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."
Jealousy Rides With Me
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such a faithful companion no one could be
And he sits on my shoulder
And whispers the things that make me so bitter, it's sick
Jealousy rides with me
In wake or in slumber, I can't get relief
From the pictures he paints of the passion in heat
And I've tried bribery but to no effect
'Cause there's no amount of money that would get him to split
As long as I'm living and we're not together
I'll be chained to this beast with no chance of severance
'Cause jealousy rides with me
Such a faithful companion no one could be
For a journey that leads to the outskirts of time
But don't worry about me, I'll be fine
It beats being lonely, I'll be fine
The lyrics to the song "Jealousy Rides With Me" by Death Cab for Cutie describe the feeling of being plagued by jealousy. The main idea that runs throughout the song is that the singer is unable to shake off the feeling of jealousy and it is a constant companion that follows him everywhere. The lyrics depict jealousy personified as a creature that "rides with" the singer, sits on his shoulder and whispers things to make him more bitter. The song describes the struggle of trying to overcome this strong emotion and the fact that the singer is held captive to its persistent presence. He tries to bribe it, but it is not enough to get rid of it. The lyrics also suggest that the singer’s jealousy is fueled by passion and heat which further adds to his discomfort.
The use of the phrase "Such a faithful companion no one could be" showcases the irony of having an emotion like jealousy which is often considered as negative and detrimental, but behaves like a good friend that never leaves the singer's side. The lyrics suggest that jealousy is relentless and persistent, and it can never be fully overcome. The phrase "For a journey that leads to the outskirts of time" suggests that this feeling of jealousy is something that can last a lifetime and has no limit or finality. At the end of the song, the singer accepts the presence of jealousy and mentions that it is better to have it than be alone, indicating the complexity of emotions that he experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Jealousy rides with me
I am constantly plagued by feelings of jealousy
Such a faithful companion no one could be
It never leaves my side and is always present
And he sits on my shoulder
It's a constant reminder and influence in my life
And whispers the things that make me so bitter, it's sick
It speaks to me in a way that feeds negative emotions and thoughts
In wake or in slumber, I can't get relief
It is always with me, even in my dreams
From the pictures he paints of the passion in heat
It creates vivid and damaging images in my mind
And though I try, I can't stop listening
I am unable to ignore its influence and control over me
And I've tried bribery but to no effect
I have attempted to make it go away, but it cannot be bought off
'Cause there's no amount of money that would get him to split
No matter how much I try, jealousy cannot be bought or controlled
As long as I'm living and we're not together
As long as I am not with the person I am jealous of, jealousy will always be by my side
I'll be chained to this beast with no chance of severance
I am trapped by it and cannot escape its grip
For a journey that leads to the outskirts of time
Through life and beyond, jealousy will always be with me
But don't worry about me, I'll be fine
I will deal with it and continue to live my life
It beats being lonely, I'll be fine
Having jealousy is better than having no one at all, even though it is a negative presence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nina Đorđević
Jealousy rides with me
Such a faithful companion no one could be
And he sits on my shoulder
And whispers the things that make me so bitter its sick
Jealousy rides with me
In wake or in slumber I can't get relief
From the pictures he paints of the passion in heat
And though I try I can't stop listening
And I've tried bribery, but to no effect
Cause there's no amount of money that would get him to split
As long as I'm living and we're not together
I'll be chained to this beast with no chance of severance 'cause
Jealousy rides with me
Such a faithful companion no one could be
For a journey that leads to the outskirts of time
But don't worry about me, I'll be fine
It beats being lonely, I'll be fine
Orange Lazarus
All these years later, this might be my favorite Death Cab song. I wish they'd stop being ashamed of the fact that they play guitars and get back to this sound.
Also, I miss you, Walla!
John Shenberger
I agree. Bring back the guitars. Summer Years off "Thank You For Today" is the most Death Cab song Death Cab has done lately.
Wallychans
This video has been on YouTube for 11 years. At 23 thousand views it still has not a single dislike. That’s so unbelievably impressive...
DJA Gaming 2
13 years, 27k likes, still no dislikes. Just keeping you updated :)
Nina Đorđević
Jealousy rides with me
Such a faithful companion no one could be
And he sits on my shoulder
And whispers the things that make me so bitter its sick
Jealousy rides with me
In wake or in slumber I can't get relief
From the pictures he paints of the passion in heat
And though I try I can't stop listening
And I've tried bribery, but to no effect
Cause there's no amount of money that would get him to split
As long as I'm living and we're not together
I'll be chained to this beast with no chance of severance 'cause
Jealousy rides with me
Such a faithful companion no one could be
For a journey that leads to the outskirts of time
But don't worry about me, I'll be fine
It beats being lonely, I'll be fine
everett
Oh my god... Ben's voice sounds so amazing in this...
Talendale
One of those little extras, unknown to most, but enjoyed by the few who find it.
kestan568
Great song
Paul Brockbank
I love this song and the video is so sweet DCFC rules
Yusaria S A
Honestly it's my fav death cab for cutie's song