Title and Registration Lyrics

Lyric discussion by c0c0kittyo7 

Cover art for Title and Registration lyrics by Death Cab for Cutie

I never really thought about a meaning until one of my friends said that this was one of the most pointless songs...which angered me. I started to think about it, and I saw a metaphor. To me, the glove compartment is a representation of his life and since its not accurately made, he feels as though his life has been messed up, and "everybody knows it." So to correct what he feels is wrong in his life he is going to make a quick decision (probably meaning that is will be a drastic one at that). There is nothing behind the door to keep his fingers warm because he can't find anything good in his life to make him happy. All he can remember are good memories, which were before his lover left him, hence the taillights are fading east, his lover is driving away to find a better life.
The rest I think is possibly how he got pulled over one day and was looking for his title and registration when he found remnants of past live with his lover. And the rest is self-explanatory.

@c0c0kittyo7 It's not accurately named, and this lyric is hilarous. Who keeps their gloves in there. We keep legal documents, our registration, our title, everybody probably but gloves. Why did they name it a glove compartment. I chortle. I love Ben's and Chris' cynicism from these early days of DCFC and a tremendous album that still sounds pertinent 22 years later. They released the demos of these songs in 2013 or so and it's fascinating how much TandR changed to final recording.