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.

Il Est Dans Mon Poche
Over the Rhine Lyrics

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Here is my fortune
Here is my fame
Here is my future
It's in my pocket
And if my fortune

Weren't only lint and small change
Wishing in one hand

Bird in the other
See which one will take me farthest from here
Here is my hopelessness
Though I'm not helpless

I need a window
That I can climb through
Just one small opening
A little lantern to light my way
Discovering my hands
Catch at the altar

I fall on my face as the words hit my ear
Here is my fortune
Here is my fame
Here is my future

It's in my pocket
Il est dans mon poche

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Over the Rhine's Il Est Dans Mon Poche speaks about the idea of carrying everything that you need for your journey within yourself. The singer of the song acknowledges that everything they could ever want or need, including their fortune, fame, and future, is all contained within their pocket. Despite having small change and lint in their pocket, they cling onto the hope that they can make something out of whatever they have at the moment. They use the metaphor of wishing in one hand and holding a bird in the other to illustrate the idea of choosing between two things that have equal value or chances of success. They ask, "See which one will take me farthest from here" indicating the desire to escape their current situation.

The lyrics then suggest that although the singer feels hopeless, they are not helpless. They are searching for a window, a small opening that they can climb through to reach a new destination. The lantern, mentioned in the lyrics, suggests that they need a guiding light to show them the way. The words, "Discovering my hands, catch at the altar, I fall on my face as the words hit my ear" is a reference to the feeling of enlightenment when they finally catch onto something or understand something that elevates their understanding of their situation. They are capable of taking control of their life, and the potential for the future they desire is right in their pocket.

Overall, the lyrics of the song, Il Est Dans Mon Poche, encourage the listener to recognize their innate power to overcome their situation and to strive towards making something great out of what they already possess. The singer's recognition of the fortune, fame, and future in their pocket serves as a reminder that they carry everything they need within themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

Here is my fortune
I possess worldly wealth and success

Here is my fame
I am recognized and celebrated by many

Here is my future
My destiny awaits me, yet to be revealed

It's in my pocket
I have control and agency over my own life

And if my fortune
But even if my wealth and success were, in reality, insignificant

Weren't only lint and small change
Just mere pennies and trivialities

Wishing in one hand
Devising grandiose plans and dreams

Bird in the other
Having no solid, feasible path forward

See which one will take me farthest from here
Deciding which option will lead me to a better life than my current circumstance

Here is my hopelessness
Despair and dejection saturate my heart

Though I'm not helpless
Despite my feelings of hopelessness, I am not resigned to inaction