Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Rachel
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh what a day to die
I held you once in the palm of my hand
And a fine old time it was
Rachel I fear your death will come
And leave me alone to die
Rachel I fear your death will come
The men would come to you and me
We'd freeze them like a light
The men would come to you and me
We'd freeze them like a light
Say farewell Maria dear
Your bones and teeth and skin
Say farewell Maria dear
My you've grown so thin
Oh what a day to dance with you
Oh what a day to die
I had you once in the palm of my hand
And a fine old time it was
The men would come to you and me
We'd freeze them like a light
The men would come to you and me
We'd freeze them like a light
Say farewell Maria dear
Your bones and teeth and skin
Say farewell Maria dear
My you've grown so thin!
The song "Rachel" by Marissa Nadler is a haunting and melancholic ballad that speaks of the inevitability of death and the pain of losing someone dear to you. The opening lines, "Oh what a day to dance with you, oh what a day to die" set the tone for the rest of the song, which is filled with a sense of foreboding and sadness. The singer of the song has experienced a moment of happiness with the person they love but knows that it is fleeting and that death will come.
The second stanza of the song speaks directly to Rachel, the person whom the singer is addressing. She fears that Rachel will die and leave her alone in the world, surrounded by "dogs and dimes." There is a sense of desperation in her words, as if she is pleading with Rachel to stay alive, to not leave her alone. The third stanza is a reflection on the past - on the good times that the singer and Rachel shared together. But even as she remembers those times, there is a sense that they are gone forever, that they can never be reclaimed.
The repetition of the line "The men would come to you and me, we'd freeze them like a light" adds to the eerie and unsettling feel of the song. It is unclear exactly what the line means - perhaps it is a reference to some kind of power that Rachel and the singer hold over men, or maybe it is a metaphorical statement about the impermanence of life. In any case, it adds to the sense that death is always lurking just around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh what a day to dance with you
Today feels perfect for us to dance together
Oh what a day to die
Today feels like a good day to die, if it meant we could be together forever
I held you once in the palm of my hand
I once felt like I had complete control over our relationship
And a fine old time it was
And it felt good to be in charge
Rachel I fear your death will come
I'm scared that death will separate us
And leave me alone to die
And I fear being alone without you
And gone to the dogs and the dimes
And everything we had together will be lost and forgotten
The men would come to you and me
We would be approached by men who were attracted to us
We'd freeze them like a light
We would reject them easily, without a second thought
Say farewell Maria dear
Goodbye, my dear friend Maria
Your bones and teeth and skin
Your entire being, physical and emotional
My you've grown so thin
You've changed so much since the last time I saw you
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MARISSA NADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind