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."
Your New Twin Sized Bed
Death Cab for Cutie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a single pillow underneath your single head
I guess you decided that that old queen was more space than you would need
Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free
And I hope you have more luck with this than me
You used to think that someone would come along
But the other side of the mattress and box springs stayed like new
What's the point of holding onto what never gets used?
Other than a sick desire for self-abuse
And I try not to worry, but you've got me terrified
It's like your some kind of hurry to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed
You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed
The song "Your New Twin Sized Bed" by Death Cab for Cutie is a sad and reflective piece that speaks of heartbreak and acceptance. The lyrics describe the scene of a person lying down in their new, smaller bed, feeling defeated and alone. They had downsized from their old queen-sized bed, perhaps as a metaphor for their failed relationship and a realization of how much space and love they had lost.
The lines "You used to think that someone would come along and lay beside you in a space that they belong" highlight how the person had been hopeful in finding someone to share their life with. But the other side of the bed remained unused, leaving them with a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The verse "What's the point of holding onto what never gets used? Other than a sick desire for self-abuse" highlights how the person is trying to let go of their past and move on, even if it means abandoning what they used to hold dear.
The chorus speaks of the singer's concern for the person, as they seem to be in a hurry to move on from their previous relationship. The line "And I hope you have more luck with this than me" is a reflection of the singer's own experience of heartbreak and how he wishes for something better for this person.
Overall, the song is a poignant portrait of heartbreak and acceptance, urging listeners to let go of the things that no longer serve them and embrace the future.
Line by Line Meaning
You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed
You appear to be sad and hopeless while lying on your new, smaller bed.
With a single pillow underneath your single head
You only have one pillow to use for your head on your new bed.
I guess you decided that that old queen was more space than you would need
You realized that you didn't need as much space as you previously thought, and downsized to a twin bed.
Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free
You got rid of your old queen bed and left it to be taken by someone else.
And I hope you have more luck with this than me
I hope downsizing to a smaller bed works out better for you than it did for me.
You used to think that someone would come along
You previously believed that you would find someone to share your bed with.
And lay beside you in a space that they belong
You thought that someone else would fit perfectly beside you in your bed.
But the other side of the mattress and box springs stayed like new
The other side of your previous bed was never used, and therefore remained in new condition.
What's the point of holding onto what never gets used?
There's no reason to keep something that is not being utilized.
Other than a sick desire for self-abuse
Keeping something unused may only serve as a form of self-punishment.
And I try not to worry, but you've got me terrified
I don't want to worry, but seeing you so defeated is scary.
It's like your some kind of hurry to say goodbye, say goodbye, say goodbye
It seems like you're in a rush to move on and say goodbye to something.
You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed
Repeating the opening line emphasizes how sad you appear on your new bed.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BENJAMIN GIBBARD, NICHOLAS HARMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank
on I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This song sucks