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."
Codes And Keys
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flying in circles inside a jar
'Cause the air we breathe
Is thinning with the words that we speak
That we speak
You and me
That we speak
You're on the floor
Fearful of what's outside your door
But the codes and keys
They can protect you
From the pangs of jealousy
When you scream
Love you see
Like a child
Throwing stones at the sky
When they fall back to earth
As minor chords of major works
Separate rooms of single life
We are one
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
The song "Codes and Keys" by Death Cab for Cutie featuring Magik*Magik Orchestra is a beautiful commentary on the limitations of human communication and the fragility of our existence. The first verse speaks directly to the difficulty of expressing ourselves through language, as the air we breathe becomes thinner with the words that we speak. Despite our best efforts to connect with each other, we are limited by our own perceptions and biases.
In the second verse, the song's focus shifts to the theme of security and protection. The codes and keys mentioned here may be literal keys to a door or a safe, or they may be metaphorical ways in which we guard ourselves from the world outside. In either case, the song suggests that these protections can be a double-edged sword, shielding us from the pain of jealousy but also trapping us in separate rooms of our own making.
The final lines of the song offer a sense of hope and connectedness, as the repetition of "We are alive" becomes a unifying mantra. Despite our limitations and vulnerabilities, we are all part of the same grand work of life, sharing the same minor chords and major works.
Line by Line Meaning
We won't get far
Our progress will be limited
Flying in circles inside a jar
We're stuck in our own enclosed environment
'Cause the air we breathe
The atmosphere we're in
Is thinning with the words that we speak
Is becoming less substantial as we talk
That we speak
The words we say
You and me
Between us
You're on the floor
You're in a vulnerable position
Fearful of what's outside your door
Frightened of what lies beyond your immediate surroundings
But the codes and keys
Yet the means of access
They can protect you
Will keep you safe
From the pangs of jealousy
Unpleasant feelings of envy
When you scream
Upon expressing
Love you see
The emotion of love comes to light
Like a child
Similar to an innocent young being
Throwing stones at the sky
Casting rocks upward into the heavens
When they fall back to earth
As they land back on the ground
As minor chords of major works
Within great accomplishments, some smaller elements may go unnoticed
Separate rooms of single life
Individual experiences of solitary existence
We are one
We are united
We are alive
We are breathing and vibrant
We are alive
We are thriving
We are alive
We are living
We are alive
We are present
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aditya Mishra
We won't get far
Flying in circles inside a jar
Because the air we breathe
Is thinning with the words that we speak
That we speak
You and me
That we speak
You and me
You're on the floor
Fearful of what's outside your door
But the codes and keys
They can protect you
From the pangs of jealousy
When you scream
Love you see
Like a child
Throwing stones at the sky
When they fall back to earth
As minor chords of major works
Separate rooms of single life
We are one
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
We are alive
Anabel
I love that violin sound in the background. Not sure if that's the correct instrument but regardless, it sounds so wonderful. This song puts me in a peaceful mood.
Prince Devitt83
I know this band for so Long. One of the most underrated bands ever.
Elias Bartos
Dan Putnam underrated for how good they are
Dan's Drives
I'd hardly call them underrated when their concert tickets are usually $200+ and they have 8 Grammy nominations.
Nero Caesar
I remember faintly, my first girlfriend when I was 16, her laugh, her gorgeous eyes, her scent of vanilla ice cream and strawberries. She would always get me to get out of my "shell". We would stare at the stars, and she asked me to go skinny dipping, I was too nervous never being with a girl, her level of audacity! That was a regret, let me tell you. Seesh, that was decades ago. No idea what she is up to now. I'm now a 62 year old man. Life does really fly, shit. Have fun munchkins! And remember, if you get that pit of nervousness in your stomach but you think something truly good/fun may come out of it, fight the fear, FUCKING do it!
Julia Brito
You made my heart so warm. It's amazing seeing how music can be so magical. You traveled a long time ago just by listening to it, and I'm here, a 28 year old girl with a lot of things going on in life, thinking about a million things and feeling grateful for finding your comment. Thank you. ♥️
buttons :DD
this song and many others off of the codes and keys album reminds me of a time of sadness in my life because this was all i listened to lmao
yet i still listen bc its so... melodic..
iTwerkley
The "we are alive" line gives me so much hope
Honestly I'm clueless as to what the actual meaning is behind this song but that one line gives me hope that I'll be okay when I'm down.
Oneocean
'like a child throwing stones at the sky and when they fall back to earth as minor chords of major works In separate rooms a single life we are one we are alive." My favorite part.
Ash
There are some songs that I wish never end and this is one of them. It's such an awesome, mellow song with a great rhythm.