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."
President For What
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Creases indicating fold that kept four walls from caving in
I took a little more of what I take for granted
And filled my plate for fear that gears would turn
And wheels would roll away
Something's got to break you down
Entered the scene (i'm told) on I think it was Monday
For all it could bleed 'til dry
I took a little more 'til I got taken for granted
Cause beautiful boys gave chase
And when they arch your backbone
It's such a dreadful sight
I'll react when faces find you
With jealous fits that gag and bind you
Cause nothing hurts like nothing at all
When imagination takes full control
The lyrics to Death Cab for Cutie's "President of What" paint a picture of a protagonist who is disenchanted with the monotony of life. The song opens with the singer observing something on a rainy Sunday. The "creases indicating fold" allude to the structure in the singer's life that is preventing him from moving forward. He takes more of what he takes for granted; perhaps a metaphor for his mundane routine, in order to fill his plate with fear of the gears turning and wheels rolling away.
As the song progresses, the singer describes how he took a little more until he was taken for granted. The beautiful boys prompted him to continue his self-destructive behaviour. The line, "when they arch your backbone, it's such a dreadful sight," suggests that although the singer recognizes that he is being exploited, he continues to partake.
The song's climax occurs when the singer confesses that "nothing hurts like nothing at all." The imaginative realm that he seeks to inhabit is more painful than the numbness of the reality he finds himself in. This conveys the idea that our dreams and illusions can be stifling if they are not grounded in the lived experience. Overall, "President of What" is a song about the ennui of modern life and the danger of living in a fantasy world.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the scene unfold on a rainy Sunday
I witnessed a situation on a gloomy day
Creases indicating fold that kept four walls from caving in
Wrinkles signify a fold that stopped four walls from collapsing
I took a little more of what I take for granted
I consumed more of what I usually overlook
And filled my plate for fear that gears would turn
I ate more because I was worried about the consequences of staying idle
And wheels would roll away
I was scared that things would get out of hand
Something's got to break you down
Trouble will eventually wear you out
Entered the scene (i'm told) on I think it was Monday
A new problem arose, possibly on a Monday
You drove straight through and mined that quarry
You tackled the obstacle with persistence and dedication
For all it could bleed 'til dry
You exhausted all possible solutions until none were left
I took a little more 'til I got taken for granted
I indulged a bit too much and was not appreciated
Cause beautiful boys gave chase
I was pursued by charming people
And when they arch your backbone
When they hurt you deeply
It's such a dreadful sight
It's a terrible experience to witness
I'll react when faces find you
I'll come to your aid when you are in trouble
With jealous fits that gag and bind you
With feelings of envy that will suffocate you
Cause nothing hurts like nothing at all
Feeling numb is one of the worst feelings
When imagination takes full control
When your thoughts and worries become overwhelming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lydias2447
I saw the scene unfold on a rainy Sunday
Creases indicating fold that kept four walls from caving in
I took a little more of what I take for granted
And filled my plate for fear that gears would turn
And wheels would roll away
Something's got to break you down
Entered the scene (i'm told) on I think it was Monday
You drove straight through and mined that quarry
For all it could bleed 'til dry
I took a little more 'til I got taken for granted
Cause beautiful boys gave chase
And when they arch your backbone
It's such a dreadful sight
I'll react when faces find you
With jealous fits that gag and bind you
Cause nothing hurts like nothing at all
When imagination takes full control
@lunafrankenstein2566
They should play this at every show. 💙
@michaelcook2008
In 1998 I was listening to this song on a sampler from some magazine on my way to see Sarah and I wish I could find her again
@newtonknight4586
I'm addicted in this song since 2010. Congrats 🇧🇷
@lydias2447
I saw the scene unfold on a rainy Sunday
Creases indicating fold that kept four walls from caving in
I took a little more of what I take for granted
And filled my plate for fear that gears would turn
And wheels would roll away
Something's got to break you down
Entered the scene (i'm told) on I think it was Monday
You drove straight through and mined that quarry
For all it could bleed 'til dry
I took a little more 'til I got taken for granted
Cause beautiful boys gave chase
And when they arch your backbone
It's such a dreadful sight
I'll react when faces find you
With jealous fits that gag and bind you
Cause nothing hurts like nothing at all
When imagination takes full control
@cranberrycanvas
"oh i think it twas monday" fucking ben. nothing short of incredible
@nitendler
"That's not funny Plissken"
@liddlmrc
noticed the greatness here.
@angelurbina8158
I'm conflicted as to I don't know if I like this or the version found in "You Can Play These Songs with Chords" better. Great song, nonetheless.
@CharismaStrategies
Songs With Chords version is better.
@manuellopezrivera7041
Such a nice song.