Although it seems that the general consensus regarding the meaning of this song is that it’s about a relationship bound to fail from the beginning, I think it’s more. This common interpretation is most likely stemmed from an automatic response to the chorus:
“No, you can’t find nothing at all, if there was nothing there all along”
Looking at this line alone, I too would think it was only about a relationship; however, looking at the rest of the song, there is an overarching theme of disdain for a certain city. Ultimately, I think Crooked Teeth is Ben Gibbard’s lament for a city he has ended up in (most likely to follow a girl). His hate for the city, as a result, makes loving his girl much harder and eventually tears them apart. The specifics of the city, I can’t draw a definitive conclusion about.
Gibbard says he knew he “made a horrible call” by leaving his previous residence. He notes that the “state line” that he has passed makes him feel like he’s stuck on the other side of the Berlin wall, as if he cannot leave but it also unwelcome as it is clear he belongs on the other side.
Most relevant however, is the amazing imagery in the following verse that truly showcases how much discomfort Gibbard feels in the city:
@Littlewanderer - Disdain for a certain city --> I wonder if it was Los Angeles. I share Ben\'s disdain for that place. He\'s from the beautiful green Northwest and didn\'t like living in the brown hellhole known as LA.
@Littlewanderer - Disdain for a certain city --> I wonder if it was Los Angeles. I share Ben\'s disdain for that place. He\'s from the beautiful green Northwest and didn\'t like living in the brown hellhole known as LA.
Although it seems that the general consensus regarding the meaning of this song is that it’s about a relationship bound to fail from the beginning, I think it’s more. This common interpretation is most likely stemmed from an automatic response to the chorus:
“No, you can’t find nothing at all, if there was nothing there all along”
Looking at this line alone, I too would think it was only about a relationship; however, looking at the rest of the song, there is an overarching theme of disdain for a certain city. Ultimately, I think Crooked Teeth is Ben Gibbard’s lament for a city he has ended up in (most likely to follow a girl). His hate for the city, as a result, makes loving his girl much harder and eventually tears them apart. The specifics of the city, I can’t draw a definitive conclusion about.
Gibbard says he knew he “made a horrible call” by leaving his previous residence. He notes that the “state line” that he has passed makes him feel like he’s stuck on the other side of the Berlin wall, as if he cannot leave but it also unwelcome as it is clear he belongs on the other side.
Most relevant however, is the amazing imagery in the following verse that truly showcases how much discomfort Gibbard feels in the city:
“’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.”
---- See more on www.little-wanderer.com
@Littlewanderer - Disdain for a certain city --> I wonder if it was Los Angeles. I share Ben\'s disdain for that place. He\'s from the beautiful green Northwest and didn\'t like living in the brown hellhole known as LA.
@Littlewanderer - Disdain for a certain city --> I wonder if it was Los Angeles. I share Ben\'s disdain for that place. He\'s from the beautiful green Northwest and didn\'t like living in the brown hellhole known as LA.