Deconstructing Deathcab

Me: Did you know that Deathcab For Cutie’s song, “I Will Possess Your Heart”, original version has no vocals for the first 4 mins, 40 seconds, which is like 20 seconds longer than the entire length of the radio edit version?

Original Song:

Radio Edit:

S: Interesting. I did not know that.

Me: It’s actually a very long intro. And by intro, I mean about half the length of the song. At one point it seems like it is just going to be a repetitive instrumental.

S: Ha. oh, Deathcab.

Me: Yup. I was listening to it and I was like, ok, NOW he’ll sing…..no? ok NOW….no, NOW….ha.

S: I hate that.

Me: It was on the radio this morning which is why I bring it up. But then when I heard the radio edit, I was like, oh wow, they waste no time brining in the vocals.

S: Yeah.

Me: Like, I understand if the band was just jamming out to forgo vocals, but it’s a very simple riff that they just repeat over….and over….and over…..and over…..

S: Yeah, who knows what their motivation for it was. I feel that way about the ending of the original version of [Eric Clapton’s] Layla. The eternal argument between my mom and me is the ending of Layla vs. the ending of [The Beatles’] Hey Jude. But I think for me it’s because you can sing along with Hey Jude. And they DO have different things that happen.

Me: Hmmm good point.

S: With Layla it’s just the SAME guitar riff oooooover and over and over.

Me: But there, they’re clearly rocking out in a jam session.

S: True, but to have that never-ending jam session as an intro…

Me: Right…

S: Which isn’t even especially suspenseful.

Me: You lose your audience. The video also doesn’t help to move the song’s interest either; which is probably the point of it.

S: Who knows.

Me: Haha yeah. I don’t know. I think the long version is growing on me. Ummm, that’s what she said?