Cath- Death Cab For Cutie

Cath, she stands with a well-intentioned man
But she can't relax with his hand on the small of her back
And as the flashbulbs burst
She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child

And soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do

Cath, it seems that you live in someone else's dream
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
Where the things that could have been all repressed
But you said your vows, and you closed the door
On so many men who would have loved you more

And soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cause your heart was dying fast, and you didn't know what to do

The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
But if their hearts were dying that fast,
They'd have done the same as you
And I'd have done the same as you



There isn't much to decipher for this one. (so I think). Shaz asked me what I thought the line She holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child meant. At the time, I was a stranger to the song and its lyrics, and I answered offhandedly, "Smiling while gritting your teeth?"

Now that I've heard the song on loop, I realize now the heart of the song resides in that one line. All that tension, all the clench, all that quiet frustration, transferred mercilessly on some innocent molars. Hidden behind a desperately plastered smile.

Sometimes you have nothing else left to do.