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Soul Meets Body

"Soul Meets Body" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their fifth studio album Plans (2005). It was released as the lead single from Plans in 2005, through Atlantic Records. Death Cab for Cutie emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the early aughts and built a following with its confessional lyricism and straightforward indie rock sound. "Soul Meets Body" was their first single for Atlantic, the major label with which they signed in 2004. The song is thematically existential, examining the intersection of soul and body though a relationship metaphor.

"Soul Meets Body"
Single by Death Cab for Cutie
from the album Plans
ReleasedAugust 8, 2005 [1]
Recorded2005
Genre
Length3:50
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Ben Gibbard
Producer(s)Chris Walla
Death Cab for Cutie singles chronology
"Title and Registration"
(2004) 		"Soul Meets Body"
(2005) 		"Crooked Teeth"
(2006)

Singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard wrote the song, while guitarist Chris Walla produced the track. The song's music video depicts Gibbard wandering through a mysterious forest where musical notes lift out of plants. "Soul Meets Body" became the band's first hit single; it hit number one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, and the top five of the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. It was their first to cross over to the all-genre Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 60. The song has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of over 1,000,000 copies.[2]

Background

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"Soul Meets Body" was written by frontman Ben Gibbard, and produced by guitarist Chris Walla. The song was recorded at Long View Farm, a farmstead in North Brookfield, Massachusetts.[3] The song opens with the sound of an uptempo[4] acoustic guitar,[5] leading to a chorus where Gibbard exclaims, "You're the only song I want to hear / A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere."[6] Gibbard wrote the song for his girlfriend at the time.[7] Throughout the song's lyrics, Gibbard touches on transcendental themes: in the song's hook, he pleads that "if the silence takes you then I hope it takes me too."[8] Walla summarized the song's message: "It's a declaration of desire over circumstance. It means, 'Here's where I am and here's what I want to be and how do I bridge those two things.' I think it's a beautiful articulation of love, friendships and relationships and everything you do over the course of the day."[4]

Gibbard recalled laboring over the song and follow-up single "Crooked Teeth": "We spent all this time trying to get "Soul Meets Body" and "Crooked Teeth" just right to make sure we were putting our best foot forward," he said.[9]

Music video

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The song's music video was directed by Jon Watts. In the clip, frontman Gibbard waltzes across a magical woodland as foliage transforms into music notes.[10] Gibbard picked Watts, a relative outsider, to helm the clip as he appreciated that his treatment was not simply a literal reading of the song's prose: "It's hard to pick videos, because when I write lyrics I try to make them as descriptive as possible, and I find it hard to find a treatment that's not just mimicking what's happening in the song [...] Plus this one was a little weird," he said.[10] It was filmed on August 3, 2005[10] at a ranch-style house located in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles.[11] Writers for Entertainment Weekly described the clip as "odd and lovely."[12] The band later issued a second video for the song directed by Cat Solen as part of its Directions: The Plans Video Album (2006).[13]

Release and chart performance

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"Soul Meets Body" was the lead single from Plans,[6] though the band debated over which single to lead with, between it and second single "Crooked Teeth". In the end, the group chose the former because of its "slower build and [lack of] a traditional radio-friendly chorus," so as to not overachieve.[14] The song was leaked online prior to its official release, which prompted Walla to respond, "I love it. The more anarchy we can give to the record industry, the better."[15] The song debuted on July 16, 2005, available to stream at the band's MySpace page until July 22.[16][17] It was a popular song on the site, garnering 400,000 streams within two months.[18] From there, it was available for listening on the band's official site,[19] with the label delivering it to radio on September 13.[5] "Soul Meets Body" became one of the band's biggest singles on radio,[20] with its popularity boosting sales of its parent album significantly.[21] Colin Stutz at the Hollywood Reporter called it a "massive radio hit."[22] It became the group's first song to chart on the all-genre Hot 100, where it peaked at number 60 and spent eighteen weeks.[23][24]

It became their first number one single on any chart when it led Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs for ten weeks; it rose to the summit after eight weeks on the ranking.[25] It peaked at number five on the publication's Modern Rock ranking,[26] and charted on it for 26 weeks.[27] For the band, the newfound radio success came as a shock: "I had this idea that it would get played on the couple stations that have already played us. I'm really taken aback by how popular it is," Gibbard told Billboard.[14] In February 2021, for the 25th anniversary of Adult Alternative Songs (which by then had been renamed to Adult Alternative Airplay), Billboard ranked "Soul Meets Body" at number 19 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history.[28][29]

Critical reception

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"Soul Meets Body" was received to mostly positive reviews from critics. Rob Sheffield at Rolling Stone considered a high point on Plans, complimenting its "R.E.M.-style jangle, sped up to electro-disco tempo."[30] Joe Tangari, in his review for Pitchfork, suggested it was one of the better "experiments" on Plans, calling it a " a sleek pop track."[31] James Rettig of Stereogum interpreted the song's lyrics as more bleak than romantic, noting that "Gibbard's describing the joining of body and mind, but he’s making it clear that there’s only emptiness in between the two."[32] Nick Sylvester at The Village Voice criticized the band's risk-taking, but nonetheless felt the single was "expertly produced and succinctly written."[33] Marc Vera at Entertainment Weekly called it an "indie-pop gem,"[34] while Rodrigo Perez at MTV interpreted it as "grappl[ing] with existential questions and reconciling personal needs.[4]

It was described as having a "haunting, slow drawl" by Caitlin Petrakovitz of The Daily Aztec, whilst Elisa Bray of The Independent said that the song is "one of their best melodies" and said the lyrics, "a melody softly soaring through my atmosphere", sums up the effect of the song on its listener.[35][36] Tom Woods of MusicOMH, said features such as "jangling acoustic guitar strumming throughout, and a wonderfully upbeat rhythm accompanying lyrics of loss and wonderment" gave the song a "distinct" resemblance to REM's song, "Losing My Religion".[37] Virgin Media, however, said the song was "slightly academic indie with a hint of Idlewild and Snow Patrol about it".[38] Drowned in Sound writer, Mike Diver, stated that "Soul Meets Body" has "tender, lovelorn lyrics that anyone over the age of ten can relate to coupled with the kind of shimmering indie-pop that a thousand imitators have failed to fully master [...] It says both everything to the listener and a whole lot of nothing at all, its perception entirely dependent on the type of ear bending its way." Diver finished the review by describing the song as being "sourced from a central vein yielding little else of value", an element that "leaves a bitter aftertaste that lingers long after the sound of silence settles."[39]

Other versions

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Gibbard later reimagined the song, with the help of Brett Nelson from Built to Spill, in an electronic-infused iteration for The Electronic Anthology Project (2013).[40] In 2019, the song was covered by New Zealand act the Beths.[41]

Track listing

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  1. "Soul Meets Body"
  2. "Jealousy Rides with Me"

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States July 16, 2005 MySpace [16]
September 13, 2005 Radio Atlantic Records [5]

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2005–06) Peak
position
Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[42] 22
Scotland (OCC)[43] 82
UK Singles (OCC)[44] 125
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[45] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[46] 60
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[47] 1
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[48] 32
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[49] 5

Year-end charts

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Chart (2006) Position
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[50] 39

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[52] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Death Cab For Cutie Unveils Fall Tour Plans". Billboard. August 8, 2005. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "American certifications – Death Cab for Cutie – Soul Meets Body". Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. ^ "Top 20 Major Label Debuts by Indie Bands That Made the Leap". Consequence. June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Perez, Rodrigo (June 29, 2005). "Death Cab For Cutie Living Up To The 'Death' Part On Next LP". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Death Cab's Atlantic Debut Due In Late August". Billboard. July 7, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Nothing Is Certain but Death and Taxis". The New York Times. August 28, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  7. ^ Mar, Alex (April 8, 2005). "Death Cab for Cutie Make "Plans"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  8. ^ "Instant Indie Classic: Death Cab for Cutie - Plans". Consequence. May 10, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  9. ^ Ozzi, Dan (August 9, 2018). "Ben Gibbard Ranks Death Cab for Cutie's Eight Albums". VICE. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Montgomery, James (July 29, 2005). "Death Cab For Cutie Admit Magical Forest Video Is 'A Little Weird'". MTV News. Retrieved June 29, 2022.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Inside the 'Plans' of Death Cab For Cutie". EW.com. August 26, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Must List: September 16, 2005". EW.com. September 10, 2005. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  13. ^ Montgomery, James (December 14, 2005). "Death Cab For Cutie Taking A Page From 50 Cent's Playbook". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Death Cab Cracks Billboard Singles Charts". Billboard. August 23, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  15. ^ Bendary, Jennifer (October 24, 2005). "Movin' on Up (Without Sellin' on Out): An Interview with Death Cab for Cutie". PopMatters. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  16. ^ a b "New Music from Death Cab". SPIN. July 18, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  17. ^ "New Death Cab For Cutie: "Soul Meets Body"". Stereogum. July 16, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  18. ^ Kot, Greg (September 18, 2005). "Revenge of the indie rockers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  19. ^ "Death Cab For Cutie Unveils Fall Tour Plans". Billboard. August 8, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  20. ^ Leahey, Andrew (May 13, 2008). "Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  21. ^ "Kanye Reigns, Death Cab Hits No. 4". SPIN. September 7, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  22. ^ Stutz, Colin (November 1, 2012). "Postal Service's 'Give Up' Goes Platinum Just in Time for Album's 10th Anniversary". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  23. ^ Leahey, Andrew. "Death Cab for Cutie Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  24. ^ "Soul Meets Body – Billboard Hot 100 chart position". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  25. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (July 27, 2018). "Death Cab for Cutie Scores Its Fastest-Rising No. 1 on Adult Alternative Songs Chart With 'Gold Rush'". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  26. ^ "Death Cab Commissions Twelve 'Plans' Videos". Billboard. December 19, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  27. ^ "Soul Meets Body – Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart position". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2009. [dead link‍]
  28. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (February 18, 2021). "Dave Matthews Band & The Wallflowers' 'One Headlight' Top Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  29. ^ "Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  30. ^ Sheffield, Rob (August 22, 2005). "Plans". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  31. ^ Tangari, Joe (August 29, 2005). "Death Cab for Cutie: Plans". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  32. ^ Rettig, James (August 28, 2015). "Plans Turns 10". Stereogum. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  33. ^ Sylvester, Nick (September 6, 2005). "Pussyfooting". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  34. ^ Vera, Marc (July 21, 2005). "Download This: Seth's favorite band returns". EW.com. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  35. ^ Petrakovitz, Caitlin (July 7, 2008). "Live And Dangerous: Why does Cutie need a Death Cab anyway?". The Daily Aztec. Retrieved July 29, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  36. ^ Bray, Elisa (July 24, 2008). "Death Cab For Cutie, Koko, London". The Independent. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  37. ^ Woods, Tom. "Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body (Atlantic)". MusicOMH.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  38. ^ "Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body review". Virgin Media. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  39. ^ Diver, Mike. "Death Cab For Cutie: Soul Meets Body". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  40. ^ "Listen to a New Version of "Soul Meets Body", Featuring Ben Gibbard, From The Electronic Anthology Project of Death Cab for Cutie". Pitchfork. July 1, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  41. ^ Rettig, James (March 20, 2019). "The Beths - "Soul Meets Body" (Death Cab For Cutie Cover)". Stereogum. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  42. ^ "RR Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). p. 63. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  43. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  44. ^ "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  45. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  46. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  47. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  48. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  49. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  50. ^ "Alternative Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  51. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body". Music Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  52. ^ "American single certifications – Death Cab For Cutie – Soul Meets Body". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
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