Summer Skin
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics


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Squeaky swings and tall grass
The longest shadows ever cast
The waters warm and children swim
We frolicked about in our summer skin

I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and humid air
Then Labor Day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin

On the night you left I came over
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
And I knew your heart I couldn't win




Cause the seasons change was a conduit
And we'd left our love in our summer skin

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Summer Skin" by Death Cab for Cutie describe the sense of freedom and carelessness that often comes with summertime. It paints vivid pictures of the simple pleasures of childhood, such as swings and swimming, and how the season seems to stretch on forever with its long days and heavy air. There's a wistful nostalgia to the song as the singer reminisces on those endless summer days and the joy they brought.


However, the mood shifts when it reaches the middle section of the song. The mention of Labor Day suggests that summer has come to an end, and the phrase "we shed what was left of our summer skin" implies a sadness at leaving the carefree nature of the season behind. The tone becomes even more bittersweet when the song's narrative turns to a lost love. It's clear that the relationship ended at the transition to fall, and the imagery of shedding their summer skin takes on a new meaning - they've shed not only their suntanned skin, but something deeper and more personal. The idea of seasons changing as a conduit for change in life is a poignant one, and it's clear that the singer is struggling with the realization that their relationship couldn't withstand this particular transition.


Overall, "Summer Skin" is a deeply evocative song that captures a sense of both the transience and beauty of life in its many layers.


Line by Line Meaning

Squeaky swings and tall grass
The playful sounds of swings and the sight of tall grass


The longest shadows ever cast
The sun is at its lowest point, creating elongated shadows


The waters warm and children swim
The inviting temperature of the water invites children to swim


We frolicked about in our summer skin
We ran and played carefree in our summer clothing


I don't recall a single care
I was so carefree that I can't even remember being worried about anything


Just greenery and humid air
The lush plant life and humid atmosphere were all that we were aware of


Then Labor Day came and went
The end of summer holiday was met with the passage of time


And we shed what was left of our summer skin
We transitioned into a new season and with it, a new wardrobe and mindset


On the night you left I came over
Following your departure, I visited your empty home


And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
We removed the little blemishes on our skin


Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
Our new clothing may have been flush with excitement and pink in color


And I knew your heart I couldn't win
I understood that I would never find a place in your heart


Cause the seasons change was a conduit
The changing of the season was a metaphor for our relationship, and the endings it may bring


And we'd left our love in our summer skin
The love we had was something of the past and now that season, like our love, was gone




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin D. Gibbard, Christopher Ryan Walla, Jason Patrick McGerr, Nicholas Scott Harmer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@michaelynwatson1086

Squeaky swings and tall grass
The longest shadows ever cast
The waters warm and children swim
We frolicked about in our summer skin
I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and humid air
Then Labor Day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin
On the night you left I came over
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
And I knew your heart I couldn't win
Cause the seasons change was a conduit
And we'd left our love in our summer skin



@k.c.huffman

Labor Day 2023 is coming to a close as I write this YouTube comment, which perhaps only I will ever read again, but as I type these words while listening to this incredibly simple, yet profoundly complex song, I have an appreciation for it even more than I did previously.

My oldest of 4 graduated high school in June and a couple of weeks ago we moved her into her dorm for her Freshman Year in college, not too far from where DCFC spent their college years. It was the greatest, hardest day of my life so far.

Never before had I considered this song in the light of a family growing up and into a new phase - for me, it had always been about that first high school love when one, or both, ultimately realize time, distance, and life have become too much for those fragile bonds to withstand.

I know a new season awaits my daughter, and our family. A season filled with incredible highs, and undoubtedly, some painful lows. I now listen to the cadence of the drumbeat as a constant that keeps us ever-moving forward instead of as a march to the end.

Thank you DCFC for this song - it forever has a spot on my all-time top 5.

#LaborDayHasComeAndGone #WePeeledTheFrecklesFromOurShoulders #AndIKnewYourHeartICouldntWin #WeLeftOurLoveInOurSummerSkin



All comments from YouTube:

@brittany6315

This song came out 17 years ago and it still brings me to tears. Most of this album does.

@markwilliams2206

There is something haunting about it. It speaks to simpler times and leaves me melancholy but I can’t stay away from it

@hulkhatepunybanner

A good cry cleanses the soul. Enjoy.

@brittany6315

@@hulkhatepunybanner ❤️

@brittany6315

@@markwilliams2206 likewise. Some times you need to sit in the melancholy. This is the playlist for it.

@thereal_kpatz

mate , you're not wrong there

3 More Replies...

@danejurus69

Great song. Everything about it is pure beauty. That drum beat is fantastic!

@pgh99504

Did I miss something in this song everyone else seems to be seeing? Everyone else talking like this song is about missing out on youth and to me it's about love that is lost due to change; a romance that grew apart.

@johnherbert7697

I think the beauty of a great song is everyone relates to it in their own way. I'm with you a holiday romance that died when it came back to real life. But maybe that's because it's something that relates to my life. Great song though not given enough credit then or now

@FedUpSouthernGirl

Aging is in and of itself a tragic love affair as we yearn for the youth we didn’t cherish enough and can never return to…much like a summer romance; it is all too fleeting and as sweet as it will ever get

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