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."
Summer Skin
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
@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
@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
@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