| Death Cab for Cutie – Title Track Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I haven't thought out the whole album yet, but good stuff fisheatsteel. I don't think I agree with the interpretation that the pencil/manuscript is something literal. I think the railroad earth that put the lead to her manuscript represents the places she grew up (maybe traveling, maybe on the bad side of town, near railroad tracks) that made her life story (her manuscript). The first verse is talking about how he is weary or impatient with their conversation or of hearing her speak about unimportant things because he wants to make a move on her. He wants to have a relationship with her (but that's now how it ends up). I think the next few lines have a double meaning about trying to make a relationship and about having sex. He wants to tell her that he wants to be with her, get married, and have the white picket-fenced house -- the traditional married "American Dream" -- so he's summoning up the strength or courage to do something difficult, be it mentally (flirting/hitting on her) or physically (having sex). Hammering pillars for a picket fence could be setting the foundations for them being together, or it could be them having sex. Not sure what the thumb on the concrete is, but maybe they were sitting outside on concrete as somebody suggested. Maybe he's leaning in to say something or touch her and so he takes his hand off the concrete and puts it on her. Talking about the lack of pleasantries and his able body could mean either he was a little awkward flirting with her because he's out of practice or that the sex was brief and rushed. The group splintering part could be her saying they could be alone soon since the group was waning as people left. They were probably sharing a cigarette while they were talking, and the taste of her lipstick made him want her even more. Along the lines of the whole album, somewhere in the back of his mind, he probably knew they could never have a relationship and so he wanted to keep his distance and not get physical with her, but he was drunk and couldn't resist her advances. They shared a cigarette and had sex. Saying he rushed it means he regrets the sex later. Maybe he thinks he could have made it work if he tried to have a real relationship with her instead of jumping into drunken sex (tripping into the guest room). He made the mistake against his better judgement. I don't mean to be criticizing what other people have interpreted; this is just my two cents. The beauty of good lyrics is that they can have different meanings to different people. At any rate, this is an amazing song, album, and band. |
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