Ben Gibbard Posts ‘Ichiro’ Song Tribute to Seattle Mariners Legend

Yesterday (July 23) was a sad day for Seattle Mariners fans, as one of the team’s most beloved and longest-lasting players, Ichiro Suzuki, was traded to the New York Yankees. But Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard helped soothe the burn a bit by posting his own musical tribute to the departed legend, suitably titled ‘Ichiro.’

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

The track reminds listeners what made Ichiro special during his 12-year run as a Mariner, with lyrics that include the line “At any given moment, he could completely blow your mind / So don’t you take your eye off Ichiro.”

With nearly 13,000 plays in a little over 12 hours, it seems safe to say ‘Ichiro’ has an audience — but we still don’t expect to find it in the track listing for Gibbard’s upcoming solo debut, ‘Former Lives,’ due for an Oct. 16 release on Death Cab’s Seattle-based former label, Barsuk.

Listen to Ben Gibbard, ‘Ichiro’