I think that this song is a perfect example of really matching lyrics with music. this is a song I can listen to for hours on repeat (I probably have, now that I think about it).

I can't wait until the day when I can say "finally there is clarity: this tiny life is making sense."

I definitely agree that I can listen to this many many times.
For me, this song is about how he sees "perfect" examples of love everywhere, the same kind of couples saying "I love you" so much, that the words have lost its meaning through its repetitiviness. But either way, he still can't help giving in to love as "every night ends the same as I'm collapsing once more by your side."

This song along with every other song Ben's ever written is a perfect example of the way ALL lyrics should be. But I'm glad these songs only belong to Ben and DCFC because they're what makes me love this band so much.

superb integration of the piano into this song.

One of my favorite songs from them. I think it's underrated a little.

i think the band in general is underrated, many people just think their lyrics are nonsensical or whatever even though ben is one of the best song writers alive.

because he says "the impossiblity of one to love unconditionally and the words that we drive into the ground: their repetition starts to thin their meaning." i would agree that hes talking about the words I love you and how they get used without the real context.
but when he starts talking about the couple that walks in and how amazingly perfect they are, and how he can see on everyones face (even if they look different) theyre thinking the same thing, i believe he realizes that their IS love unconditional and he doesnt have it, but he knows its there.
then he thinks, thats clarity, it makes sense, "BUT" every night ends the same and hes by the others side that doesnt make as much sense. and he alone is staggering. not the girl. him. meaning he knows their is more in life to have, and she thinks she has it cause but he knows better.

he's talking about observing people's actions, more specifically verbal actions such as "i'm sorry" or "i love you" and how they can lose it's meaning with repetition.

i believe the last bit is how if you think enough, life starts to make sense, but if you think too much, you start wondering if things are worth it when they really are, hence "debate exposes doubt". The end also obviously points out how he is a much better person when he is with someone else.

The song as a whole talks about relationships and how couples achieve for perfection and how obvious it is that everyone is trying for this perfection.

I'd like to see some interpretation of middle part of the song. it's hard to crack.

"...but all of the parts are the same on every face (few variables change). the differences pale when compared to the similarity they share"--how beautiful is that?

Talking about beauty--everyone has the same features on their face, yet some are regarded as better looking than others? We all have noses, lips, and eyes, all different from the next person, but the fact of the matter is that in the end, they all are the same, they serve the same purpose on everyone. Stunning.

This song is freakin rad, wierd song to end the photo album with though, seems like it should have been more twoards the middle. . . .. best line in the whole thing is the first one, the exact way i feel every friday afternoon while downing some coors after a stressful week :)

hmm. i mostly agree with you dancehallhips. he's thinking that love is repetitive and common that he's not really sure how real it is and how much sense it makes when you really think hard about it.

then he sees this incredible couple walk into the bar that allows him to realize that love does undeniably exist.

i'm not sure if i agree with you though that he then realizes he's not in love. i think that perhaps when he says "but every night ends the same as i'm collapsing once more by your side" that love is still somewhat repetitive to him. when he says "every drop numbs the both of us but i alone am staggering" i've always taken that to mean both of them are almost numb from the intense sensation of being in love but now that he's had the realization that love does undeniably exist as this incredible force, he is staggering whereas perhaps she never doubted it or hasn't had the same realization herself yet.

my favourite song of all time. 'thinking (pretending to read) about the impossibility of one to love uncondionally' is my all time favourite lyric.

its about a guy when looking at his ex's new boyfriends see that theyre all the same ('but all of the parts are the same on every face (few variables change). the differences pale when compared to the similarity they share'). possibly

This is my favorite Death Cab for Cuite song; I feel that it is the best they've ever done, both in terms of songwriting and music.

Unlike a lot of people though, I feel that the meaning of this song isn't about relationships or love between two people - rather, a cause. First of all, the name of the song is "Debate Exposes Doubt." This does not sound very emo, now does it? Nor does it remind me of a relationship, but politics. I don't see people pondering breaking up when I read the title - I think of politicians fighting endlessly, or a headline on CNN.

I really think Ben Gibbard is trying to underline the fact that those who get too devoted to a cause -- specifically, their politics (or perhaps relationships) -- end up defeating themselves at the end of the day, regardless of if they also defeat their opponents... while a small portion of this song, "thinking (pretending to read) about the impossibility of one to love unconditionally" may hint at a relationship, I think the OVERALL idea of the song is geared more towards politics.

"finally there is clarity and there is purpose after all, but every night ends the same as i'm collapsing once more by your side. finally there is clarity: this tiny life is making sense. and every drop numbs the both of us, but i alone am staggering."

This completely reminds me of the 2004 election, and I'm sure the 2000 election. People cling together just to "get out the message," but as a result they lose a lot of their integrity; they collapse by each other's side, because that's all they have now. Their "tiny life" of politics makes sense even if it really doesn't to a lot of others. And finally "every drop numbs the both of us, but I alone am staggering..." - once again this demonstrates how people just love their exposure to propaganda and groups of people ganging up on other people, but when they''re isolated, do you really know what the answer is? Absolutely not.

These lyrics are absolutely brilliant and Ben Gibbard should give himself a pat on the back for writing them.

( Forgive me for the length...I promise you, it's not total drivel. )
---
' "Do you love me?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"
"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.
"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully.
Jonas stared at them. Meaningless? He had never before felt anything as meaningful as the memory.
"And of course our community can't function smoothly if people don't use precise language. You cold ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' The answer is 'Yes,'" his mother said.
"Or," his father suggested, " 'Do you take pride in my accomplishements?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes.'"
"Do you understand why it's innapropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.
---

What you just read was a direct excerpt from the novel The Giver (Lowry, 1993). I needn't explain the book's plot; that wasn't why I put the piece here. Since I have no doubt at all that one would be wondering _what_ the reason is, I shall answer:
I relate Debate Exposes Doubt's lyrics to The Giver. Now, it's true that not all the lyrics fit exactly into Giver's context, but the book just _helps_ me to understand the lyrics at a special level. So please, bear with me!

"The working days were propping the bar, quietly erasing the week/ And I was in a corner booth, thinking (pretending to read) about the impossibility/ Of wanting love unconditionally"

Giver: Jonas' world -a genetically-engineered one at that- has an AMAZINGLY HUGE focus on their academics and responsibilities, "curbing any impulses that may set [anyone] apart from the group." Jonas is much more different, for he knows the truth about emotion: his school hours, his emotionless companions make him think that "sameness" (which I will refer the second verse to later) is meaningless. The line, "pretending to read," means that he is trying to go along with the sameness, even though he knows the truth. And the truth was that he could never "love [anyone] unconditionally" in his community.
Reality: With this context in mind, the emotionless community represents everyone trying to live up to everyone else's expectations...as others pointed out, "being perfect" in all life aspects, not just love. It seems impossible to us that one can just _accept_ each other without a hidden agenda! But our 'character' in Debate Exposes is coming to terms with this, though he doesn't like it. Musing, mulling, thinking...while trying to understand everyone's insecurity.

The 2nd verse's reference to Sameness and difference -"But all of the parts are the same on every face/ Few variables change/ The differences pale in compared/ To the similarities they share"- makes me think of Jonas' companions again. Their faces LITERALLY have little difference. Their hair is even cut to be identical to each other. Though they actually do have differences ( different personas, aptitudes ), it's nothing when measured against all their similarities: so-called "perfection."
In bringing this to reality, I can only think of the "perfection" that media pushes towards everyone. Our so-called 'cliches' that truly happen in reality, and even our twisted idea of Reality TV is brought to the table. But what we call "perfect" seems to be all the same: good looks, smart, sweet, good looks, caring, good looks, strong, understanding, good looks...

"Finally, there is clarity/ This tiny life is making sense/ And every drop numbs the both of us/ But I alone am staggering"

Giver: Jonas knows -though not quite that happy about it- why he is the only one that is "staggering" with the lack of love around him. His community needs to be protected from heartbreak and pain ( "every drop numbs the both of us" ), but all it does is make everyone ignorant. No one would not "stagger" under this knowledge!
Reality: I'll leave the reference to my above paragraph up to you.

We all understand what this 'ideal' we have can do to society. What to do, what to do...?

This is like my favourite Death Cab song, the music is so good, the piano fits in so perfectly and the lyrics match so well. and they make so much sense. The words I love you are used so much these days, it's almost depressing.

these lyrics are amazing


"finally there is clarity: this tiny life is making sense."
--i love that line.
death cab is love

This song is definitely great, lyrically and musically. Gibbard's voice sounds much more subdued in this song than in most of the others on the album. Although it's open for debate whether this song is specifically talking about loving some person or the greater picture of just generally being able to care, the lyrics apply to both. Also, this song is the perfect transition from The Photo Album to Transatlanticism. As a whole, the songs on The Photo Album capture an upbeat attitude, whereas the ones on Transatlanticism seem to be more like something written while sadly reminiscing about romantic adventure (Title and Registration, We Looked Like Giants, Tiny Vessels, etc.).

HANDS DOWN!!! Best Death Cab song....just the ending instrumental part makes this song unbelievable...great band, wish they played it more often live.

okay, let's set the familiar scene that we're agreed on:
ben is sitting somewhere and thinks about how relationships are pretty flawed because they are trite. he talks about how words are overused and how they lose their meaning, and this could be extended to actions too if you wished. he loses faith and decides that it's impossible to love unconditionally.

in walks the perfect couple who does love unconditionally. everyone is jealous of this couple and always will be. ben rethinks his conclusion and then decides that people are more similar than different. he uses facial features to demonstrate his point. look, here's a nose, mouth, eyes...it's harder to name the differences.

why bring this up? because if people are not that different from each other, then that means that that unconditional love isn't nearly so unattainable as thought.

but upon all this "debate," he exposes the "doubt" of his own relationship. yes, there is unconditional love, relationships that are not trite, and therefore purpose and reason in life. however, he falls "once more" (repetition! --> trite action!) by his lover's side. his is not the relationship he wants.

the drop of alcohol numbs them both and distracts them from their problems. their relationship can be compared to the alcohol in that it masks their problems (obviously, there are some there otherwise the relationship wouldn't be so dead and tired). it's as if his lover can drink and not feel the negative effects at all (hangover, disorientation), but ben is "staggering" from the effects. he is affected negatively by the relationship. he sees with "clarity" how his relationship is not good but his lover does not.

I definitely agree with "suchprettywords".

the song is obviously talking about how ben is sitting there contemplating how people can really truly love each other without condition and how words like "i love you" can get repetitive when they don't mean a thing at all. Suddenly a perfect couple walks in and they simply reek this unconditional love he's speaking about, and it puts everyone in awe.

then he goes home to his girlfriend, and he feels it to be more of a mundane and meaningless relationship, hence the excessive alcohol. he says 'finally there is clarity' about the perfect couple, because he realizes that his relationship is not perfect in any way. the two drink the night away because there's nothing much else to do; they don't truly love each other in that unconditional way.

this song helped me realise a lot of things. i know that sounds a little too chiche, but it's true. after being dumped by my boyfriend and finding it way too hard to get over him, he went out with my best friend and i was looking for a new msn name and found this song. to me it's all about unrequited love, and how you love someone so much and can't help running back to them, but at the same time you know they don't feel the same way and are just using you. this was happening to me, but then when i saw my best friend and ex together, i realised that some things are just meant to be and some aren't. and him and i was one of the latter. i can relate to this song. i guess to me it means that people go their whole lives looking for perfection in a relationship. and you think you'v finally found it, until you see something else that is even more perfect. and it makes you realise that nothing was quite what you thought it was. hence the alcohol.

i very well may be wrong but i'll stand by my interpretation. i guess drop implies liquid but i don't know why it's necessarily alcohol. i always took it more metaphorically as though the drops were life itself or love. also, i always thought the doubt referenced in the title occurs prior to the beginning of the song and is resolved when he sees the couple and comes to his realization.

feels like the piano at the end is supposed to be the "drops that numb us"..makes me feel cold.

I think this song is about wondering if the eternal love everyone craves even exists. I think he has a lover, something many people yearn for. And I think he's wondering if it truly is as magnificent as it seems.

well what makes me laugh about this website , although i love this website soo much , is how people start of their comment by saying " well obviously ... ". i dont know , but i really find ben's songwriting ok ... AMAZING , but i dunno sometimes ben isnt writing about himself i mean look at styrofoam plates, who would of said that was about his mates dad ? having looked at the lyrics. I really want to meet him to find out which song is about who or what . sometimes its really confusing as to what exactly he is writing about. That why whenever i see some lyrics i write what i feel about them.
Reading these lyrics and listening at the same time. All i feel is jealousy lol , ben clearly has what he wants and that great for him. i sure wish i could get what i want.