The Postal Service, the brainchild of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello, released a music video

about a would-be romance for their single "Such Great Heights" in 2003. Sam Beam, who performs
under the moniker Iron & Wine, recorded an acoustic performance of "Such Great Heights" in a
coffeehouse in 2013. The Postal Service disguised the tragedy of the song with hopelessly catchy
electronic music. However, in the Iron & Wine version, Sam Beam peels away layers of irony to reveal
the bittersweet, fiery heart of the song.

Gibbard and Tamborello's musical arrangement for the song's original version tells its own story.
The tractor-beam synthesizer and stamping drum machine convey persistence and optimism. The
listener has the impression of a romantic love affair, determined to succeed against all odds. At a brisk
174 beats per minute, "Such Great Heights" is an energetic pop song.

The Postal Service music video, directed by Josh & Xander, portrays the ill-fated attraction of
two employees at a semiconductor fabrication plant. The line "everything looks perfect from far away"
refers to a symbolic distance (The Postal Service). Symbolic separation becomes physical separation in
Josh & Xander's music video. The two workers, covered head-to-toe in protective clothing, glance at
each other only when they think the other isn't looking. Despite this persistent interest, they never
make contact. The song declares, "It's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images," but our
principal characters never look each other in the eye (The Postal Service). Josh & Xander use visual
storytelling as an indication that the point of view of the song is imaginary. He wants to tell this woman
they are perfect for each other, but he cannot.

Lyrically, the song is about distance, connection, longing, and reconciliation. In the bridge of the
song, there are several extended sequences of machines fabricating silicon wafers and microchips.
Mechanical arms exchange parts, objects interlock and release, and discs are deposited into housings.
This contrast between inorganic connection and human distance is a metaphor. The machines, unlike
people, are unburdened by fear, anxiety, and imagination. So they are free to interact. Meanwhile, two
people who seem to be infatuated can only peer from afar and imagine what a real connection might be
like.

The music video produced for Iron & Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights" is totally different
from the original 2003 music video. Sam Beam sits alone in a coffee shop, wearing a suede jacket with
an unbuttoned oxford shirt. He holds his guitar and plays with the small bustle of coffee shop activity in
the blurry background. The performance is similar to his 2004 cover of "Such Great Heights," but
without vocal processing and lo-fi filters.

The point of view alternates between Sam Beam and his guitar and the shop's walls, lined with
bags of coffee beans. In the absence of The Postal Service's trancelike, beeping melody and forthright
delivery, a more genuine feeling emerges. It is my contention that "Such Great Heights" and its music
video are meant to be ironic. The music and visuals of the original belie the emotional content of the
song. In the Iron & Wine cover, this irony is nowhere to be found.

Sam's voice crawls over his guitar when he sings, "they will see us waving from such great
heights" (Iron & Wine). He's pleading with someone. Gone is Ben Gibbard's confident exhortation. In the
Iron & Wine performance, he's desperately trying to make us see something which is clear to him. The
sincerity with which Sam Beam sings "come down now" gives the line an almost wholly different quality
(Iron & Wine). When Sam sings, "I hope this song will guide you home," it seems like he means it literally
(Iron & Wine). His voice floats over the bustle of background mumbling and steam wands. Like a
lighthouse, his voice guides the listener.

The Iron & Wine version of "Such Great Heights" is less symbolic than The Postal Service Video.
Each effort is attempting to accomplish something different. The Postal Service music video is giving its
audience something on which to chew. The meaning is swaddled in irony, metaphor, and contradiction.
On the other hand, the Iron & Wine video relies on the small economy of performance like any good live
performance. Sam Beam has only his voice, guitar, and body language to deliver something to the
viewer. Even with this limitation, Sam provides an extraordinary performance that dives into the
emotional center of "Such Great Heights." If a cover song is meant to bring a different perspective to a
piece of music, the Iron & Wine performance of "Such Great Heights" is unusually successful.
 Works Cited

"The Postal Service - Such Great Heights [OFFICIAL VIDEO]" YouTube,  uploaded by Sub Pop, 1Apr, 2012,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wrsZog8qXg&t=3s&ab_channel=SubPop

"Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights" YouTube,  uploaded by Indie88, 24 Sep, 2013,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkhLgASWb90&ab_channel=Indie88