Over the Rhine is an American, Ohio-based band, the core of which is the hu… Read Full Bio ↴Over the Rhine is an American, Ohio-based band, the core of which is the husband-and-wife team of pianist/guitarist/bassist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist. The band originally began as a quartet with guitarist Ric Hordinski and drummer Brian Kelley. Hordinski left the band in December 1996, and Kelley continued to play into 1997 before departing. The original foursome has reunited a couple of times recently; first in December of 2008 at The Taft Theatre (in Cincinnati) to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the formation of the band and more recently, in the summer of 2010 at Ric's studio, "the Monastery," to play the album "Good Dog Bad Dog" live, in its entirety.

The band's namesake and place of origin is the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood Over-the-Rhine. Karin attended school in Barnesville, Ohio and graduated from Barnesville High School in 1984. She then went to Malone College, located in Canton, Ohio, where she met Linford. Karin and Linford were married in the fall of 1996 in Cincinnati and several years ago relocated to a pre-civil war farm outside of town.

Over the Rhine is now primarily Bergquist (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano) and Detweiler (keyboards, electric bass, vocals) accompanied by complementary musicians on albums and tours. Over the years, they have toured and recorded in many variations. They have shared the stage with a number of fine musicians, including Bob Dylan, John Prine, Adrian Belew, Squeeze, Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Hem, and toured as "adjunct" members of Cowboy Junkies.

Over the Rhine's new album, _The Long Surrender_ was released nationally on 1/1/11. It recorded on California with Grammy winning producer, Joe Henry and contains a duet with Lucinda Williams on "Undamned" and two songs co-written with Joe Henry.

Blackbird
Over the Rhine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Life, all your life, all your life
You were only waiting
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All your life, all your life
You were only waiting
You were only waiting for this moment
For this moment to be free

Oh Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Fly into the black dark night
Fly into the black dark night
Fly

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Blackbird by Over the Rhine speak to the universal longing for freedom and hope. The blackbird is a symbol of transformation, and the concept of learning to fly and see is a metaphor for achieving a new perspective on life. The first verse addresses the idea of learning to fly despite being broken, which could be interpreted literally as a bird with a broken wing or figuratively as a person with emotional or physical wounds. The second verse speaks to the importance of seeing the world in a new way, even if it means confronting the hard truths that have been avoided in the past.

The repeated phrase "all your life, all your life" emphasizes the idea that the journey to freedom and transformation is a lifelong pursuit. It takes time, patience, and courage to face our fears and limitations, but when we do, we can finally be free to fly.

Overall, this song is a powerful reminder that even in the darkness, there is always hope for change and growth. It encourages listeners to face their challenges head-on, and to embrace the journey of becoming who they were meant to be.

Line by Line Meaning

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Amidst darkness and stillness, the blackbird is singing.

Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Take these damaged body parts and learn how to soar.

Life, all your life, all your life, You were only waiting
Throughout your entire existence, all you have done is to anticipate something.

You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Everything you have been through was in preparation for this particular moment.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
Even in darkness, open your eyes and observe the beauty around you.

All your life, all your life, You were only waiting
Your whole existence has been a series of expectant waiting.

You were only waiting for this moment, For this moment to be free
You have been anticipating this time for your entire life, a moment that will release you from your bindings.

Oh Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly, Fly into the black dark night
Oh Blackbird, soar into the blackness of night.

Fly into the black dark night, Fly
Take flight and venture into the unknown darkness.

Contributed by Isabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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