Clark Gable
The Postal Service Lyrics
I was waiting for a cross-town train
On the London Underground
When it struck me,
(When it struck me)
That I've been waiting since birth
To find a love that would look and sound
Like a movie.
So I changed my plans,
And then I called you.
(And then I called you)
I need you to pretend
That we are in love again
And you agreed to.
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth,
That love is real.
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd.
I greased the lens
And framed the shot
Using a friend as my stand-in.
(As my stand-in)
The script, it called for rain
But it was clear that day
So we faked it.
The marker snapped
And I yelled "Quiet on the set"
And then called "Action".
(And then called "Action")
I kissed you in a style
Clark Gable would have admired,
I thought it classic.
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth,
That love is real.
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd.
I know you're wise beyond your years
But do you ever get the fears
That your perfect verse is just a lie
You tell yourself to help you
Get by?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Benjamin D Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
The Postal Service was an American indie electropop band which formed in Seattle, Washington in 2001. The group consisted of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jimmy Tamborello (production, programming, synthesizers) and Jenny Lewis (vocals, guitar). The band released one album "Give Up" in 2003 and were active until 2005. The band reunited in 2013 for a reunion tour before permanently disbanding that August.
The band started life as a side project for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel Read Full BioThe Postal Service was an American indie electropop band which formed in Seattle, Washington in 2001. The group consisted of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jimmy Tamborello (production, programming, synthesizers) and Jenny Lewis (vocals, guitar). The band released one album "Give Up" in 2003 and were active until 2005. The band reunited in 2013 for a reunion tour before permanently disbanding that August.
The band started life as a side project for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, Headset and Figurine. The group formed, in 2001, after Gibbard contributed vocals for a song on Dntel's album Life Is Full Of Possibilities called (This Is) The Dream Of Evan And Chan.
The band released their debut album Give Up on 18 February 2003 on the Sub Pop label. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and is the second best-selling record in the history of Sub Pop Records after Bleach by Nirvana.
Several songs on this album feature guest vocals from Jenny Lewis, the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, a band which was once on the same label as Death Cab (Barsuk Records) and vocals from Jen Wood, an indie rock solo artist. Chris Walla recorded some of the songs and played the piano on Nothing Better. Lewis' membership in the band was unclear during the "Give Up"-era, although she appeared with Tamberello and Gibbard in the music video for "We Will Become Silhouettes". By the time of their 2013 reunion, Lewis had become a permanent third member of the group.
The group's name comes from the manner in which their songs were written, due to the fact that the two of them lived too far away to be able to work together in person. Tamborello would create beats and mail them to singer and lyricist Gibbard, who would then edit them and put his melodies over the tracks and mail them back. Gibbard didn't write any of the lyrics until the tracks were completely finished.
In August 2003, the United States Postal Service sent the band a cease and desist letter, citing its trademark on the phrase "postal service". After negotiations, the USPS relented, allowing the band use of the trademark in exchange for promotional efforts on behalf of the USPS and a performance at its annual National Executive Conference. Additionally, at one point the USPS website sold the band's CDs. In 2007, "Such Great Heights" appeared in the background of the "Whiteboard" advertising campaign for one of the federal establishment's private competitors, the United Parcel Service.
The album's most notable single was Such Great Heights that has been featured in various television commercials, series, and movie trailers also remixed by John Tejada.
The Postal Service contributed a cover of Against All Odds to the soundtrack to the 2004 motion picture Wicker Park, and the band has worked on several remixes of other artists, including Do You Realize?? (Postal Service remix) (from Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots) and Little Girl Blue (Postal Service remix) (from Verve Remixed 3) and Mushaboom (Postal Service remix). Gibbard doesn't sing on these remixes (except for Feist's Mushaboom), and it is likely that he granted Jimmy Tamborello permission to work alone under the name The Postal Service.
Second album
On June 22, 2007, it was revealed that The Postal Service had begun work on a new album, though the specifics of the release date were ambiguous. Gibbard stated, "We're slowly starting. We're crawling right now, and whether that crawl turns into a walk remains to be seen. But we'll know more towards the end of the year. I've just been touring so much and trying to find time to make it happen and make our schedules line up." Tamborello added, "We're talking about wanting to finish an album by sometime next year, because we have to work with Death Cab's schedule and stuff. I definitely want to do another one."
On February 29, 2008, Spinner released an article stating that The Postal Service may not release a new album. Ben Gibbard stated, "Jimmy and I are still throwing ideas back and forth, but as time goes on, we find ourselves busy with our own music. ... We have some stuff, but it's been difficult to find the time and the drive to do the record. I'd love to finish it at some point and maybe even do some performances. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
In a December 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, Gibbard laughed off suggestions that The Postal Service's long overdue follow-up to their 2003 hit Give Up is an indie version of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy. Gibbard said that both he and Tamborello do not see it as a priority in light of their main projects, Death Cab for Cutie and Dntel. He said, "The anticipation of the second record has been a far bigger deal for everybody except the two of us... I don't know about it being the indie-rock Chinese Democracy, but now that Chinese Democracy has come out, I guess it just becomes the second Postal Service record that will never come out. There never really was a plan to do a second album. We work from time to time together but we have other things that take up all of our time."
2013 Reunion
As of November 2012, Ben Gibbard posted on his Twitter account that there are "no plans" to produce another Postal Service record. He did not cite any specific reason for this statement, other than the fact that multiple fans questioned if there was going to be a second album.
In January 2013 Postal Service updated their website to read "The Postal Service 2013," reigniting speculation that the band would play shows, or possibly release a new album. It was later confirmed that the image on the band's site portended that the band's debut, Give Up, would receive a ten year anniversary re-issue featuring a 15-song disc of rarities, including two new songs with Jenny Lewis.
In February 2013, The Postal Service announced it would officially reunite for twelve tour dates including the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, the Primavera Sound Festival 2013 in Barcelona, Sasquatch! Festival in Washington, and Lollapalooza 2013 in Chicago. The band played a Lollapalooza aftershow on August 4, 2013 to 1,200 people at Wrigleyville's Metro, in which Ben Gibbard prefaced the night's second rendition of "Such Great Heights" by saying "not only is this the last song of the tour, this is the last show we will ever do." At the song's conclusion, Gibbard stated that "The Postal Service is closed."
The band started life as a side project for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel Read Full BioThe Postal Service was an American indie electropop band which formed in Seattle, Washington in 2001. The group consisted of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jimmy Tamborello (production, programming, synthesizers) and Jenny Lewis (vocals, guitar). The band released one album "Give Up" in 2003 and were active until 2005. The band reunited in 2013 for a reunion tour before permanently disbanding that August.
The band started life as a side project for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, Headset and Figurine. The group formed, in 2001, after Gibbard contributed vocals for a song on Dntel's album Life Is Full Of Possibilities called (This Is) The Dream Of Evan And Chan.
The band released their debut album Give Up on 18 February 2003 on the Sub Pop label. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and is the second best-selling record in the history of Sub Pop Records after Bleach by Nirvana.
Several songs on this album feature guest vocals from Jenny Lewis, the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, a band which was once on the same label as Death Cab (Barsuk Records) and vocals from Jen Wood, an indie rock solo artist. Chris Walla recorded some of the songs and played the piano on Nothing Better. Lewis' membership in the band was unclear during the "Give Up"-era, although she appeared with Tamberello and Gibbard in the music video for "We Will Become Silhouettes". By the time of their 2013 reunion, Lewis had become a permanent third member of the group.
The group's name comes from the manner in which their songs were written, due to the fact that the two of them lived too far away to be able to work together in person. Tamborello would create beats and mail them to singer and lyricist Gibbard, who would then edit them and put his melodies over the tracks and mail them back. Gibbard didn't write any of the lyrics until the tracks were completely finished.
In August 2003, the United States Postal Service sent the band a cease and desist letter, citing its trademark on the phrase "postal service". After negotiations, the USPS relented, allowing the band use of the trademark in exchange for promotional efforts on behalf of the USPS and a performance at its annual National Executive Conference. Additionally, at one point the USPS website sold the band's CDs. In 2007, "Such Great Heights" appeared in the background of the "Whiteboard" advertising campaign for one of the federal establishment's private competitors, the United Parcel Service.
The album's most notable single was Such Great Heights that has been featured in various television commercials, series, and movie trailers also remixed by John Tejada.
The Postal Service contributed a cover of Against All Odds to the soundtrack to the 2004 motion picture Wicker Park, and the band has worked on several remixes of other artists, including Do You Realize?? (Postal Service remix) (from Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots) and Little Girl Blue (Postal Service remix) (from Verve Remixed 3) and Mushaboom (Postal Service remix). Gibbard doesn't sing on these remixes (except for Feist's Mushaboom), and it is likely that he granted Jimmy Tamborello permission to work alone under the name The Postal Service.
Second album
On June 22, 2007, it was revealed that The Postal Service had begun work on a new album, though the specifics of the release date were ambiguous. Gibbard stated, "We're slowly starting. We're crawling right now, and whether that crawl turns into a walk remains to be seen. But we'll know more towards the end of the year. I've just been touring so much and trying to find time to make it happen and make our schedules line up." Tamborello added, "We're talking about wanting to finish an album by sometime next year, because we have to work with Death Cab's schedule and stuff. I definitely want to do another one."
On February 29, 2008, Spinner released an article stating that The Postal Service may not release a new album. Ben Gibbard stated, "Jimmy and I are still throwing ideas back and forth, but as time goes on, we find ourselves busy with our own music. ... We have some stuff, but it's been difficult to find the time and the drive to do the record. I'd love to finish it at some point and maybe even do some performances. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
In a December 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, Gibbard laughed off suggestions that The Postal Service's long overdue follow-up to their 2003 hit Give Up is an indie version of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy. Gibbard said that both he and Tamborello do not see it as a priority in light of their main projects, Death Cab for Cutie and Dntel. He said, "The anticipation of the second record has been a far bigger deal for everybody except the two of us... I don't know about it being the indie-rock Chinese Democracy, but now that Chinese Democracy has come out, I guess it just becomes the second Postal Service record that will never come out. There never really was a plan to do a second album. We work from time to time together but we have other things that take up all of our time."
2013 Reunion
As of November 2012, Ben Gibbard posted on his Twitter account that there are "no plans" to produce another Postal Service record. He did not cite any specific reason for this statement, other than the fact that multiple fans questioned if there was going to be a second album.
In January 2013 Postal Service updated their website to read "The Postal Service 2013," reigniting speculation that the band would play shows, or possibly release a new album. It was later confirmed that the image on the band's site portended that the band's debut, Give Up, would receive a ten year anniversary re-issue featuring a 15-song disc of rarities, including two new songs with Jenny Lewis.
In February 2013, The Postal Service announced it would officially reunite for twelve tour dates including the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, the Primavera Sound Festival 2013 in Barcelona, Sasquatch! Festival in Washington, and Lollapalooza 2013 in Chicago. The band played a Lollapalooza aftershow on August 4, 2013 to 1,200 people at Wrigleyville's Metro, in which Ben Gibbard prefaced the night's second rendition of "Such Great Heights" by saying "not only is this the last song of the tour, this is the last show we will ever do." At the song's conclusion, Gibbard stated that "The Postal Service is closed."
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large poodle
God. This album takes me to such an angelic, godlike headspace. Jimmy's synthwork and drum machine work.... the vocals... the guitars... I truly believe the gods had a helping hand in the production of this record.
My physical memories of this record are driving through Colorado mountains.
My mother showed me this record when it released... i was only 8.
These memories, this record are burned into my psyche forever.
I can only hope to achieve a production on this level in the future.
So timeless.
Requesting this entire record be played through during my funeral service.
sophistocatedgarbage
I was waiting for a cross-town train in the London Underground
When it struck me (when it struck me)
That I'd been waiting since birth to
find a love that would look and sound
Like a movie
So I changed my plans, I rented a camera and a van
And then I called you
I need you to pretend that we are in love again
And you agreed to
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth, that love is real
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd
I grease the lens and frame the shot using a friend
As my stand-in (as my stand-in)
The script had called for rain but it was clear that day
So we faked it
The marker snapped and I yelled, "Quiet on the set!"
And then called, "Action!" (And the called action)
I kissed you in a style Clark Gable would have admired
I thought it classic
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth, that love is real
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd
I know you're wise beyond your years
But do you ever get the fear
That your perfect verse is just a lie
You tell yourself to help you get by
That you tell yourself to help you get by
That you tell yourself to help you get by
Hope Forever
I was waiting for a cross-town train in the London Underground
When it struck me (when it struck me)
That I'd been waiting since birth to
Find a love that would look and sound
Like a movie
So I changed my plans, I rented a camera and a van
And then I called you
I need you to pretend that we are in love again
And you agreed to
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth, that love is real
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd
I grease the lens and frame the shot using a friend
As my stand-in (as my stand-in)
The script had called for rain but it was clear that day
So we faked it
The marker snapped and I yelled, "Quiet on the set!"
And then called, "Action!" (And the called action)
I kissed you in a style Clark Gable would have admired
I thought it classic
I want so badly to believe
That there is truth, that love is real
And I want life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd
I know you're wise beyond your years
But do you ever get the fear
That your perfect verse is just a lie
You tell yourself to help you get by
That you tell yourself to help you get by
That you tell yourself to help you get by
Sarah L
High school me was in love with this album and this track in particular. I'm thirty now. Thanks The Postal Service.
Johnny Nelson
Same
Scatter TheWinds
It was our generation.
Opportune Moon 🌙
@John Palumbo Oh I absolutely agree with that. It makes sense that we will always have a fondness for the music we were into while we were coming of age. 😊 Those were such wonderful, awkward, strange, beautiful years!
Opportune Moon 🌙
Wow. We genuinely are the same person! I'm just a few years older... 33.
I ended up marrying my high school sweetheart, and every single time I hear this song it reminds me of us first meeting. (LOL that initial giddy excitement sadly fades over time! Once in a while, I miss that feeling!)
Anyways, wishing you all the best babe!
kokimatsuni
Same same turning 31 this month. 😆 😊 😁
Niko
I feel like I've died a thousand times to this song playing over my car radio, running into the city on the train to grab some groceries, and sitting outside the bar on a friday night at 4 am. It never runs the same way in my mind, but it always pulls what life I have from my chest and leaves it where I was.
Denise Robles
I love your comment so much. I read it over and over and i feel the same exact way, I just couldn't put it into words myself 💓 I've loved the postal service for a long time but for some reason I always skipped over this song but a few days ago it played and i finally listened to it and ive had it on repeat since then. I love the lyric "and I want life in every word to the extent that it's absurd"
CriscDogs22
Niko Bleau this record was one of my few go-to tripping albums. Whether it was a great trip to make it a little better, or a trip going bad and needing something to pull me out of it or reverse course. Just had to say I know exactly what you’re talking about haha.
M J
I haven’t heard this song in ten years, but I woke up with it singing in my head this morning. Music is powerful.