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."
Flustered / Hey Tomcat!
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw a lot of liquor
I saw my tomcat
Famose
I saw my tomcat
What?
Tomcat
What?
Tomcat
I saw a bowl of milk
And I said
"Hey"
What?
I got news for you
That's weird
I got news for you
I got news
10, 5, 0 meters
I think it's, um. ..
I like the beat a lot
And I like the pool
And I can dance around the room
And I
Tomcat
Hello, tomcat
News for you
What, tomcat?
News for you
What, tomcat?
As you're listening to heart sounds
And murmurs
Instead of using words to
Describe them
It's somewhat like eating an apple
And trying to describe how it tastes
What
Tomcat
So what?
The lsd
What?
I'm unsure
I got news for you
Some kind of lsd
Sure enough, I'll come
Tomcat
And I'm sure
The rumors
I got news for you
Hey, tomcat
And I'm sure the rumors
What, tomcat?
And I'm sure the box I
And I'm sure the box
Some kind of L word
One of the ls words
What the ls?
The L word
The lsd pill and the cat
What is going on, motherfucker?
No, no
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
There's salt
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
You're so flustered
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
You're so flustered
I excel at stone
When given the exposed
I am Brian
The lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie's song Flustered/Hey Tomcat! are characterized by a stream-of-consciousness narrative, where the singer jumps from one thought to another in a seemingly random fashion. The song appears to describe a night of experimentation with drugs and alcohol, where the singer's feelings are overwhelming and disjointed. The lyrics convey a sense of confusion and disorientation, as the singer struggles to make sense of their surroundings.
The song starts with the singer recounting a time when their parents were gone, and they saw a lot of liquor and their tomcat, Famose (a moniker that could be seen as a play on words on "famous" and "feline"). The singer also notices a bowl of milk, prompting them to exclaim "Hey!" and offer some news (although it's unclear what that news is). Then the singer jumps to an unrelated topic, describing distances in meters and expressing their affection for a beat and a pool where they can dance around.
The chorus repeats the word "Tomcat" several times, as if the singer was trying to communicate with their pet. The lyrics then become more cryptic, referencing heart sounds and murmurs that are hard to describe, and mentioning some kind of L-word and LST, which could be interpreted as LSD. The song ends with a distorted exchange between the singer and an unknown voice, where they discuss salt, being flustered, and the word "Brian", which could be a reference to singer-songwriter Brian Wilson.
Line by Line Meaning
Once when my folks were gone
My parents were away and I was by myself
I saw a lot of liquor
I noticed there was lots of alcohol in the house
I saw my tomcat
I saw my pet cat
Famous
This is likely an interjection or expression of awe
I saw my tomcat
I saw my pet cat
What?
This is likely a response to confusion or disbelief
Tomcat
Referring again to the pet cat
What?
Expressing disbelief or confusion again
My tomcat
Referring to the same pet cat again
Tomcat
Sounds like the artist is trying to get the cat's attention
I saw a bowl of milk
I noticed a bowl of milk
And I said
I spoke aloud
"Hey"
This is an expression used to get someone's attention
What?
The singer is likely responding to confusion or disbelief again
I got news for you
The singer is about to share some information
That's weird
Expressing surprise or confusion about the previous statement
I got news for you
The artist is reiterating that they have something to share
I got news
Reiterating the previous idea of sharing information
10, 5, 0 meters
This could be a reference to distance, but its meaning is unclear
I think it's, um. ..
The artist is unsure or hesitant about what they are trying to say
I like the beat a lot
The artist is enjoying the rhythm or tempo of the music in the background
And I like the pool
The artist is stating their appreciation for a swimming pool
And I can dance around the room
The singer is suggesting they are able to move and dance with the music
And I
This could be the start of another thought, but it is unclear
Tomcat
Referring to the pet cat again
Hello, tomcat
Acknowledging the cat's presence
News for you
Reiterating that the singer has some information to share
What, tomcat?
The artist is trying to engage with the cat again
News for you
Reiterating their earlier statement of having information to share
What, tomcat?
The singer is engaging with the cat again, possibly in a playful way
As you're listening to heart sounds
This line is a bit abstract and may be open to interpretation, but it could mean someone is focused on listening intently to something
And murmurs
This is likely a continuation of the previous thought, possibly meaning the artist is listening for subtle noises
Instead of using words to
The artist is suggesting there may be more subtle ways of describing something than just using language
Describe them
Continuing the previous thought, suggesting there is value in alternative methods of description
It's somewhat like eating an apple
This is another abstract line that may be open to interpretation, but it could mean that some experiences defy easy description
And trying to describe how it tastes
Continues the previous thought, suggesting that some experiences are difficult or impossible to fully communicate through words
What
This interjection could be expressing confusion or disbelief, or it could be a continuation of the previous line
Tomcat
Referring to the pet cat again
So what?
This is likely an expression of apathy or indifference
The lsd
The artist is talking about the drug LSD
I'm unsure
The artist is expressing uncertainty or indecisiveness
I got news for you
The singer has some information to share
Some kind of lsd
The singer is specifying that the information has to do with LSD
Sure enough, I'll come
This line is a bit unclear, but the artist may be indicating willingness to participate or get involved
Tomcat
Referring to the pet cat again
And I'm sure
This is an expression of confidence or certainty
The rumors
The singer is likely referring to gossip or hearsay about something
Hey, tomcat
The artist is addressing the cat again
And I'm sure the rumors
The singer is reiterating that they have confidence in the gossip or hearsay
What, tomcat?
The singer may be trying to get the cat's attention or engaging with it playfully
And I'm sure the box I
This line is a bit vague, but the singer may be talking about a container of some kind
And I'm sure the box
This is a repetition of the previous line, offering more emphasis
Some kind of L word
The artist is specifying that whatever they are talking about starts with the letter L
One of the ls words
The singer is being more specific about the previous statement, indicating that it has to do with words starting with the letter L
What the ls?
This is an expression of bafflement or confusion, indicating the singer doesn't understand what's going on
The L word
This is a reference to the TV show of the same name, which is known for exploring themes related to sexuality and relationships
The lsd pill and the cat
The artist is likely referencing the drug LSD again, but it is unclear what the cat has to do with it
What is going on, motherfucker?
This line is an expression of aggression or frustration, and suggests that the situation has become confusing or upsetting
No, no
This is likely meant to indicate denial or negation of some previous idea or statement
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
This could be an approximation of a musical riff, or it could be more abstract
There's salt
This line is unclear, but it could be a half-formed idea about something being salty
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
This is a repetition of the previous line, with the same possible interpretations
You're so flustered
The singer is commenting on the emotional state of someone in the situation, suggesting they are agitated or anxious
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
This is a repetition of earlier musical riff
Contributed by Addison P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks