can't relax with his hands on the small of her back
And as the flash bulbs burst
She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
And your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Where the things that could have been are oppressed
You said your vows, and you closed the door
On so many men who would have loved you more
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
And your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do
The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
But if their hearts were dying that fast,
They'd have done the same as you
And I'd have done the same as you.
The song "Cath" by Death Cab for Cutie follows the story of a woman named Cath who is in a relationship with a well-intentioned man, but she appears uncomfortable with his physical touch. The song suggests that Cath is unhappy with her life, living in someone else's dream in a hand-me-down wedding dress. She has closed the door on potential lovers who could have loved her more. The song implies that Cath made a mistake in choosing the life she did, but the whispers of those around her indicate that they too are going through similar issues and would have made the same choices if in her position.
The chorus emphasizes that Cath's heart was dying fast, and she didn't know what to do, suggesting that Cath is struggling to find a way out of this unhappy situation. The line "And soon everybody will ask what became of you" adds to the pressure that Cath is feeling, as if she will be judged if she does not conform to societal expectations. The final line of the song, "And I'd have done the same as you," implies understanding from the singer or the audience towards Cath, suggesting that some of us might make similar choices if in her position.
Overall, "Cath" by Death Cab for Cutie is a song that questions the societal expectations of marriage and relationships, suggesting that people often make decisions that do not make them happy, but rather conform to expectations of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Cath, she stands with a well-intentioned man
Cath is with a guy who has good intentions
But she can't relax with his hands on the small of her back
Cath feels uneasy with her partner's touch
And as the flash bulbs burst
There are flashbulbs going off, probably photographers taking photos
She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child
Cath has to put on a smile, even though it's a difficult situation
Cath, it seems that you live in someone else's dream
It appears that Cath's life is being lived for someone else, not for herself
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Cath is wearing a dress that was passed down from someone else
Where the things that could have been are oppressed
The possibilities that could have been possible are suppressed or forgotten
You said your vows, and you closed the door
Cath made her vows and shut the door on other potential options
On so many men who would have loved you more
There were other people who would have loved Cath even more than her current partner
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
Everyone will wonder what happened to Cath
And your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do
Cath was struggling with feelings of heartbreak and didn't know how to proceed
The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
People are whispering that this relationship won't last
But if their hearts were dying that fast,
If other people's hearts were breaking as fast as Cath's was…
They'd have done the same as you
…they would have made the same decision as Cath did
And I'd have done the same as you.
The singer (presumably the singer) would have done the same as Cath
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@crow1628
Cath, she stands
With a well-intentioned man
But she can't relax
With his hand on the small of her back
And as the flashbulbs burst
She holds a smile
Like someone would hold
A crying child
And soon everybody will ask
What became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
Cath, it seems
That you lived in someone else's dream
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Where the things that could have been are oppressed
But you said your vows
And you closed the door
On so many men
Who would have loved you more
And soon everybody will ask
What became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
The whispers that it won't last
Roll up and down the pews
But if their hearts were dying that fast
They'd have done the same as you
And I'd have done the same as you
@ubecocomatchag9227
Cath, she stands with a well-intentioned man
But she can't relax with his hands on the small of her back
And as the flash bulbs burst
She holds a smile
Like someone would hold
A crying child
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
Cath, it seems
That you live in someone else's dream
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Where the things that could have been are oppressed
You said your vows
And you closed the door
On so many men
Who would have loved you more
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
And your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
But if their hearts were dying that fast
They'd have done the same as you
And I'd have done the same as you
@tamiewhiteisboring
Cath...
she stands with a well-intentioned man
But she can't relax with his hand on the small of her back
And as the flashbulbs burst
She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do
Cath...
it seems that you live in someone else's dream
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Where the things that could have been are repressed
But you said your vows, and you closed the door
On so many men who would have loved you more
And soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do
The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
But if their hearts were dying that fast,
They'd have done the same as you
And I'd have done the same as you
@pariahmouse7794
I lived this song, Lír.
Tried to, for you.
But...
There WAS a man, who would love me more.
My heart was dying fast, and I finally figured out what to do...
And that was leave you.
I am sorry, Lír, for the pain I caused you.
But that's all I am sorry for...
Best wishes, my friend.
@mattwheat9722
"She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child,"
That lyric hits me every time. This song is so beautifully written. Go DCFC!
@TroyHuffmanJr
I picture that face everytime.
@kitcalderon7925
how would someone hold a crying child?
@skrimpdaddy
@Kit Calderón with a nervous smile....
@kitcalderon7925
seems a pretty negative portrayal of parenthood, but i guess that fits into the band's general thematics (not hating or anything i love the song, it just occurred to me that perhaps that line was revealing something of gibbard's internalised attitudes towards family.)
@skrimpdaddy
I didn’t get that from this song or that specific lyric I think he is commenting on cath marrying because she is expected to, which makes her unsure and not confident in her decision or choice of husband. So the nervous smile ensues, and that reference is not anti family as much as it is the nervous helplessness of having a crying child in public that produces a nervous smile to a crowd while TRYING to comfort a baby.
@lawrencegeorge5076
I don't think a lot of people know how truly romantically fantastic this band was.
Such a great song.
@isaac_smith
is*
@tomasranta6154
Was? Just saw them in Knoxville and they were great.
@stoicnotsad
Absolutely an ace teir top notch band I'd say