Death Cab’s Gibbard pitches Ichiro a musical sendoff

Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie performs at Safeco Field on opening day 2010 (Mariners photo)

With Ichiro on his way out of town, the tributes are
pouring in. Among them comes a musical salute from another
Seattle icon, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

He posted the previously unreleased “Ichiro’s Theme” on
his Soundcloud page after
the trade was announced.

“I wrote this a few years ago. Today seems like the
best day to let you all hear it. Thank you, Ichiro,”
Gibbard wrote on his Twitter account.

The upbeat pop tune honors Ichiro’s previous
baserunning prowess with a healthy dose of power pop. It’s
also a sweet homage to another Seattle icon, former
announcer Dave Neihaus.

“Go, go, go, go Ichiro. Rounding third and heading
home. Don’t you know he beats the throw, and Dave says on
the the radio ‘Ichiro you’re unbelievable,” Gibbard sings.

It’s not the only musical tribute to Ichiro out there
from Gibbard and other Seattle rockers. The Death Cab
frontman partnered earlier this year with Scott McCaughey
of Young Fresh Fellows fame and his former REM bandmate
Peter Buck for “Ichiro Goes To The Moon,” an offering
included on Volume 2: High and Inside from the super group
The Baseball Project.

Listen
here to “Ichiro Goes to the Moon”