Posts Tagged ‘lyrics’

Wednesday Reviews: Death Cab for Cutie Narrow Stairs

July 23rd, 2008

Ok, so I’ve talked about my love of Death Cab before and I wrote here about an experience I had with the single from Narrow Stairs. But, I wanted to take today to recommend the whole album more thoroughly to you.

To be honest the first time Bryan and I heard Narrow Stairs we weren’t really sure about it. We have very high expectations from Death Cab and so we weren’t sure that it lived up to them. But, the more we have listened to this album the more we have come to LOVE it. I am tempted to say that it is my new favorite Death Cab album… but, yeah, I can’t really say that… I love the other one’s way too much to say that.

So, what is it about Narrow Stairs that I love so much? Well, if you haven’t picked this up already, I love words. And when I listen to music I really listen to the lyrics. Lyrics are important to me and it’s Ben Gibbard’s lyrical genius that first caused me to fall in love with Death Cab for Cutie. His songs are truly poetry to music. But, then they take it a step farther and have this wonderful way of making the lyrics come alive and produce feelings in the listener by creatively combining them with music. They have this ability to paint a picture with their words and then make you feel that picture through their music. And this album is no different – it takes the lyric genius and mixes it with musical skill and creativity and the result is AMAZING!

I highly recommend that you check out Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie! Here are the lyrics from one of my favorite songs on the album (although really I like it all so much it’s hard to really commit to a favorite):

Cath…
She stands with a well intentioned man.
But she can’t relax with his hands on the small of her back.
As the flashbulbs burst she holds a smile.
Like someone would hold a crying child.

Soon everybody will ask what became of you.
Your heart was dying fast and you didn’t know what to do.

Cath…
It seems that you live in someone else’s dream.
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
With the things that could have been are repressed.
But you said your vows and you closed the door
On so many men who would have loved you more.

Soon everybody will ask what became of you.
Your heart was dying fast and you didn’t know what to do.
The whispers that it won’t last roll up and down the pews.
And if our hearts were dying that fast, they would have done the same as you.
I’d have done the same as you

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Good King Wenceslas…

December 13th, 2007

So, today I was listening to some Christmas music and was thinking of the song Good King Wenceslas – it’s one that you don’t hear as often and I knew the first few lines to it but that was all. So I decided to look up the lyrics and this is what I found:

Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shown the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.

Hither, page, and stand by me.
If thou know it telling:
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.

Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear the thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went,
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather.

Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.
Ark my footsteps my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.

In his master’s step he trod,
Where the snow lay dented.
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.

I thought it a very appropriate song to follow my previous post. It’s too bad it’s not one you hear more often it really is beautiful and has a very moving “missional” message. Find a copy and listen to it J

Rejoicing in the season –
Beth Stedman

PS – just as a history lesson side note Wenceslas wasn’t a king at all he was a Czech prince who died by the hand of his brother when his brother usurped power from him.

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