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.
Jack's Valentine
Over the Rhine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been tryin' but I'm just not able
There's so much left inside
So very much I've been tryin' to hide
Life gets pretty heavy and I wish it was light
But after all I love the night
And there's that word again
I still hear it every now and again
I breathe you 'cause you help me forget
Everything I don't know about love yet
I need you 'cause you help me forget
Yeah, you help me forget
I drink you 'cause you help me to see
It's mostly myself that's killin' me
I think I have to, to help me forget
Everything I don't know about love yet
Someone said these were the best days
Best days of our life
I suppose there could be worse ways
Worse ways to learn to cry
And if these should be the last days
The last days for you and I
I suppose this is the best way
Best way to say goodbye
I breathe you 'cause you help me forget
Everything I don't know about love yet
I need you 'cause you help me forget
Yeah, you help me forget
I drink you 'cause you help me to see
It's mostly myself that's killin' me
I think I have to, to help me forget
Everything I don't know about love yet
It snows in here. It snows forever
But there's no Christmas underneath this weather
When it blows here and gets real cold
I wanna trip myself and fall upon your fabulous sword
And move here by the stained-glass window
Forget about the inside ghetto
Down here on the hardwood floor
The lines on the ceiling start to swim once more
Like a cheap Renoir, a fake Van Gogh
A pop Monet, a blue Degas
I breathe you. I need you.
The lyrics to Over the Rhine's "Jack's Valentine" are a powerful and emotional exploration of love, loss, and addiction. The song begins with the singer admitting that they are struggling to cope with life and have been attempting to hide their pain from the world. Despite this, they express a love for the night and the freedom it offers. Throughout the song, the singer turns to alcohol to help them forget their problems and gain a new perspective on their situation. The lyrics are raw and honest, revealing the pain and desperation that often accompany addiction.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, and serves as a reminder that the singer is not alone in their struggle. They sing, "I breathe you 'cause you help me forget/ Everything I don't know about love yet/ I need you 'cause you help me forget/ Yeah, you help me forget." Here, the singer acknowledges that they are using alcohol as a crutch to avoid dealing with their emotional trauma.
The final section of the song turns toward a sense of acceptance and resignation. The singer seems to be coming to terms with the fact that their addiction may be the cause of their eventual demise. They sing, "It snows in here. It snows forever/ But there's no Christmas underneath this weather/ When it blows here and gets real cold/ I wanna trip myself and fall upon your fabulous sword." The imagery of snow and coldness represents the singer's emotional state, while the "fabulous sword" refers to the idea that perhaps death would be a relief from their pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Help me. Spread my table
I need assistance. Set everything up, please.
I've been tryin' but I'm just not able
I've attempted, but I cannot seem to do it on my own.
There's so much left inside
There is a lot that I'm holding inside.
So very much I've been tryin' to hide
I'm doing my best to conceal many things.
Life gets pretty heavy and I wish it was light
Life gets tough, and I want it to be easier.
But after all I love the night
I still prefer the night though.
And there's that word again
That word that keeps coming up.
I still hear it every now and again
I continue to hear it on occasion.
I breathe you 'cause you help me forget
I inhale you because you make me forget things.
Everything I don't know about love yet
Things about love that I'm unaware of.
I need you 'cause you help me forget
I require you because you make me forget things.
Yeah, you help me forget
Yes, you assist me in forgetting.
I drink you 'cause you help me to see
I consume you because you make me see things.
It's mostly myself that's killin' me
I'm causing most of my own problems.
I think I have to, to help me forget
I believe I must do it to forget things.
Someone said these were the best days
Somebody mentioned that these were the finest days.
Best days of our life
The best days of our lives.
I suppose there could be worse ways
I guess there are worse approaches.
Worse ways to learn to cry
Worse methods for teaching someone to cry.
And if these should be the last days
And if these happen to be the final days.
The last days for you and I
Our very last moments together.
I suppose this is the best way
I suppose this is the optimal way.
Best way to say goodbye
The best method of bidding farewell.
It snows in here. It snows forever
It snows here and it will never stop.
But there's no Christmas underneath this weather
But the climate doesn't feel festive, despite it being Christmas.
When it blows here and gets real cold
When it's windy, and it becomes very chilly in here.
I wanna trip myself and fall upon your fabulous sword
I want to fall on your magnificent sword accidentally.
And move here by the stained-glass window
And shift to the stained-glass window over here.
Forget about the inside ghetto
Forget about the confines inside this place.
Down here on the hardwood floor
On this hardwood floor beneath me.
The lines on the ceiling start to swim once more
The lines on the ceiling begin to swim again, just like before.
Like a cheap Renoir, a fake Van Gogh
Similar to a low-priced Renoir or a counterfeit Van Gogh.
A pop Monet, a blue Degas
A more modern Monet, a blue-themed Degas.
I breathe you. I need you.
I inhale you, and I require you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN MICHELE BERGQUIST, LINFORD JEROME DETWEILER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind