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."
That's Incentive
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't place you in between the pages of fashion magazines
Paper cuts from turning pages, just like a bad dream
Is it this or that or me that makes you owe? what you can't defeat
Boiled over burning clean toward the flesh blocks? in your knees
It's a lesson that just might keep suppressing appetites
Paper cuts from turning pages, just like a bad dream
And I live this life just to bear these scars
Will the hurt subside, if you decide?
That's it's me and you this time
Is it you that always... is it you that decides
And I live this life just to bear these scars
Will the hurt subside, if you decide?
And I live this life just to bear these scars
Will the hurt subside, if you decide?
The lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie's song "That's Incentive" explore themes of identity, self-doubt, and the pressures of societal expectations. The opening lines suggest that the singer feels overlooked and unimportant, as though there is nothing worthy of adoration in their life. This feeling of insignificance is compounded by the pressures of obsession, which take a toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing. The reference to fashion magazines suggests that the singer feels inadequate compared to the idealized images they see in media, and that they are unable to fit into these narrow definitions of beauty and success.
The repetition of the line "paper cuts from turning pages, just like a bad dream" creates a sense of discomfort and unease, as though the singer is stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and self-criticism. The line "Is it this or that or me that makes you owe? what you can't defeat" further explores the idea of feeling like a failure or not measuring up to external expectations. The question is directed both at the singer themselves and at an unnamed "you," perhaps representing societal pressures or the expectations of others.
The chorus, with its repetition of the lines "And I live this life just to bear these scars / Will the hurt subside, if you decide?" further emphasizes the idea of struggling with one's identity and the pain that comes with feeling like you don't measure up. The use of the word "decide" suggests that perhaps some control or agency lies with the singer, and that they can choose to confront and overcome their feelings of inadequacy.
Overall, "That's Incentive" is a poignant exploration of the pressures of societal expectations and the toll that obsession and self-doubt can take on one's emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
You see nothing to be adored, when obsession takes it's toll
When you become obsessed with something, it becomes difficult to appreciate anything else
You can't place you in between the pages of fashion magazines
You don't feel like you fit in with society's idea of perfection
Paper cuts from turning pages, just like a bad dream
Small things can hurt just as much as big things, especially when they happen repeatedly
Is it this or that or me that makes you owe? what you can't defeat
Is it external circumstances, the choices you make, or something within yourself that makes you feel powerless and defeated?
Boiled over burning clean toward the flesh blocks? in your knees
You feel like you're boiling over with emotions that are causing physical pain
It's a lesson that just might keep suppressing appetites
Going through difficult times can teach us to suppress our desires in order to avoid further pain
And I live this life just to bear these scars
Life can be hard and leave us with lasting emotional wounds
Will the hurt subside, if you decide?
Can you choose to let go of the pain and move on, or will it continue to haunt you?
That's it's me and you this time
This time, we're in this together and won't give up
Is it you that always... is it you that decides
Do you have control over your own life and the choices you make, or are you at the mercy of external forces?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD, CHRISTOPHER WALLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks