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Starched white shirts, so neatly pressed by domestic muses
Feed delusions that everything is working out right
But your ribs can't withstand the increasing weight
As your heart gets heavier, and sooner or later
It falls to the tips of your toes
And every day tastes like inhaling
When you just lit the wrong end (that plastic burning scent)
Your only friends are on the exit ramps of gridlock caravans
You try to ask how they've been
But the metal and glass is too thick
Feed delusions that everything is working out right
But your ribs can't withstand the increasing weight
As your heart gets heavier, and sooner or later
It falls to the tips of your toes
And every day tastes like inhaling
When you just lit the wrong end (that plastic burning scent)
Your only friends are on the exit ramps of gridlock caravans
You try to ask how they've been
But the metal and glass is too thick
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Anyway.
This is a beautiful song, and I've been perplexed on the meaning after listening to it at least a hundred times trying to deceipher it (I'm doing an animation for a class based on it). I always got the vauge feeling of hopelessness in a mediocre same day-to-day situation vibe from it, and now that I've read through the comments discussing specific parts of the song and relating them to a crap job, I completely agree with that idea.
However, I always thought the ending bit,
"Your only friends are on the exit ramps of gridlocked caravans"
Was referring to the homeless people that stand near exit ramps with signs asking for money. Like the only human beings that you ever come in contact with on any kind of emotional level are these people, just enhancing this feeling of utter loneliness.
If you have a job like this, it really hits home.
Gridlock Caravans: Gridlock is a traffic jam, Caravans is referring to the line of cars that are in the traffic jam. This is the song title so the clue is already giving away the point.
"starched white shirts so neatly pressed by domestic muses feed delusions that everything is working out right."
--
Business/Dress shirts for your job that you would wear, which are ironed or steam-pressed by your wives (which are the domestic muses), create an ILLUSION (delusion) that everything is working out right (because that is an ideal of having a good life, but maybe life isn't going so great.)
"but your ribs can't withstand the increasing weight as your heart gets heavier and sooner or later it falls to the tips of your toes."
--
I am not fully sure of the meaning, but I decipher he is explaining that it gets harder everyday and his heart is feeling pressured or pushed lower and lower because of the situation he is in with his wife or person he may be living with. He knows things are going wrong but he's trying to keep "up the weight of his heart with his ribs." Falling to the tip of your toes is obviously expressing how his love and apprecation for the way his life is now is failing.
"and everyday tastes like inhailing when you just lit the wrong end (that plastic burning scent)"
--
This is obviously lighting the wrong end of a cigarette. The taste is referring to the obvious unsatisfying ends of his day (or the 'bad taste) that he usually has.
"your only friends are on the exit ramps of gridlock caravans."
--
This is obviously saying he pretty much works, goes home to his girlfiend/wife he may be living with, and really doesn't have social interaction with his friends to talk about his horrible relationship he's in. The exit ramps is ofcourse explaining he is gridlocked on a highway.
"you try to ask how they've been. but the metal and glass is too thick."
--
I think this refers to the way you might glance at people on the highway as they come side to side with you. He is desperately trying to talk to someone, but a glance can't do that. Obviously he is supressed by the metal and glass of his vehicle.
accept the song for what it is: short and sweet
eucil: "I don't really see why mentioning the word "heart" has to indicate love."
i second that. when your girlfriend stabs your heart with a sharp object, you die. when your girlfriend breaks up with you, it effects your emotons; you live. stfu already. listen to some fall out boy if you want that shit.
gun left behind: "One of Death Cab's best, for sure."
at least 80% of death cab's songs could be considered 'best', because they're all written and strung together so perfectly. applaud ben gibbard, and listen to some of the other 100+ songs he's written and sang. you'll see that there is no best, because most of them make you feel so good.
also, "This song is probably about love, since he talks about his heart"
SERIOUSLY. wow. um. let's see. my heart. it's HUMONGOUS. woah, it must mean i'm in love. it's filled with love. seriously. wow. just wow.
toadtws: " This song is about a relationship that's falling apart. And it's beautiful.
I wonder why they left this off of The Photo Album?"
because of dumbasses like you. "this song is about a relationship that's falling apart." what the hell, man? honestly. new found glory must be your favorite band. music would be a better thing without dumbasses like you listening to it.
strykerchick: "I hadn't thought of a relationship falling apart. The line "You try to ask how they've been, but the metal and glass is too thick." Made me think the song is about visiting someone in jail. This is definitely an awesome song."
wow. have you ever yelled after someone in a car (made of metal and glass shell) and they couldn't hear you? i guess your dad was in jail when you were a baby, if that's all you can relate to. go back to your room and listen to some linkin park. you're digging too deep into interpreting this song. maybe you should put some of that digging into your wrist. maybe with a razor?
a.) This song is incredible, amazing, perfect. So is "Cath..." and so is "Why You'd Want To Live Here." Ben Gibbard is not God, but he's pretty great. That's not to say Death Cab doesn't have some misses (New Candles, anyone? I know that was Chris Walla, but still. Oh, and TV Trays. That one /was/ Gibbard.) Your fan-gil squeeing is pretty amusing, though.
b.)"music would be a better thing without dumbasses like you listening to it."
This just made me laugh. I mean, really. That is just hysterical. Did you miss the memo?: Music is /entirely/ subjective.
c.) SUBJECTIVELY, this song may well be about a relationship. Not necessarily a breakup, but I'm definitely getting the vibe of 'Oh, this stopped being fun, so why am I still here?' Lighting the cigarette from the wrong end? Feeling your heart fall (classic metaphor, too, feeling your heart fall) to the tips of your toes? Don't be so quick to assume it isn't about relationships. Also, it's kind of funny that you criticize someone for saying all music is about relationships. It kind of is. I mean, listen. Name three universal feelings and I guarantee they will be 'Surprise, Love, and Heartbreak.' It's something everyone gets, and makes for easy lyrics.
"your only friends are on the exit ramps of gridlock caravans. you try to ask how they've been. but the metal and glass is too thick. " This gives me the image of a mothers "friends" the women who all drive (caravans, minivans) their kids to like baseball practice and the fake niceness they give off. Like those people arent her real freinds they dont care, they dont want to hear.
I don't really see why mentioning the word "heart" has to indicate love.