3. I Will Follow You Into The Dark By Death Cab For Cutie
Significant lyrics: 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 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 This Grammy nominated track is an almost undeniably pretty song. And it is a powerful love song. The song is Ben Gibbards promise to stay by a loved one even after death, but importantly in this case, death does not take them to a religiously accepted afterlife. Perhaps the song is more powerful because of that. Instead of suggesting that the couple will get to continue their existence indefinitely in a comfortable place like heaven, he is satisfied simply to pass on from this life with his partner not knowing what (if anything) comes next. This point is further driven home by the verse describing the abuse administered by a teacher/nun. Gibbard is ultimately contrasting the type of love accepted by some traditional Christians as being based in fear, with the love he feels for his partner that contains no fear. This is a poetic and romantic gesture, especially if the person he is singing to shares his philosophy or experiences. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am0IFwjPyYA