Death Cab For Cutie: Marching Band of Manhattan Meaning

Marching Band of Manhattan Lyrics

If I could open my arms
And span the length of the isle of Manhattan,
I'd bring it to where you are
Making a lake of the East River and Hudson
If I could open my mouth
Wide enough for a marching band to march out
They would make your name...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   hopeforrain

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   Jul 26th 2006 !⃝

   I believe this song is about a failed relationship Ben had. He says things about how he wished he could do something for her, like bringing her manhattan in his arms or a marching band in his mouth for her. He's aware that their relationship is falling apart and that he's trying to convince himself it's not. She, on the other hand, keeps struggling with depression. Soon enough, her grief is going to overcome her love for him, and he knows, but he's still struggling to hang on.
2. anonymous

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   Feb 20th 2017 !⃝

   I think it's about a girl who's boyfriend is trying hard to show how much he cares and she won't believe it no matter how hard he tries because she's so weighed down by bad relationships in the past. The sorrow dripping into her heart is self doubt, insecurity,and the baggage from the past. While she's trying to figure out if the glass is half empty (like the past) she's slowing ruining the current relationship that's drowning
3. anonymous

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   Mar 3rd 2009 !⃝

   This is a song about how a man is in love. And yet, the man can't show how he feels so at the beginning he uses these metaphors to try and convey his feelings. Unfortunately, as the song progresses we soon find out that the girl whom he is love with doesn't see any changes in his demeanor and falls into a depression. The narrator then continues to say that if this depression continues then the sorrow will begin to blot out any love she has ever felt for him. This is an unfortunate song just because things like this happens all the time and there is usually no stopping the events once the ball starts on this path. I maybe considered a pessimistic and all but I have experienced this first hand and I was unable to get out of the hole that I was in and now I regret everyday that I have spent afterwards. I continually think about what could have happened but the past is the past and I can't change it.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 23rd 2008 !⃝

   I think you are all being too pessimistic about it. I think its just a love song and he's expressing his love and maybe things are going hard at the moment but as she sits there and wonders if they are going to work he will get better. Her heart will fill back up (drowning her love, but in a good way!)
5. anonymous

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   Apr 24th 2008 !⃝

   I think it's kind of about a relationship where the guy really does love the girl, he just wishes he could show it better. I think she feels ignored most of the time, and it's only the odd time when he is sweet and affectionate. but he knows that she won't stick around forever because he isn't treating her the way she wants, so eventually her love will fade.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. anonymous

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   Apr 13th 2008 !⃝

   I wouldn't exclude the idea of her being depressed, but one way or the other I sort of agree with you. The narrator is a guy who is describing his love for this one girl with these metaphors, but she does feel the same because her sadness is drowning out any chance for love in her heart.
7. anonymous

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   Dec 26th 2007 !⃝

   I agree that this is living for the moment. He knows he hasn't been perfect, he wishes he could do a heap of things to make her see that he's changed, but she can't cant over it... She holds on to what things have been like and can't see what they could be like, and she stays like that, she'll just fall out of love with him... I don't think she's depressed. If someone you loved was depressed, you wouldn't talk about simply screaming there name out for the world to hear. The marching band is a metaphor for his love, it's a romantic gesture--something that he;s failed to do in the past.
8. anonymous

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   Feb 18th 2007 !⃝

   This song is about living for the moment.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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