So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Life is sweet in the belly of the beast
In the belly of the beast
And with her song in your heart
It can never bring you down
It can never bring you down
Lost in a maze of a thousand rainy days
Of a thousand rainy days
But when I heard her voice
Oh, it led me to the end
Yes, it led me to the end
'Cause when she sings I hear a symphony
And I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me
I'm renewed
Oh, how I feel alive
And through autumn's advancing
We'll stay young, go dancing
As the music plays
Feel our bodies' sway
When we move as one
We stay young
(Go dancing)
Life is sweet in the belly of the beast
In the belly of the beast
And with her song in your heart
It can never bring you down
It can never bring you down
'Cause when she sings I hear a symphony
And I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me
I'm renewed
Oh, how I feel alive
And through winter's advancing
We'll stay young, go dancing
Stay young, go dancing
Stay young, go dancing
In the belly of the beast
And with her song in your heart
It can never bring you down
It can never bring you down
Lost in a maze of a thousand rainy days
Of a thousand rainy days
But when I heard her voice
Oh, it led me to the end
Yes, it led me to the end
'Cause when she sings I hear a symphony
And I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me
I'm renewed
Oh, how I feel alive
And through autumn's advancing
We'll stay young, go dancing
As the music plays
Feel our bodies' sway
When we move as one
We stay young
(Go dancing)
Life is sweet in the belly of the beast
In the belly of the beast
And with her song in your heart
It can never bring you down
It can never bring you down
'Cause when she sings I hear a symphony
And I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me
I'm renewed
Oh, how I feel alive
And through winter's advancing
We'll stay young, go dancing
Stay young, go dancing
Stay young, go dancing
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The most joyous ending to a Death Cab album ever.
I have a theory about this song - in Why You'd Want To Live Here, Ben talks about 'the belly of the beast that is Californ-i-a'.
Maybe it's the same belly of the beast he's talking about here, but something/someone is clearly making it a much better place to be than it was in 2001 for him.
I would imagine Zooey Deschanel would have that effect on anyone... :)
I totally agree with your theory that Ben is talking about California when he mentions 'belly of the beast'. I think it was a very clever way for Ben to connect his old songs to his new. Suddenly this place he though was terrible has become amazing because he's with the person he loves.
i was just going to say the exact same thing! also, doors unlocked and open refers to california, possibly leading towards/away from it, so i think that fits in nicely
i completely understand where you're coming from, but i can't imagine ben would wait ten years to make the same connection. plus, it's pretty clear that the "belly of the beast that is californ-i-a" is...california. it just doesn't seem feasible that it's the same belly of the beast, even as a metaphor. anyway, beautiful song though. fun to play on guitar!
not that its important but the beast is california as a whole and the belly is southern california
What a beautiful song! It's so nice to close the album with this...a pure and heartfelt expression of what it feels like to be blindly in love.
The happiest Death Cab song ever. They usually only have very sad and almost depressing songs that this is a fun change. I didn't know what to think of it at first because they pretty much don't have any happy songs, but I really love it!
Great ending to the album.
This song has an ironic and bittersweet feel for me. Somewhat like falling for someone else when you're in a jaded relationship. You get that good feeling of being attracted to someone, which is magnified because of the state of the current relationship you're in. You're in a high from your infatuation but you're giving up something real, although, unromantic. The high gives a feeling of being wanted, being interesting, being young.
Although her song gives a renewed feeling, there is still an impending winter which the writer looks to evade or deny. "'Cause when she sings I hear a symphony And I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me I'm renewed, oh how I feel like Though autumn(/winter)'s advancing, we'll stay young, go dancing"
It also speaks of her voice/song saving him from the belly of the beast, and from being down and from a thousand rainy days. I think the writer speaks of the girl as someone who breaks his routine and gives a new perspective on a bleak and cyclic routine.
Yeah, it is about Zooey Deschanel. Death Cab did a "storytellers" performance on VH1 where they talked about the background of a few songs. When they were about to play this one, Ben said something along the lines of that he's a newlywed and should be aloud one love song. I do love this song though. I generally like Ben's sad, melancholy songs, but I surprisingly enjoy that I can tell he's happy on this record =)
<3 I love it. "Codes and Keys" has to be one of the best albums I've listened to since "Plastic Beach" came out, and this song just sums the album up perfectly.
It makes me smile to see how happy Gibbard is now:)
Wow this song is such a great one to end the album with. When i heard St. Peter's Cathedral i did feel a bit sad which hey if they had ended with that song it would of added to their recent album endings. Transatlanticism, Plans and Narrow Stairs ended on a sad note but this one left me smiling at the end. It adds to the change in their style of music :)
Hey buddy i think it's supposed to be "Oh How i feel ALIVE" lol it just didn't sound right to me. Plus the lyric book says its like that too... O_o