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.
Little Town
Over the Rhine Lyrics
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How still we see thee lie
Above thy dark and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
The lamp lit streets of Bethlehem
We walk now through the night
There is no peace in Bethlehem
There is no peace in sight
The wounds of generations
Almost too deep to heal
Scar the timeworn miracle
And make it seem surreal
The baby in the manger
Grew to a man one day
And still we try to listen now
To what he had to say
Put up your swords forever
Forgive your enemies
Love your neighbor as yourself
Let your little children come to me
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy dark and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
The song "Little Town" by Over the Rhine is a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the classic Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem". However, the lyrics have been slightly modified to convey a message about the ongoing conflict in the city of Bethlehem, where Jesus is said to have been born. The first two verses of the song describe the peaceful stillness of Bethlehem, with the silent stars shining down upon the dark and dreamless streets. However, the third verse takes on a somber tone, stating that there is no peace in Bethlehem and that the wounds of generations are almost too deep to heal. The fourth verse refers to the baby in the manger growing up to be a man and imparting the message of love and forgiveness to the world.
The message of this song is a powerful one, reminding us that even the birthplace of Jesus Christ is in the midst of ongoing conflict and suffering. It emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and love as a means of healing wounds that seem too deep to overcome. The reference to the baby in the manger growing up to be a man draws attention to the transformative power of love and the impact that one person can have on the world. Overall, the song takes a well-known Christmas carol and infuses it with a new message that is relevant to contemporary issues of conflict and healing.
Line by Line Meaning
O little town of Bethlehem
This song is about the town of Bethlehem.
How still we see thee lie
The town is very quiet and peaceful.
Above thy dark and dreamless sleep
The town is in a deep sleep, and the sky is dark.
The silent stars go by
The stars are shining in the sky, silently.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
Although the streets are dark, there is a light shining.
The everlasting light
The light that is shining will last forever.
The hopes and fears of all the years
The town of Bethlehem contains the hopes and fears of people throughout history.
Are met in thee tonight
All of these hopes and fears come together in the town of Bethlehem tonight.
The lamp lit streets of Bethlehem
The streets of Bethlehem are only lit by lamps.
We walk now through the night
The singer is walking through the dark streets of Bethlehem.
There is no peace in Bethlehem
Despite the peaceful appearance of the town, there is no actual peace.
There is no peace in sight
There is no hope for peace in the future either.
The wounds of generations
The town has suffered for generations.
Almost too deep to heal
The wounds are very deep and it is difficult to heal them.
Scar the timeworn miracle
These wounds have scarred the beautiful miracle of the town.
And make it seem surreal
It feels unreal to see the beautiful town suffering so much.
The baby in the manger
The song is referencing the baby Jesus who was laid in a manger in Bethlehem.
Grew to a man one day
The baby Jesus grew up to be a man.
And still we try to listen now
People still try to listen to the teachings of Jesus today.
To what he had to say
People want to hear what Jesus had to say about love and forgiveness.
Put up your swords forever
Jesus taught us to stop fighting and to love our enemies.
Forgive your enemies
Forgiving our enemies is one of the messages Jesus taught us.
Love your neighbor as yourself
Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves is one of the main teachings of Jesus.
Let your little children come to me
Jesus welcomed even little children to come and be with him.
Above thy dark and dreamless sleep
The peaceful appearance of the town remains despite the suffering and pain felt within.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: LINFORD DETWEILER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind