Title and Registration by Death Cab for Cutie

Album: Transatlanticism (2003)

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Songfacts®:

This song is about a man who stumbles upon old pictures of his girlfriend ("Souveniers from better times") in his glove compartment before she left him ("Before the gleam of your taillights fading east") and the detached sorrow he has for the relationship leads him to obsess over why it's called the glove compartment, since people don't put their gloves there - they put their title and registration. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Alden - College Park, MD
Lead singer Ben Gibbard (Rolling Stone, September 22, 2005): "This is a pretty honest portrayal of a real occurrence: I did find an old photo in a glove compartment. When you're not expecting to run into stuff like that, it affects you the most."

Comments: 11

Natalie from Lorena, TxI heard this song right after I heard Black Sun, and they gave me similar vibes at first. I love this song and the idea along with it, I mean only Ben could think of how to incorporate a literal glove box into a song. And he didn't just incorporate it, he wrote the entire song centered around it. I think that centering effect on the glove box makes it apparent of how much he just wants something to keep his hands warm, probably his girlfriend to be exact.
9-23-21
Age: 15
Alex from San Marcos, TxIts definitely not about cheating, "there's no blame to how our love did slowly fade" if she cheated there would surely be blame.
Ellen from Rotorua, New ZealandI Love this song. "And there is no blame to how our love did slowly fade, and now that its gone its like it wasn't there at all" is just so pretty!
Nick from Okemos, Miive got to disagree with the thingy up there. this isnt about cheating at all. he just sees a picture of an old love and it hits him hard. its about that flood of memory and what happened about it.
Amanda from New York, NyI think the title fits perfectly with this song. Just like Gibbard always does he makes his audience put the puzzle pieces in his words and we stick them together. I love the way glues life to his lyrics as perfect as he does. The song is incredibly beautiful although it does seem to imply somewhat about cheating...
Benjamin from Monroe, Wait is not about cheating. are you guys retarded?

"When I stumbled upon
Pictures I tried to forget"

if they we pictures of his ex cheating why would her keep them in the glove compartment? he would rip them up or burn them. duh.
Chelseanne from Alma, MoThis song made me cry....but I love it.
I also think its about a past relationship...
Leah from Humboldt, Iaawesomely sweet song. i never really thought the name fit the song though...
Derek from Newark, DeI agree. The message I get, is someone finds pictures of themselves and someone from a past relationship in the glove box of their car. They are reminded of it, and are disappointed that there is still no reason that it had to end.
Natasha from Aurora, CoYeah, Kyle is incorrect. It's about a past relationship.
Molly from Amherst, MaThis song is not as difficult to decipher as some of DCFC's lyrics. It's about a relationship that is ALREADY over, and he comes across pictures of them in the past and it makes him relive those days. He is nostalgic and also regretful that the relationship has ended. This is not about cheating. "there's no blame for how our love did slowly fade"

Terribly sad and identifiable.

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