I Will Follow You Into the Dark

I was on the way home from he movies with Katti and her brother last night and the ipod played I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab For a Cutie. I had never heard this song before but I really liked it. So I decided to read over the lyrics and the meanings and interpretations people had and sort of made my own conclusions about the song.

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back

If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
'cause we'll hold each other soon
In the blackest of rooms

If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark 


Ben Gibbard (the writer) wrote this song as a promise to a loved to always be with her even after she dies. Before he ever wrote the song his life led him to an obsession over death and things like that. It got him thinking of the importance of the people that were currently in his life and he wanted to show that so he wrote this song. 
When he says in the song "I'll follow you into the dark" by dark he means death and that if his loved ones ever died he would always be with them even though he is alive and they are not. 
I found that really fascinating, and it got me thinking about the importance of people in MY life, (now I am not about to go write a song about it or anything I am just going to blog). I would still want to somewhat "represent" someone that was really close to me after they died, I would "follow them into the dark." People may think differently but I think when people die they are in some way still with us even though they aren't physically. It is almost like a guardian angel. They will always be there watching over us and protecting us.


Another part that really stuck out to me was when Ben said "If Heaven and Hell decide That they both are satisfied Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs" Ben doesn't believe in Heaven or Hell, he believes it is just one place. I mean, I believe otherwise but it is interesting that someone could believe something that others may think is totally crazy. But imagine what if there was just one place where you go when you die and everybody that died before you and all that will die after you will be there as well. No matter how bad or good you are you were accepted into this one place that is just a place where everybody can be safe and with the people they have lost before.


One last part I just want to comment on is maybe the most inspiring part of the song for me. "You and me have seen everything to see From Bangkok to Calgary And the soles of your shoes are all worn down The time for sleep is now It's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon In the blackest of rooms" What I got from this and what I have read and concluded to was that death can't be permanently stopped, yes there are things to delay it for only a period of time but in the end death cannot be prevented. At the beginning of this part he is saying pretty much we have had our run and we have done everything we could have possibly done but now it is time to die (sleep) and we shouldn't cry over it and tear ourselves apart because "it is only natural". I do think that death is something to cry over but to tear yourself apart is not the best decision


I think this is definitely one of the prettiest songs about death that I have ever heard, and even though I don't agree with a lot of the things Ben was trying to convey I still think it is quite inspiring.