Taxi Cab

This downtempo number is built around huge, dubby drums and dancehall synths, some upright bass played by Nat Baldwin and waning cello, while haunting, baroque pianos and harpsichords move in and out. Multi-instrumentalist/producer Rostam Batmangli told MTV News: "That's one of the only songs, really, that ties back so explicitly to the first album. With 'Taxi Cab,' I think it was important that we made a song that was mellow, because if you listen to our first album, there's a certain level of pumped-up-ness. I guess at some point this spring, I got obsessed with Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wild Side,' and I just wanted to hear that over and over again. And so hopefully 'Taxi Cab' will connect with that, somehow, in some way."

The lead singer for English punk rock band The Clash, Joe Strummer, has been cited as inspiration for the lyrics of this song. Frontman Ezra Koenig commented. "I've always liked this Joe Strummer quote about how the topic of love has been sufficiently covered in pop music. I think he was right, so if I'm going to sing about relationships I want to use it as stepping stone to get at more elusive topics too."

Koenig told the NME February 16, 2010 about the song: "It's one of our first ballads. Even though it's a quiet, emotional song, it's still rhythmic. I don't like the idea that a ballad has to be mushy and lightweight, so I'm singing over these really heavy, dubby drums." Koenig added: "It's about the way different people deal with problems in different ways."