You Can Play These Songs with Chords

You Can Play These Songs with Chords
Studio album by Death Cab for Cutie
Released	1997
Recorded	May–July 1997 (original) November 1996 - January 2000 (reissue)
Genre	Indie rock
Length	30:05
Language	English
Label	Barsuk Records
Producer	Ben Gibbard
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
You Can Play These Songs with Chords (1997) Something About Airplanes (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Pitchfork Media	(6.4/10)
Rolling Stone

You Can Play These Songs with Chords is an early demo from the rock band Death Cab for Cutie, which at the time consisted entirely of founder Ben Gibbard. This demo 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, the band's debut studio album.

You Can Play These Songs with Chords was expanded with ten more songs and re-released on October 22, 2002, through Barsuk Records on the heels of the success of The Photo Album.

Track listing

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

Compact Disc bonus tracks

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

9. "This Charming Man" (The Smiths Cover) – 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" (Secret Stars Cover) – 3:34
16. "Prove My Hypotheses" – 4:11
17. "Song for Kelly Huckaby" (Facts Version) – 3:51
18. "Army Corps of Architects" – 4:43

Personnel

• Ben Gibbard – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums
• Nathan Good – drums, tambourine
• Nick Harmer – bass guitar
• Christopher Walla – guitar, vocals "New Candles"