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You Can Play These Songs with Chords
Studio album by Death Cab for Cutie
Released	1997 October 22, 2002 (re-release)
Recorded	1996
Genre	Indie rock
Length	30:05 (1997 release) 66:41 (2002 re-release)
Label	Elsinor (1997 release) Barsuk (2002 re-release)
Producer	Benjamin Gibbard
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997) Something About Airplanes (1998)

You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997) is the first release from the band Death Cab for Cutie, who at this time was no more than founder Benjamin Gibbard. This album was originally released on cassette, and it proved so popular, Gibbard decided to recruit other members to make a full band, which would go on to record Something About Airplanes. You Can Play These Songs with Chords was expanded with ten more songs and re-released in 2002 on the heels of the success of The Photo Album.

All songs written by Benjamin Gibbard.

1. "President of What?" – 4:06
2. "Champagne from a Paper Cup" – 2:34
3. "Pictures in an Exhibition" – 4:02
4. "Hindsight" – 3:47
5. "That's Incentive" – 2:13
6. "Amputations" – 4:03
7. "Two Cars" – 3:31
8. "Line of Best Fit" – 5:49

All songs written by Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer and Christopher Walla except as otherwise noted.

1. "President of What?" – 4:06
2. "Champagne from a Paper Cup" – 2:34
3. "Pictures in an Exhibition" – 4:02
4. "Hindsight" – 3:47
5. "That's Incentive" – 2:13
6. "Amputations" – 4:03
7. "Two Cars" – 3:31
8. "Line of Best Fit" – 5:49
9. "This Charming Man" (Johnny Marr, Morrissey) – 2:14
10. "TV Trays" – 4:02
11. "New Candles" – 3:02
12. "Tomorrow" – 2:17
13. "Flustered/Hey Tomcat!" – 2:56
14. "State Street Residential" – 5:51
15. "Wait" (Farina, Secret Stars) – 3:34
16. "Prove My Hypotheses" – 4:11
17. "Song for Kelly Huckaby(Facts Version)" – 3:51
18. "Army Corps of Architects" – 4:43

• Benjamin Gibbard – vocals, guitar, bass, piano, drums
• Christopher Walla – vocals (on "This Charming Man", "TV Trays", "New Candles", and "Tomorrow"), guitar
• Nicholas Harmer – bass

The cover of the album is a picture of Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham, Washington during the 1960s. JC Penney is the store on the right.

• "This Charming Man," a cover of the classic Smiths tune, was recorded in November 1996, along with "TV Trays," "New Candles" and "Tomorrow," although they did not appear on this record until the 2002 re-release.
• "President of What," "Champagne from a Paper Cup," "Pictures in an Exhibition," "Amputations," and "Line of Best Fit" were recorded from May to July of 1997, and were later re-recorded for Something About Airplanes.
• "Flustered/Hey Tomcat!" and "State Street Residential" were originally recorded in December 1997 and March 1998, respectively.
• "Wait," a cover version of a Secret Stars song, and "Prove My Hypotheses" were released on 7" singles in 1999.
• "Song for Kelly Huckaby," originally designed to be on We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, was recorded in July 1999. Ben Gibbard once introduced this song as "California" on the radio show The Live Room.
• "Army Corps of Architects" was the B-side of a Sub Pop singles club 7" released in 2000.