Ben Gibbard and the Meaning of Life
This month’s issue of Paste Magazine has a great article by Death Cab for Cutie Frontman, Ben Gibbard:
“Death Cab, Jack Kerouac and the Meaning of Life”
Late last summer, Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard retreated to the rustic California town of Big Sur to write songs for his band’s new record, and to commune with the spirit of his idol Jack Kerouac, who’d visited Big Sur almost a half-century ago. For this essay, we sent Gibbard back to his cabin in the woods to meditate on life, art and solitude.
I definitely can understand where Ben is coming from in his essay. We often look to our idols and the things we’ve grown up admiring to solve our problems and give us the answers, but we ultimately find that the solutions aren’t found in others, but the answers we seek are within ourselves. I was once told that there is no way that you can love someone else, unless you love yourself first. I’ve always hoped that I would read the Bible and all of a sudden, someone would jump out and say “Hey Steve, this is what you’re supposed to do. Follow these steps to your happy ending.” But I realize now that this is so silly. Only I know what’s right for me, and while I can look for assistance in guiding myself down the path, it’s largely my unknown ground to walk.
Life can be as miserable or wonderful as we want it to be, but it’s all about choices.
Death Cab For Cutie’s newest album, Narrow Stairs, drops May 13th. Meanwhile, you can check out their first single, I Will Possess Your Heart, as well as some older songs on their Myspace.
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