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.
I Painted My Name
Over the Rhine Lyrics
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In black and white and red and grey
You know it's really not far away
From the banks of the river
Where the president used to play
I put it up high above the rocks below
It's sheltered from the wind and the rain and snow
You know the bridge where we used to go
Sunday I hope you might come by
On a big white boat with the sails up high
Sunday I hope that you'll be true
To all it is I see in you
Yes strange enough I'm still in love with you
And so it seems there's work to do
I've got my bow and arrow and a barlow blade
Come dawn I want to ride in your brigade
Sunday I hope you might come by
On a big white horse in the big white sky
Sunday I know we'll reconcile
Down by the river we'll dream awhile
Down by the river we'll sing awhile
Down by the river we'll play awhile
Down by the river we'll cry awhile
Down by the river we'll dance awhile
Down by the river just you and I
The song "I Painted My Name" by Over the Rhine is about the power of love and the hope for reconciliation. The singer describes how they painted their name on a bridge in black, white, red, and grey. This act represents their desire to leave a lasting mark and be remembered by someone special. The location of the bridge is significant because it's where the president used to play, adding a sense of history and importance to the bridge.
The singer mentions how they put their name up high above the rocks, shielding it from the wind and rain. This could symbolize their attempt to protect their love and keep it safe from external forces that might try to tear them apart. They also reference the bridge where they used to go as children to play and imagine trolls, freaks, and giant demons. This highlights a sense of nostalgia and how they want to retrieve the carefree and imaginative nature of their childhood, and perhaps share it with someone they love.
The singer expresses their hope that the person they love will come to see their name on the bridge and be true to who they are. They also confess that they are still in love with them and willing to work on reconciling their differences. They mention having a bow and arrow and a barlow blade and wanting to join their love's brigade. These could symbolize how they are willing to fight to protect and defend their love.
In summary, the song "I Painted My Name" is a reflective song about the power of love and the hope for reconciliation. It touches on themes of nostalgia, the desire to be remembered, and the willingness to fight for what one loves.
Line by Line Meaning
I painted my name on a bridge today
Today, I wrote my name in permanent ink on a bridge.
In black and white and red and grey
I used various colors like black, white, red, and grey while painting my name.
You know it's really not far away
The bridge where I painted my name isn't far from the riverbank.
From the banks of the river
The bridge where I painted my name was located near the river.
Where the president used to play
The riverbank near the bridge was a place even the president once spent time playing.
I put it up high above the rocks below
I painted my name high on the bridge where it could be seen above the rocks below.
It's sheltered from the wind and the rain and snow
My name is now protected from the elements by the bridge, and it won't be easily washed away by wind, rain, or snow.
You know the bridge where we used to go
The bridge where I painted my name was a familiar spot where we often went.
Our childish trolls and freaks and giant demons
We were often accompanied by our imaginary troll, freak, and demon characters when spending time on that bridge.
Sunday I hope you might come by
I hope to see you on Sunday.
On a big white boat with the sails up high
I imagine you might arrive on a large, white boat with the sails set high.
Sunday I hope that you'll be true
I hope you'll be honest and genuine when we meet on Sunday.
To all it is I see in you
I hope you'll be your true self and show me all the wonderful things I see in you.
Yes strange enough I'm still in love with you
It might seem strange, but I'm still very much in love with you.
And so it seems there's work to do
This means that we have some things to work on together in order to overcome our differences.
I've got my bow and arrow and a barlow blade
I'm ready to protect myself if need be - I've got my bow and arrow along with a sharp knife known as a barlow blade.
Come dawn I want to ride in your brigade
Tomorrow morning, I want to ride alongside you and support you in whatever you're doing (the brigade here being a metaphor).
Sunday I hope you might come by
I hope to see you again on Sunday.
On a big white horse in the big white sky
This time, I envision you arriving on a white horse that's trotting across the sky.
Sunday I know we'll reconcile
I'm sure that we'll be able to make up and resolve our issues when we meet on Sunday.
Down by the river we'll dream awhile
We'll sit down by the river and have some quiet time to dream and think together.
Down by the river we'll sing awhile
We'll share some songs down by the river too.
Down by the river we'll play awhile
We'll take some time to be playful and enjoy each other's company down by the river.
Down by the river we'll cry awhile
We'll take some time to let our tears flow and console each other down by the river.
Down by the river we'll dance awhile
We'll take some time to dance and have fun together down by the river.
Down by the river just you and I
We'll spend some peaceful and intimate time by the river, just the two of us.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LINFORD JEROME DETWEILER, RICHARD A. HORDINSKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind