The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
From the Album Gorilla, 1967
Wolfgang Eichlerax
That night Cutie called a cab
-Baby don't do it
She left her East Side drum so drab
-Baby don't do it
She went out on the town
Knowing it would make her lover frown
-Death cab for Cutie
-Death cab for Cutie
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
The cab was racing through the night
-Baby don't do it
His eyes in the mirror, keeping Cutie in sight
-Baby don't do it
When he saw Cutie it gave him a thrill
Don't you know Baby, curves can kill
-Death cab for Cutie
-Death cab for Cutie
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
Cutie, don't you play with fate
Don't leave your lover alone
If you go out on this date
His heart will turn to stone
Bad girl Cutie, what have you done
-Baby don't do it
Slipping sliding down Highway 31
-Baby don't do it
The traffic lights changed from green to red
They tried to stop but they both wound up dead
-Death cab for Cutie
-Death cab for Cutie
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
Someone's going to make you pay your fare
Photo by Stephen Perry
Voyage-a-deux
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band famously performed 'Death Cab for Cutie' at the end of The Beatles' 1967 Magical Mystery Tour film. The Bonzos were asked personally by Paul McCartney to be in the film as they were gaining popularity in Britain at the time.
Written by the group's singer Vivian Stanshall, the initial inspiration for this song was the title of an old American pulp fiction crime magazine he once came across.
The origin of the phrase 'Death Cab for Cutie' can be traced to a book by British Academic Richard Hoggart. In 1957, Hoggart published a book called The Uses of Literacy which discussed British popular culture and cultural studies. The phrase appears in Chapter 8, part C which is titled 'Sex and Violence Novels.'
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band singer Vivian Stanshall wanted to sing this as a comedic send-up of Elvis Presley. Stanshall sang the song in the style of teenage tragedy songs, such as 'Teen Angel' by Mark Dinning.
The Bellingham, Washington indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie named their band after this song. Lead singer Ben Gibbord says that if he knew his band would still be popular 15 years after they formed, he would've picked "something more obvious" for a band name.
The '80s group Culture Club referenced this track in their song 'Crime Time,' which appeared on Culture Club's 1984 album Waking Up with the House on Fire. The Bonzos singer Vivian Stanshall later died in an unfortunate house fire in 1995.
In 1975, Alex Chilton of the influential American rock band Big Star performed a cover of 'Death Cab for Cutie' on Memphis radio station WLYX.
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