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.
Everyman's Daughter
Over the Rhine Lyrics
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Broken glass and a little cheap wine
Is all that I can find.
And bundles of contradictions,
My heart full of loose connections,
Hands across my eyes.
I cannot disguise I'm everyman's daughter.
Who am I and whose invention?
This armour's full of dust.
There's so much of us in each other.
If I hate you you're my best reminder
Of all I wish I was.
I hate you just because I'm everyman's daughter.
Who do you think that I am?
It don't matter long as we can understand.
I am hurting someone.
I am hurting someone just like, just like you.
Insulting the wounds of others,
My sisters, my brothers,
My vision's way too good.
I carry the inward aching.
Like you, I too am naked.
I don't look that good,
But this is flesh and blood. I'm everyman's daughter.
Look at all the blood we've spilt.
I can't deal with all this fundamental guilt.
I am hurting someone.
I am hurting someone just like, just like you.
I am. I am. I am everyman's daughter.
The song "Everyman's Daughter" by Over the Rhine is a poignant exploration of identity, empathy, and the messy contradictions of human experience. The lyrics suggest a speaker who is struggling to define herself in a world that is full of brokenness and uncertainty. The opening lines of the song conjure a sense of searching, as the singer implores us to "look inside for the elusive goldmine." Despite this hopeful tone, the next lines bring us crashing back to reality. The world is full of "broken glass and a little cheap wine," and we are left with the sense that the singer's search may be in vain.
As the song unfolds, we learn that the singer is plagued by doubt and aching insecurity. She wonders "who am I, and whose invention?" and admits that her "heart [is] full of loose connections." At the same time, however, she recognizes that we are all "bundles of contradictions," and that our flaws and weaknesses bind us together in a common human experience. This insight is both liberating and painful, as the singer acknowledges that her own failings are mirrored in the people around her. She hates others because they remind her of all that she wishes she could be, and she carries the "inward aching" that is common to us all.
Despite the song's heavy themes, there is a sense of compassion and empathy that suffuses the lyrics. The singer insists that "it don't matter" who she is or who others think she is, as long as we can all "understand" each other. She recognizes that "we are hurting someone, just like you," and that our own wounds are often the source of the harm we inflict on others. In the end, the song is a reminder that our search for identity, meaning, and connection is a messy, painful, and endlessly complex journey - and that we are all in it together.
Line by Line Meaning
Look inside for the elusive goldmine.
Searching for something valuable within myself.
Broken glass and a little cheap wine
My life is in pieces and I'm trying to forget with alcohol.
Is all that I can find.
I can't seem to find anything better than this.
And bundles of contradictions,
I am full of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
My heart full of loose connections,
My heart is scattered and doesn't know what it wants.
Hands across my eyes.
I am blind to my own faults and troubles.
I cannot disguise I'm everyman's daughter.
I am just like everyone else, with the same struggles and flaws.
It's always the same old question.
Wondering about my own identity.
Who am I and whose invention?
Am I who I am because of myself or because of others?
This armour's full of dust.
My protective shield is old and ineffective.
There's so much of us in each other.
We are all connected and share similarities.
If I hate you you're my best reminder
You remind me of the parts of myself that I dislike.
Of all I wish I was.
I wish I was better and more put together.
I hate you just because I'm everyman's daughter.
I hate you because of my own issues, not necessarily because of anything you did.
Who do you think that I am?
I am uncertain of how others perceive me.
It don't matter long as we can understand.
Understanding is more important than labels or assumptions.
I am hurting someone.
I am unintentionally causing pain to others.
I am hurting someone just like, just like you.
We are all capable of causing pain to others, intentionally or not.
Insulting the wounds of others,
I am adding to the pain of others instead of helping or healing them.
My sisters, my brothers,
We are all connected as human beings.
My vision's way too good.
I see the negative in others instead of their positive qualities.
I carry the inward aching.
I am burdened by my emotional pain.
Like you, I too am naked.
I am vulnerable and exposed, just like everyone else.
I don't look that good,
I am flawed and imperfect, just like everyone else.
But this is flesh and blood.
I am human and subject to the same limitations as everyone else.
Look at all the blood we've spilt.
We have all caused harm to others in some way.
I can't deal with all this fundamental guilt.
I am overwhelmed with guilt for my mistakes and shortcomings.
I am. I am. I am everyman's daughter.
I am just like everyone else, with my own unique struggles and experiences.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN MICHELE BERGQUIST, LINFORD JEROME DETWEILER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind