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."
Man in Blue
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why are you calling out
To an old love
To an old love
When you need someone
Why do you always run
To your Lord up above
I just want to understand you
I don't need to be your man in blue
And your days all the same
Prayers like drops of rain
As you wait for the flood
To cleanse everyone
Can you hear my voice
In high lonesome rejoice
Sing a song for you
In and out of tune
I just want to understand you
I don't need to be your man in blue
I just want you to see yourself the way I do
I don't need to be your man in blue
No, I don't need to be your man, man in blue
The Death Cab for Cutie's song "Man in Blue" is a commentary on the complicated nature of love and religion. The lyrics suggest that the singer knows the person they are addressing and wonders why they always turn to God, rather than seeking love from people. In the first verse, the singer questions why the person is calling out to an old love when they know each other's name, perhaps indicating that they should turn to him instead. However, in the next line, the singer calls out the person's tendency to run to their Lord up above whenever they need someone, highlighting the role of religion in providing emotional support.
In the second verse, the lyrics take on a more spiritual tone. The person's life is depicted as a repetitive cycle of waiting for divine intervention, praying for cleansing, and hoping for salvation. In spite of this, the singer's voice remains hopeful, suggesting that even in moments of despair, they can still "sing a song" for the person in question. The final chorus reinforces the singer's desire to understand the person they are addressing but refuses to don the role of the "man in blue," symbolizing the singer's reluctance to become a religious authority figure in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
If you know my name
If you're aware of my identity
Why are you calling out
Why are you trying to contact me?
To an old love
To a past romantic partner
When you need someone
When you require assistance
Why do you always run
Why do you frequently flee
To your Lord up above
To your religious deity
I just want to understand you
I desire to comprehend you
I don't need to be your man in blue
I'm not interested in being your trusted confidant
And your days all the same
Your daily routine is very monotonous
Prayers like drops of rain
Your prayers are frequent and numerous
As you wait for the flood
As you await a life-changing event
To cleanse everyone
To purify and absolve all individuals
Can you hear my voice
Are you able to perceive my speech
In high lonesome rejoice
In solitary, ecstatic celebration
Sing a song for you
Perform a melody dedicated to you
In and out of tune
Occasionally off-key or dissonant
I just want to understand you
I desire comprehension of your character
I don't need to be your man in blue
I'm not interested in being your go-to person
I just want you to see yourself the way I do
I desire for you to recognize yourself as I do
No, I don't need to be your man, man in blue
I'm not seeking a prominent role in your life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Colton Castle
Lyrics:
If you know my name
Why are you calling out
To an old love?
To an old love?
When you need someone
Why do you always run?
To your lord up above?
To your lord up above?
I just want to understand you
I don't need to be your man in blue
Your days all the same
Prayers like drops of rain
As you wait for the flood
To cleanse everyone
Can you hear my voice?
In a high, lonesome rejoice
Sing a song for you
In and out of tune
And I just want to understand you
I don't need to be your man in blue
I just want you to see yourself the way I do
I don't need to be your man in blue
No, I don't need to be your man, man in blue
Harry indeed
30 seconds in and I already love it. Death Cab can do no wrong.
I really Hate Blueberries
It's really good. I honestly just love the vibe the song gives.
Dominic Villalpando
same
Tyne Hugo
Just listened to the whole EP, absolutely amazing. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!! Nothing beats listening to a Deathcab song for the first time.
Spooky
Listening to this song for the first time
Captain Puts
This is amazing! We are so blessed to have new Death Cab music so sooooon! Giving me literal shivers!
Jas Mace
This! This is the DCFC that I love the most. I know all songs can’t be like this and What Sara Said, but I appreciate these more than anything else. Thank you!
OnyxSwordsman
Glad to see that they are still making music
Kaeleb Smith
Thank you death cab for coming back. Absolutely love the new stuff. This song is moving me.
Jessie Jubilee
Love you guys & great song. Been a fan since 2008 & finally got to see a show this past July & it was an awesome experience. Much love🖤✨