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."
State Street Residential
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because it hasn't sunk in... so far.
Well it's a drab routine, the dust starts building,
Until it's hard to come clean.
Then nine months stack up to an addictive crutch,
As if the drink weren't enough.
There's no charm in the residential state street.
And if I was sober,
Would I kill caution and stay over?
And if I was sober,
Would I rip hearts apart like paper?
I wish you could know better than you show,
With parted lips pointing down.
That the whiskey soothes more than you could ever do.
And if I was sober,
Would I kill caution and stay over?
And if I was sober,
Would I rip hearts apart like paper?
And what a difference it'd make.
And what a difference it'd make.
And if I was sober,
Would I kill caution and stay over?
And if I was sober,
Would I rip hearts apart like paper?
And what a difference it'd make.
And what a difference it'd make.
State Street Residential is a song by Death Cab for Cutie. The song is a melancholic reflection on the numb feeling that comes from living in an apartment building for a long period of time, watching as the routine of life continues to repeat over and over again. The first verse of the song shows how someone continues to hold on even when the rent checks wear thin because the reality hasn't sunk in . They live out their existence day by day in a state of inebriation, using alcohol as a crutch to distract from the sameness of life. The lyrics are a metaphor for the idea that humans often hold on to things that are bad for them because they are comfortable and familiar, even if they don't bring any real sense of understanding or fulfillment.
The second verse explores the consequences of this lifestyle. The dust begins to build up, which becomes symbolic of the unclean aspects of life that are ignored or avoided. Addictions can take hold, and vices become a constant presence in life. As someone tries to deal with the reality of the situation, they face the harsh truth that they might not be able to cope without their addictions. In the bridge, the lyrics question whether the person would be able to let go of their bad habits if they were sober. The desperation in the lyrics is evident as he questions his own intentions and whether he would rip someone's heart apart like paper if he were in a better state of mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding fast until the rent checks wear thin,
Staying put in a disappointing, unfulfilling life even when monetary support is scarce.
Because it hasn't sunk in... so far.
Acknowledging but refusing to accept the reality of the situation.
Well it's a drab routine, the dust starts building,
Being stuck in a mundane existence which slowly deteriorates over time.
Until it's hard to come clean.
Getting to a point where change seems impossible.
Then nine months stack up to an addictive crutch,
Using unproductive habits as coping mechanisms for an extended period of time.
As if the drink weren't enough.
Struggling with addiction in addition to general dissatisfaction with life.
A stagger cannot compete.
Being unable to overcome the difficulties in life with just alcohol.
There's no charm in the residential state street.
Feeling trapped in a dull, unfulfilling living environment.
And if I was sober,
Contemplating what life could be like without dependency on alcohol.
Would I kill caution and stay over?
Questioning whether or not being sober would result in taking risks and staying in uncomfortable situations.
Would I rip hearts apart like paper?
Confronting the possibility of changing into a destructive person if sobriety was achieved.
I wish you could know better than you show,
Hoping for a deeper understanding from someone despite their guarded exterior.
With parted lips pointing down.
Seeing a sad expression on someone's face even though they don't outwardly express their pain.
That the whiskey soothes more than you could ever do.
Realizing that alcohol offers more comfort than any person could provide.
And what a difference it'd make.
Imagining the positive changes that could occur if things were different.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD, CHRISTOPHER WALLA, JASON MC GERR, NICHOLAS HARMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks