Plans - OVERVIEW

"Plans" by Death Cab for Cutie as reviewed / analyzed / commented on by me, Larker.

1. Marching Bands of Manhattan (Gibbard)

If I could open my arms and span the length of the isle of Manhattan,
I'd bring it to where you are, making a lake of the East River and Hudson.
And if I could open my mouth wide enough for a marching band to march out
They would make your name sing and bend through alleys and bounce off all the buildings.

I wish we could open our eyes, to see in all directions at the same time.
Oh what a beautiful view, if you were never aware of what was around you.
And it is true what you said: that I live like a hermit in my own head,
But when the sun shines again, I'll pull the curtains and blinds to let the light in.

**
Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole,
Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound.
But while you debate half-empty or half-full,
It slowly rises: your love is gonna drown.

Comments: Proclaiming love and faith; Accepting enlightenment; Drowning in a pool of pessimism. The debut track on Plans does the album as a whole honour as it aptly presents the band's style and sound within its 4 minutes and twelve seconds of glory. DCFC shows itself to be emo without being wussy, mellow without being dawdlingly slow and boring. Marching Bands sets the stage for (what will now be expected to be) an awesome album.
Feel: Positive and chill.
Love: Bass.

2. Soul Meets Body (Gibbard)

I want to live where soul meets body.
And let the sun wrap its arms around me.
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing.
And feel, feel what it's like to be new.
'Cause in my head there’s a Greyhound station,
Where I send my thoughts to far-off destinations,
So they may have a chance of finding a place where they’re far more suited than here.

And I cannot guess what we'll discover,
When we turn the dirt with our palms cupped like shovels.
But I know our filthy hands can wash one another's,
And not one speck will remain.

I do believe it’s true that there are roads left in both of our shoes.
But if the silence takes you then I hope it takes me too.
So Brown Eyes I hold you near, 'cause you’re the only song I want to hear.
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.

Where soul meets body.

Comments: Looking forward to something better; Hoping in the unknown; Friends helping one another; Persevering. The first (so far, only) single off of Plans is Soul Meets Body. As expected of a single, SMB continues the positive wave of emotions from Marching Bands. With a driving beat and optimistic lyrics, DCFC paints a picture of brighter horizons for the listener. Definitely single-worthy.
Feel: Upbeat and cheerful.
Love: Lyrics.

3. Summer Skin (Gibbard / McGerr / Walla)

Squeaky swings and tall grass.
The longest shadows ever cast.
The water's warm and children swim,
And we frolicked about in our summer skin.

I don't recall a single care.
Just greenery and humid air.
Then Labor Day came and went,
And we shed what was left of our summer skin.

On the night you left I came over,
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders.
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink,
And I knew your heart I couldn't win.
'Cause the season's change was a conduit,
And we left our love in our summer skin.

Comments: Love lost to winds of time. Summer Skin stands in stark contrast to the first two tracks. Plans now slows down for some melancholy reminiscence of good times had in the past. We'vc now gone from hoping in the future to mourning after the past. Contrary to most conventions, the bass - the quiet, reserved, and resonating murmur of a band - plays the main riff of this song. The rich and sonorous tone of the bass I found quite fitting of the depressive mood of my beloved Summer Skin.
Feel: Forlorn and nostalgic.
Love: Needless to say, bass.

4. Different Names for the Same Thing (Gibbard)

Alone on a train aimless in wander.
An outdated map crumpled in my pocket.
But I didn't care where I was going,
'Cause they're all different names for the same place.

The coast disappeared when the sea drowned the sun,
And I knew no words to share it with anyone.
The boundaries of language I quietly cursed.
All the different names for the same thing.

Comments: Weakness of the human mind to understand the thoughts, not words, of others. Slow and moody, Gibbard's glum vocals and gloomy piano slowly give way to a more lively second half of the track, bringing in the bass and the drums. I'm still quite undecided on this song's standing in my mind, mainly because of the drastic change of tempo about a little less than half-way through the song. It's, nevertheless, amazing.
Feel: Depressive and cheery. O.o
Love: Lyrics.

5. I Will Follow You into the Dark (Gibbard)

Love of mine some day you will die,
But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark.
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white.
Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark.

**
But if heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied,
And illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs,
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks,
Then I'll follow you into the dark.

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman Rule,
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black.
And I held my tongue as she told me, "Son,
Fear is the heart of love," so I never went back.

You and me, we've seen everything to see.
From Bangkok to Calgary and the soles of your shoes,
Are all worn down: the time for sleep is now,
But it's nothing to cry about.
'Cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms.

Comments: Sticking with friends through it all; Fear, Love, and Hurt; Waiting for the right time. Perhaps one of the best songs on Plans - if not the best - is I Will Follow You into the Dark. The most beauty can be found in the simplest of things and this track reeks of simplicity: it's completely acoustic. The lyrics are poetic and charged with meaning, yet direct all at once. The bare bone vocals and acoustic guitar blend nicely to warm the heart of the lucky listener.
Feel: ... : )
Love: Everything.

6. Your Heart Is an Empty Room (Gibbard)

Burn it down 'til the embers smoke on the ground,
And start new when your heart is an empty room,
With walls of the deepest blue.

Home's face: how it ages when you're away,
And spring blooms and you find a love that's true.
But you don't know what now to do,
'Cause the chase is all you know and she stopped running months ago.

**
And all you see is where else you could be when you're at home.
And out on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone.

The flames and smoke climbed out of every window,
And disappeared with everything that you held dear.
But you shed not a single tear,
For the things that you didn't need,
'Cause you knew you were finally free.

'Cause all you see is where else you could be when you're at home.
And there on the street are so many possibilities to not be alone.

Comments: Primary succession (>_O); Restlessness of mankind's heart. This song reminds me of U2's Crumbs From Your Table, mainly because of the electric guitar parts. This song gets back to the happier aspects of life, such as second chances and starting over.
Feel: Consoling and hopeful.
Love: Lyrics.

7. Someday You Will Be Loved (Gibbard / Walla)

I once knew a girl in the years of my youth,
With eyes like the summer: all beauty and truth.
But in the morning I fled, left a note and it read:
"Someday you will be loved."

And I cannot pretend that I felt any regret
'Cause each broken heart will eventually mend.
Just as the blood runs red down the needle and thread.
Someday you will be loved.

**
You'll be loved you'll be loved
Like you never have known
And the memories of me will seem more like bad dreams.
Just a series of blurs: like I never occurred.
And someday you will be loved.

You may feel alone when you're falling asleep,
And everytime tears roll down your cheeks.
But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet.
And someday you will be loved.

Comments: One sided love; Choosing what's best for the beloved over happiness. Quite possibly the saddest song on Plans, Someday talks of the tragedy of unreciprocated love. As can be expected, the song is slow and Gibbard's hapless vocals sing out the heavy-hearted mood. There's a sense of self-pity to be found in the lyrics, as if the heart were torn between its desires for its own needs and the joy of a loved one. Awkwardly enough, I found that his act of sacrificing one's own desires and leaving her so that she may be happy - i.e. finding love with someone else - is in fact what love should cause: a selfless form of care for another's well-being. Therefore, he does love her and she is loved, in the present. It's just that neither of them know it.
Feel: Emo-like-there's-no-tomorrow and depressive.
Love: Ideas / themes.

8. Crooked Teeth (Gibbard / Walla)

It was 100 degrees, as we sat beneath a willow tree whose tears didn't care,
They just hung in the air and refused to fall.
And I knew I'd made horrible call and now the state line felt like the Berlin wall,
And there was no doubt about which side I was on.
'Cause I built You a home in my heart with rotten wood and it decayed from the start.

Cause you can't find nothin' at all if there was nothin' there all along.

I braved treacherous streets and kids strung out on homemade speed.
And we shared a bed in which I could not sleep at all.
'Cause at night the sun in retreat made the skyline look like crooked teeth in the mouth of a man who was devouring us both.

You're so cute when you're slurring your speech but they're closing the bar and they want us to leave.

And you can't find nothin' at all if there was nothin' there all along.

I'm a war of head versus heart and it's always this way.
My head is weak and my heart always speaks before I know what it will say.

And you can't find nothin' at all if there was nothin' there all along.
There were churches, theme parks and malls but there was nothing there all along.

Comments: Saving one's heart for special persons; Spirit Vs. Flesh; Dealing with failures and resulting consequences. At first glance (or listen) crooked teeth is cheerful and uplifting (especially considering the previous track), but this, I found, turned out to be almost sarcastic in nature. I looked at the song's lyrics to find that they actually talk about being isolated by one's own actions/failures. They tease and mock, stating the obvious and sad truth in a buoyant voice. I think that this song is also single-worthy, if DCFC were to release another.
Feel: Cheerful yet sardonic.
Love: Bass and lyrics.

9. What Sarah Said (Gibbard / Harmer)

And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to Father Time,
As I stared at my shoes in the ICU that reeked of piss and 409.
And I rationed my breaths as I said to myself that I'd already taken too much today,
As each descending peak on the LCD took you a little farther away from me.

Amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines in a place where we only say goodbye,
It stung like a violent wind that our memories depend on a faulty camera in our minds.
But I knew that you were a truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all,
And I looked around at all the eyes on the ground as the TV entertained itself.

'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room.
Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news.
And then the nurse comes round and everyone will lift their heads.
But I'm thinking of what Sarah said:
That "love is watching someone die."

So who's going to watch you die?

Comments: Love is faithful, even to death. I think this is one of the more... expressive (?) songs of Plans. The deep lyrics probe the soul, stirring up questions and provoking thought. It's heartfelt and meaningful, questioning the authenticity of love. Who truly loves you? More importantly, who do you truly love? Would they be found beside your death bed? Would you be found taking their place in theirs? I know of only One that would do such a thing. Guess who. *looks up*
Feel: Thoughtful and solemn.
Love: Lyrics.

10. Brothers on a Hotel Bed (Gibbard / Walla)

You may tire of me as our December sun is setting 'cause I'm not who I used to be.
No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise the youthful boy below,
Who turned your way and saw something he was not looking for: both a beginning and an end.
But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize when he catches his reflection on accident.

On the back of a motorbike with your arms outstretched trying to take flight, leaving everything behind.
But even at our swiftest speed we couldn't break from the concrete in the city where we still reside.
And I have learned that even landlocked lovers yearn for the sea, like navy men,
'Cause now we say goodnight from our own separate sides like brothers on a hotel bed.

Comments: Inescapable humanity; Changing and aging, for better or for worse; Dealing with being who you are. Another slower, pretty song. Gentle piano and vocals lull and calm. For me, Brothers coaxes me to accept that we really are all human, regardless of our efforts to break away from our evil, earthly natures - for now anyway.
Feel: Contented and peaceful.
Love: Piano.

11. Stable Song (Gibbard)

Time for the final bout.
Rows of deserted houses.
All our stablemates highway bound.

Give us our measly sum.
Getting the air inside my lungs is heavenly.
Starting out with nothing but crippling doubt.

We'll rest easy, justified.

I suffered a swift defeat.
I'll endure countless repeats.
The gift of memory is an awful curse.
With age it just gets much worse but I won't mind.

Comments: Learning to live on in spite of the ever-deplorable past. The final segment of Plans isn't a bang of a finish. Stable Song is a retrospective song, fittingly placed at the end of the album. Effortlessly flowing from one to another, this last song is marginally harder than What Sarah Said and Brothers. A great way to end off a great album.
Feel: Pensive and reflective.
Love: Progression.

Plans is definitely one of my favourite albums as of date, as are most of the albums that I would pay dearly to own. I don't really believe in spam-buying of CD's, but Plans was and is a must own. Of course, this overview has been but a fumbling in the dark for me to try and describe in written text what can only be properly understood and appreciated when heard and experienced first hand. Like any good story, good music should explore and examine man's internal being, stimulating the mind towards insightful meditation and thought, and Plans does this.