Clark Gable

The Postal Service · Give Up (10th Anniversary Edition) [2013]

I was waiting for a cross-town train in the London Underground

when it struck me

that I'd been waiting since birth to find a love that would look and sound

like a movie

so I changed my plans, I rented a camera and a van

and then I called you

I need you to pretend that we are in love again

and you agreed to



I want so badly to believe that there is truth

and love is real

and I want life in every word

to the extent that it's absurd



I grease the lens and frame the shot

using a friend as my stand-in

The script had called for rain, but it was clear that day

so we faked it

The marker snapped and I yelled, "quiet on the set!"

and then called, "action!"

I kissed you in a style Clark Gable would have admired

I thought it classic



I want so badly to believe that there is truth

and love is real

and I want life in every word to the extent

that it's absurd

I know you're wise beyond your years

but do you ever get the fear

that your perfect verse is just a lie

that you tell yourself to help you get by



that you tell yourself to help you get by...

Clark Gable

The Postal Service's 'Clark Gable' stands as a quintessential example of their maximalist pop sound, blending electronic textures with lush orchestration. Released on the 2013 anniversary edition of 'Give Up', the track exemplifies the band's signature style of layering multiple vocal harmonies over a driving, synth-heavy rhythm. The song reflects the group's deep engagement with the mid-2000s indie-pop revival, drawing inspiration from the maximalist production techniques of artists like The Shins and The Postal Service's own earlier work. Its intricate arrangement and soaring melodies capture the emotional intensity characteristic of their discography, serving as a highlight in the album's catalog of atmospheric and rhythmic pop compositions.