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."
Passenger Seat
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then begin to breathe in
The darkest country road
And the strong scent of evergreen
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
Then looking upwards
I strain my eyes and try
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
"Do they collide?"
I ask and you smile
With my feet on the dash
The world doesn't matter
When you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride
When you need directions then I'll be the guide
For all time
For all time
The lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie's Passenger Seat paint a picture of a couple on a road trip, with the singer admiring the beauty of the surroundings from the passenger seat. The opening lines describe rolling down the window and inhaling the fresh scent of evergreen as they drive through a dark country road. The singer then strains to distinguish between shooting stars and satellites in the sky, taking in the wonder of the universe from their vantage point.
The chorus speaks to the intimacy and trust in the couple's relationship, with the singer offering to support and guide their partner no matter what: "When you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride, when you need directions then I'll be the guide, for all time, for all time." The song seems to capture a moment of peace and contentment, with the couple finding solace in each other as they journey together.
Overall, the lyrics of Passenger Seat paint a beautifully romantic picture of a road trip with a loved one, highlighting the simple pleasures and deep connection that can come from sharing a journey with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
I roll the window down
I lower the car window
And then begin to breathe in
I start inhaling
The darkest country road
The rural path is pitch black
And the strong scent of evergreen
The aroma of pine is intense
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
Sitting next to you as you drive me back
Then looking upwards
Now I'm gazing upwards
I strain my eyes and try
I squint and attempt
To tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites
Distinguish between meteors and artificial satellites
From the passenger seat as you are driving me home
Next to you as you navigate back
"Do they collide?"
"Do they crash into each other?"
I ask and you smile
I query and you grin
With my feet on the dash
Relaxing with my feet on the dashboard
The world doesn't matter
The globe is insignificant
When you feel embarrassed then I'll be your pride
When you're shy, I'll support you
When you need directions then I'll be the guide
When you seek directions, I'll guide you
For all time
Forever
For all time
Forever
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Spiritryptamine
I roll the window down,
And then begin to breathe in,
The darkest country road,
And the strong scent of evergreen,
From the passenger seat as,
You are driving me home,
Then looking upwards,
I strain my eyes and try,
To tell the difference between,
Shooting stars and satellites,
From the passenger seat as,
You are driving me home,
Do they collide ?
I ask and you smile,
With my feet on the dash,
The world doesn't matter.
When you feel embarrassed,
Then I'll be your pride,
When you need directions,
Then I'll be the guide,
For all time,
For all time.
skakirask
My high school girlfriend introduced me to DCfC by putting this on a mix CD (ha, remember those?) she made me for my birthday. One of the happiest memories of my life was putting this on and singing along with her during the long drive down her street to take her home. Needless to say, we broke up later on. It's been almost 20 years since then and some days I still wish things had turned out differently between us.
L Swogs
I'm stumbling upon all of these songs right after losing my best friend and I wish he was here to hear them all with me. I miss you, Nick.
The Shape🎃
Sorry for you loss keep your head up. Going thru a suicidal time rn as usual don’t know if imma make it
David Ward
@The Shape🎃 How you doing Gustav? Keep smiling, take a walk in the forest, learn to love yourself. Seek help please. I don't even know you and your pain makes me cry
Maybe Bearable
My name ironically is nick. I'm sure your friend would want to see you move on as best you can and live the best you can make. Keep things up man.
L Swogs
@Maybe Bearable ❤️
Ares Morgan
He hears them🌻
uvp5000
Ben Gibbard is an exceptionally talented lyricist and songwriter. Somehow, he distills the human condition into uncanny and vivid imagery that is as clearly understood as much as it is emotionally moving.
meh586
This song feels like a memory of someone I haven't met yet
Sylvan
I just love how the first time he sings "For all time" it feels like a question, but when it's repeated, it feels like a promise. ❤