Ben Gibbard Such Great Heights

[InfamousStevieB]

Such a beautiful song. First heard Streetlight Manifesto's cover, which I think was an amazing interpretation of this piece. But I must say, love the original and this acoustic version. The lyrics are just so... perfect.

[themadbatter]

I can't believe there's no video of The Postal Service performing this live on Youtube.

What the fuck?

[creekerwalker92]

I remember playin this song on my harmonica back in nam...

[nbbleeck]

This song was played at my high school graduation and its been stuck in my head and heart ever since. I love it

[LoganTheFat]

i feel sorry for people who think iron and wine is the original, the postal service version is soooooo much better. Listen to it hippies, listen to the magical robot electronic music!

[Chrisscott664]

idk if someone already said this BUT THE POSTAL SERVICE IS BEN GIBBARD........

[Jojoseahorse]

Beautiful words - just reminds you of someone you miss a lot :)

[doowahdoo]

i always smile when i hear this song. i know, everybody smiles sometimes when they hear a song, but this song makes me smile in the most sincere way. the day that i discovered this song is one of the happiest days of my life:). thank you, ben!

[Baerbelification]

@doowahdoo wow, this is so weird. it's exactly the same with me when i hear this song (especially this version)! reminds me of good times.. :)

[ihavesexforhappymeal]

@stevenr21

I know :p I already borrowed one and played it. It sounds like crap 2 and a half steps down :(

[ronancorrigan]

what type of guitar is that?

[foolykid19]

its on the 5th fret not the 13th. get your eyes checked.

[peachypolka]

I first watched this over three years ago and it still makes me cry.

[sarcelleobjet]

@peachypolka You're not alone; this song made me cry too.

[MystriusBurdedDrumma]

i knew that postal service did the original. wasnt aware his name was ben gibbard.. so no its not embaressing. and no im not dumb. the two of you should just grow up. putting other people down to make yourself feel better...classy.

[Rochambo7]

It's not a cover :P

[ihavesexforhappymeal]

THE CAPO US DEFINITELY ON TEH 13th FRET

[stevenr21]

@ihavesexforhappymeal lol it is on the 5th fret....

[zexionsmexion1]

@djpacoustic87 AMEN.

[MystriusBurdedDrumma]

I like how he made it his own, strumming instead of the finger picking. Very cool. His timing isn't "off" but in a way abstract. I give this fella a 10 for effort and originality.

[crispinchicken]

@MystriusBurdedDrumma

it is his own... he wrote the original song haha.

[MystriusBurdedDrumma]

@crispinchicken Lol I figured that out a few days later.

[GoHawks4]

@MystriusBurdedDrumma embarrassing.

[smholt4]

@MystriusBurdedDrumma you are so dumb

[comebackfred]

great video!

[TheJoeGrosso]

You Tube comments make me smile! Postal Service is the mother fucking shit... oh and by the way that capo is DEFINITELY on the 5th fret... just look at the inlay assholes!

[littled0ct0r]

is this in standard tuning anyone know?

[WTIndustries]

@littled0ct0r standard with a capo on five, there is a chord chart for it on Ultimate Guitar.

[donnyinlakai561]

OMG IRON AND WINE WROTE THIS SONG!!!!!

THIS IS A COVER!!!!!

jk.

[RoastySmish]

Okay, guys. The Postal Service wrote this song. Others covered it. :3

[DeathCabDriverx]

omfg everyone, THIS SONG WAS WRITTEN BY THE POSTAL SERVICE, iron and wine, and a few other bands did covers...stfu and everyone just enjoy the goddamn music...fuck...

[THEbossTABOR]

haha. Capo on 5 noob.

[iPayton785]

@THEbossTABOR your right. millions of people just love his music. hes a noob.

[killerorange39]

I dont know about other people but i dont like the postal service very much. I prefer DC4C and his solo concerts. The Postal Service is just a little to techoish. But Ben Gibbard is very cool!

[TheDreamandDreamer]

I don't like the Iron and Wine Version. The PS. Version is so better.

[georgeSHee]

lmfao guys its OBVIOUS the capo is on the 5th fret. please. just pay attention. Such a great song Ben <3

[AAAL3C]

its capo on fifth, not sixth

[MrsIndieRock]

i love him so much :,)

[coberst01]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but could he have tuned a half-step down?

[bmesiasbmesias]

He's playing G, D,Cadd9, G, D. The Iron & Wine fingerpicked version is C, G, F, C, G.

[hiimrjay]

stop the arguing. Capo on the 6th. G, D Cadd9, G D. Case closed. kthx

[NoahSunshine]

@hiimrjay

you can't count. kthnx.

[TheLouwee23]

the capo cant be on the fifth cuz C major is in the break room and he cant find his snacks. and D and G are fucking in the restroom again.

ouch. i heard they're doing anal again.

[crunkjuice]

Actually skywall it's

Down, down, down, up-down, UP, Down...etc

[petemendozaM16]

Very nice!!!!

[SkywallGuttz]

Down, down, down, up-down.

[TheShaboomy]

Does anyone know the struming on this?

[petemendozaM16]

I know what u mean cus he sometimes plays the high e string. If you look at his playing you can tell that his pinkie somtimes go down.

[petemendozaM16]

Kapo on the 5th fret and he's playin 320033 000232 032033, that's it. Sorry but all I know is tab.

[damean2]

Its accurate. If you know open string chords, these are essentially G major shape, D major shape, C major shape, with a few amenities.

[SkywallGuttz]

C, G, F, C, G.

[stevosmusic]

with capo on fifth

[ansky17]

i think hes playing G, D, Cadd9, G, D, etc. its a lot easier that way cause you can anchor your ring and pinky on the first and second strings on the third fret (except for the D)

[Ca2roline]

can someone tell me what chords he's playing?

[z4ch51r3r4]

damn, just look up such great heights on wikipedia, it tells the entire story. the postal service wrote the original one, which was faster and techno, and ben gibbard is the lead singer in the postal service, and iron and wine covered this song in a much slower folkier version.

[alienrockblog]

This version is perfect. Postal service = too fast/electronic, and Iron and Wine= too slow and depressing. Alone, Ben has found the right pace and tone for the song, and has brought it to perfection. bravo!

[iq340]

the capo is on the 5th fret

[LOveTwiNz]

What fret is the capo on? someone help plz.  :/ 7?

[adamandairwaves]

looks like 5 slut

[LOveTwiNz]

geesh...thanks.. :|

[peachypolka]

Ben is a miracle of life.

[stephag14]

the postal service originally sang this song.. and ben gibbard is the lead singer in the postal service.. duhh! <3

[holmesdec1]

Looks like a maton guitar, I think that's an m logo on the pickguard

[tropicalcatdetective]

I'm totally confused, who's song was this originally? People get so heated about it. And how did it end up being "the boab lullaby" used in the movie Australia??

[DiscountComedy]

You caught that too?!?! I was wondering why Such Great Heights was in that movie... And this is the Postal Service's song originally, and Ben Gibbard (man in the video) is the Postal Service's lead singer. Iron and Wine did a cover of this song.

[Locustinq]

nice but original version iron and wine vel Sam Beam is better...

[purpleshoes]

iron and wine version is not the original.

[Morasscutsyou]

I like Ben's stripped down version more than when Iron and Wine do it. Great video. Thanks for adding it.

[NTravitz]

He looks like a ninja turtle.

[applesandjam]

LMAO! your right, anyways, this is a great song.

[Ulysses118]

what brand of guitar is he using?

[rb8968]

omg i love this song...

im learnin how to play it

[iuhuh10110]

nope, postal service, dude. get with the times.

[curriemike]

stupid bastard

[nightswithbrightdays]

"true, it may seem like a stretch but it's thoughts like these that catch my troubled head and i am missing you to death"

[clvinning]

"...troubled head when you're away, when i am missing you to death"

[sarahann008]

He is so amazingly amazing, I love him, death cab and postal service so much, Brilliant musician.

[nick00goku]

He most certainly did not write the words for this song.

[harrychristner]

you honestly think james figurine wrote the words to this song this is clearly something ben would write james mainly does the wynth and drum programming

[Kirrindead]

Tamborello wrote the music for the original. Gibbard wrote the words and tune of the vocals. They would send it back and forth via post, hence the name "The Postal Service".

[AndrewLarsson]

he wrote the words for this song...he is half of postal service so its not cover...its just acoustic version of his own song

[goneonholiday]

god, he's amazing

[DragoneluMe]

Oh My God.. He Makes me cry...

[Swamp410]

Check out Fort and Cass' version of Such Great Heights!!

[Sakabatolove]

its great

[jstef215]

yeah, very good. i know them both, great musicians.

not quite ben gibbard though ;P

[cwagner87]

ben gibbard's voice makes me feel at home. oh, and he's brilliant.

[sparklingcider302]

ben gibbard is a genius.

plus he just happens to have the voice of an angel.

[diegoogeidbicho]

dang i love this song it's just so good, this guy is a genius

[jay64stang]

He is a modern day Brian Wilson! Im tellin you!

[aimlessinw0nder]

loved the hairflip ;)

[squerby]

genius.

[ZoomZip]

love the lyrics..

the first 3 lines are just absolutely beautiful

[LoveIsTbsAndTheUsed]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I'm on the verge of tears.

[Lynx1525]

Fucking Brilliant.

I didn't believe it was possible to beat the original...

[TheFeedingEnd]

amazing

[me445566]

HIs voice sounds really nice here. This is proof that his beautiful voice is real and not dubbed over.

[RussellCrow]

Chords are G D and Caad9

Cap 5th fret

[VinceORLY]

ben gibbard is the SHIT!!!!!!

[consumethefire76]

ben gibbard is the god of acoustics...

[trevvtris]

no... howie day was..... type in 'howie day bunnies'... he is the real god of acoustics

[rodekill27]

Hahaha good one. Ben Gibbard is the best songwriter next to like isaac brock and he is god at the acoustic. Howie day is for 12 year old girls on the Disney Channel. Ben G for life

[Leenie123456789]

Amen. But I think Ben Gibbard is better than Issac Brock, actually. As they are both amazing, I think Ben is better because he has a more refreshing, calm sound =].

[blackflag1029]

They are both gods of music. But Ben G is like Zeus...

and howie day? really? cmon now...

[flymusicbikealot]

what about david bazan

[elmcityfan]

Isaac Brock is ten times better than Ben Gibbard though there are both good. Isaac is more unique and Gibbard is a bit more whiny.

[Leenie123456789]

They both have their own equal number of pros and cons.

I just personally prefer Gibbard =].

He's my cup of tea, and Brock is like.. my cup of orange juice.

[fivewerehigh]

Actually, that title belongs to Elliott Smith. Pitseleh, Tomorrow Tomorrow, Angeles.

[Bean6Kid]

um i think the chords would be

G D Cadd9 G D

it's like that the whole song.

strumming is pretty dope, too.

[nerice6]

OMG I love him.......... I want to see him..

[brettGORE]

bleah, other one didnt show up!

ok chords are:

capo 5th fret

G D C G D [keep your pinky pasted on the 3rd fret top and bottom E strings, bottom can be used with your thumb]

figure strumming on your own

enjoy

[brettGORE]

gah

this is the easiest chord progression

but for those of you who dont see it that clearly

it's:

capo 5th fret [i always have mine to Eb anyways] so 6th if you are cool like me

the progression is

G D C G D keep your pinky pasted on the 3rd fret on every chord

figure out the strumming for yourself

your welcome

[brettGORE]

dumb noob!

gtfo youtube

moron hasnt gone to sleep yet

some punch that guy for spam eh? xD

[Artoonie]

*punch*

[nino0057]

We'll i've never played guitar with a capo and im not that good at guitar to begin with but my piano does say the chords progression is C, G, F, to C, G. I figured on guitar it be the same without the capo.

[NetzaDelgado]

WHAT CHORDS HE PLAY?

[aznm00nLight]

He kinda looks like a turtle lol

[bitshift1024]

LOL

/agree

[brettGORE]

that turtle gets laid more than any musician in the world

[bitshift1024]

As he well should. He's fucking amazing.

[aznm00nLight]

not in a bad way....

[CallMeStephen]

nah...more like a frog.

[kmeliss]

a cute one though. (Y)

[wakelove]

Now a days he usually uses a Gibson Songwriter

[Growe415]

I meant to say 'When he used a Gibson' for the first comment.

[Growe415]

He also used a Silvertone Amp head in the early days. In fact, he even has a song lyric about Silvertones in 'No Joy In Mudville' off of WHFWV where he says "This town simply cannot compete so I am packing my Bullet's and SIlvertone's and heading East" (Bullets refer to a vintage Fender strat made in the 80's that had a telecaster style headstock)

[Growe415]

It is actually a Harmony Sovereign acoustic guitar. Stella & Harmony are both made by Silvertone & were made in the 70's and are usually the acoustics he uses except for his most recent solo tour where he used a Gibson.

[Psyanide0395]

He is bloody gorgeous... and has a voice to match.

Just lovely.

[Cingero]

he is a genious

[Chax13]

Ben Gibbard plays at so many benefit concerts. Some bands do like none.

[Kamatzu]

Or a J-180.

It's a Gibson something or other lol

[angrygopher]

the acoustics in there are really nice. which venue is that?

[lindy1119]

It was at Park West in Chicago

[frickinbrandon]

a children's literacy benefit... that's cool of him. i feel a new sense of admiration for mr. gibbard now; aside from being a damn good song writer, he's doing good things. props to the man.

[CalebBiss]

Does anyone know what kind of guitar that is?

[hoboboy981]

an acoustic one...haha sorry was that reply to sarcastic?

[Kamatzu]

It's an Everly Borthers guitar, or so says Sessions@AOl.

[dancer90cali]

Marry Me Ben!!!

[pennywise229]

ben writes for iron and wine so no one stole it it his song he has a few different versions of it that are out

[Kamatzu]

Ben didn't write anything for iron and wine, they just made their own version of Such Great Heights, which Ben Gibbard wrote.

[AsthamaticKitty]

her doing the cover of a song n copying it r 2 diff things... when u do a cover u say the original song is by some1 else ... y the hell is evry1 over reacting??

[clarklizard23]

i thought that iron and wine took the song and called it their own, without any credit to ben. sorry for overreacting

[clarklizard23]

o, sorry, i misunderstood... nvm

[Obronte]

How is iron and wine a bunch of idiots who steal music? Ben Gibbard covered "Complicated"- Avril Lavigne

[Psyanide0395]

Wow, what a great video. Thank you!

[plasticfire8169]

nice song

[RavenFX18]

Iron and Wine is amazing whoever said hes an idiot. And you say he steals music? What band hasnt done a cover? At least Iron and Wine made it his own...

Btw, Ben Gibbard = Awesome =]

[somedaythewaves]

iroh & wine is not a bunch of idiots, clarlizard23. he's a mastermind and among the most eloquent songwriters in music today.

[rockwell0]

if you like ben g. you should check out his earlier projects, like "All-time Quarterback!" most of the songs were recorded with an old tape-player but it still sounds awesome. i think i like it more than DCFC.

[TheMentosKid]

Easiest chord progression I've seen for this song. Very cool! Looks like with capo 5 it's:

G, D, Cmaj7, G, D

[jetcarjohnny]

Thanks for this!

[Envision405]

Ben gibbard is so awesome! I love DCFC, even though this is a postal service song

[pokey66669]

makes me lol when people think it's iron and wines originally

[gonzalostrokes]

Benn wrote this song and thE others of GIVE UP

[TheWraithMan666]

beautiful

[jediknightonearth]

everybodys an idiot. its ben gibbard, hes amazing, so shut up and absorbe the awesome.

[emoloves]

this is my favorite version...this and the m&m cover... slow!

<3

[bettygrrl23]

niiiiiice :)

[RichardBorg]

I love almost everything Ben Gibbard does.

[Colorthelite]

yeah, this song is originally by iron and wine. gooood stuff. but gibbard is brilliant!

[lindy1119]

Actually, it is originally by the postal service. iron and wine covered it later. Ben Gibbard said before he played it, "iron and wine stole this from the postal service, and now the postal service is going to steal it right back."

[marktron3030]

Gibbard's comment you quoted is him quoting Bono from U2's live recording of Helter Skelter on Rattle and Hum. Bono says, "This is the song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, we're stealing it back." Musicians are all over each other work. :) Postal and Death Cab ROCK!

[clarklizard23]

geez, that makes me mad, postal service is my favorite band, i don't even know who iron and wine are but they sound like a bunch of idiots who steal music.

[MorrisTheNeko]

Well, if you look on The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" EP, Iron and Wine's cover is actually on it.

[jondakin]

steal music?! its a cover tune (!)

[azimuth457]

it's one thing to not know the original artist, but next time do some research before making a comment about it.

[DerekzOr]

damn, why all the guitar cover of this song have to be SOOOOOO slow... i love this song but dude, dont make it so slow :(

[icemadine]

DerekzOr.. this is the guy who wrote the song and originally performed it on the Postal Service CD. So I don't think it qualifies as a cover. It's just a live performance.

[DerekzOr]

omg! i didnt knew that :O, what a noob am i :$, thx for the info

[jetcarjohnny]

And, what's more! Not all songs have to be fast!