“Summer Skin” relishes carefree summer days. In the wake of romantic failures, “Someday You Will Be Loved” assures a hard-luck case, “Each broken heart will eventually mend … You’ll be loved like you’ve never known/And the memories will seem like bad dreams.” The singer yearns to bridge the distance between himself and a girlfriend on “Marching Bands of Manhattan,” though offbeat metaphors muddy the context.
All paths lead to the same place on “Different Names for the Same Thing,” which is only a problem if it’s referring to the afterlife. Overly romantic and naive about death, a Catholic-school dropout—prepared to be turned away by both heaven and hell—pledges to enter the great unknown alongside his lover (“I Will Follow You Into the Dark”). A line on “Crooked Teeth” makes light of drunkenness. Despite equating love with the willingness to stand by a dying person ’til the end, “What Sarah Said” uses a crass expression and speaks of praying to Father Time.
Death Cab for Cutie specializes in quirky poetry and cryptic sentiment. Since many of these songs are open to interpretation, families should use caution.
