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."
Lightness
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm sneaking glances
Looking for the patterns in static
They start to make sense the longer I'm at it
Ivory lines lead, ooh, ooh
Your heart is a river that flows from your chest
Your brain is the dam
And I am the fish who can't reach the core
Ivory lines lead, ooh, ooh
Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you what you know you should want
Ivory lines lead, ooh, ooh
Ivory lines lead, ooh, ooh
Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you want you know you should want
Ivory lines lead, ooh
Ivory lines lead, ooh
The lyrics to Death Cab for Cutie's song "Lightness" convey a sense of confusion and uncertainty regarding emotions and instincts. The singer describes a tear in the fabric of their lover's dress, indicating that something is amiss in their relationship. The singer is searching for patterns in static, trying to make sense of what is happening. As they continue to observe and contemplate the situation, they begin to see the "ivory lines", perhaps a representation of clarity and understanding.
The metaphor of the heart as a river flowing through the body is used to describe the intensity and power of emotions. The brain is depicted as a dam, with the singer being unable to reach the "core" of their lover's true feelings. The lyrics reflect the frustration of trying to decipher what someone else is thinking and feeling.
The repeated lines "oh, instincts are misleading" and "they don't tell you what you know you should want" suggest that the singer is grappling with their own instincts and questioning whether what they want is truly what they should be pursuing. The song ultimately seems to be about the difficulty of navigating emotions and desires, and the struggle to find clarity and understanding in the midst of confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a tear in the fabric of your favorite dress
Something you cherish is damaged and needs attention
And I'm sneaking glances
I'm trying to be subtle, but I'm interested in what's happening
Looking for the patterns in static
Trying to find meaning in chaos and confusion
They start to make sense the longer I'm at it
Over time, I'm beginning to understand what I'm seeing
Your heart is a river that flows from your chest
Your emotions are strong and deeply felt
Through every organ
Affecting all aspects of your being
Your brain is the dam
Your thoughts and actions control the flow of your emotions
And I am the fish who can't reach the core
I am unable to access the deepest parts of your emotions
Oh, instincts are misleading
Our natural impulses can be deceptive
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
Don't always trust your emotions
They don't tell you what you know you should want
Your true desires may not align with your immediate feelings
Ivory lines lead, ooh, ooh
The solution or answer is becoming clear
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aneasybee
There's a tear in the fabric of your favorite dress
And i'm sneaking glances.
Looking for the patterns in static
They start to make sense the longer i'm at it.
Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho
Your heart is a river that flows from your chest
Through every organ
Your brain is the dam
And i am the fish who can't reach the core.
Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho
Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you what you know you should want.
Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho, oo wha-ho
[x2]
Oh, instincts are misleading
You shouldn't think what you're feeling
They don't tell you want you know you should want.
Ivory lines lead
Oo wha-ho
@Adiraha
Death Cab is simply the most expressive group ever. Ben Gibbard is truly a lyrical genius, never has there been one so intuned to the subtleties of our emotional existence.
@sidondon2
Does Death Cab For Cutie not craft the best melodies, lyrics, and vocals of any indie band you've ever heard?It just all comes together to create subtle yet powerful tunes like this. I'm always in awe everytime I listen to them, because the lyrics mean something to me and the melodies carry me through my emotions and the vocals are so comforting as I'm going through this journey :) DCFC <3
@_Bloodsound_
I am here from the book "save me"
@HauntedHarmonics
i’m really curious about the context in which this song is mentioned in the book. Is it just brought up briefly or?
@_Bloodsound_
@@HauntedHarmonics Tbh not so sure anymore. I wrote that comment a year ago, but yeah I think it's only mentioned!
@Metal_Horror
I'd be interested to know also. This has been my favorite Death Cab song since I first heard it.
@christopherstasney8562
One of Death Cab's greatest recordings from their greatest album. I miss these days so fucking much!
@Michirukov
Ah, I remember the days I would replay this entire album in my room and just spend afternoons staring at my ceiling~
@youcallthatcool
Low key named my daughter Ivory after this song
@heyhihellook9494
Thats fucking rad