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.
Rhapsodie
Over the Rhine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any more
Than I do right now
And The Furies that I feared were
Eumenides to lead me here
Here I linger
May grow different in coming years
Still I'll tell you
That I couldn't love you
Any more
Than I do right now
And if you should ever leave
Then I would love you for what you need
I could still tell you
That I couldn't love you
Any more
Than I do right now
The lyrics to Over the Rhine's song "Rhapsodie" can be interpreted as a declaration of unconditional love. The opening lines "And I couldn't love you any more than I do right now" express a sense of completeness and a deep sense of love that is already at its peak. This is followed by a reference to the Greek mythological figures, the Furies, who are often associated with rage and vengeance. In this context, however, they are portrayed as the Eumenides, or benevolent ones, leading the singer to their present moment with the beloved.
The lyrics also acknowledge the possibility of change in the future - "the cadences we hear may grow different in coming years" - but the singer's love remains constant, undiminished by time. If the beloved were to leave, the singer would still love them for who they are and their needs. The repetition of the line "I couldn't love you any more than I do right now" throughout the song reinforces the idea that the love being expressed is already at its fullest extent.
Overall, "Rhapsodie" is a beautiful tribute to love that transcends time and is not dependent on circumstances or the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
And I couldn't love you
I have reached the pinnacle of my love for you
Any more
My love for you cannot be any greater
Than I do right now
At this moment, my love is complete and unwavering
And The Furies that I feared were
The fears and doubts that haunted me in the past
Eumenides to lead me here
have actually guided me to this moment and this love
Here I linger
I am content to stay in this love
And the cadences we hear
The rhythms and patterns of our lives
May grow different in coming years
May change as we move into the future
Still I'll tell you
Nevertheless, I declare to you
And if you should ever leave
Even if you were to depart
Then I would love you for what you need
I would continue to love you based on what you require
I could still tell you
I can affirm to you
That I couldn't love you
My feelings towards you will always remain the same
Any more
No amount of absence or change can alter my love
Than I do right now
It is complete and perfect in this moment
Contributed by Wyatt P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melody W.
Oh my goodness! This is so beautiful! Thank you for posting it. God bless you...
Seth Cragan
It's been 25 years since I first fell in love with this song, this band and it still holds power over me today. Simply stunning.
Shandy's Garden
My all time fave. It took me MANY plays to not cry while listening.
This is what love sounds like.
It is selfless.
Sarah Ratliff
This is the prettiest love song ever written! One of my favorites of OTR! Thank you for posting!
Sarah Ratliff
This is hands down the most beautiful love song ever written.
Marc Brooks
My wife and I danced this at our wedding reception as our "first dance". I was true then, it's true now... more than 17 years later
67flowerpowerful
It is very hard for me to think of almost ANY other song/singer than this!! So utterly Passionate, Moving, Unforgettable,
marlenejojo1
Thank you , been looking for this song on here a long time, beautiful :)
EvelynOBrien
A most beautiful song. My daughter walked down the aisle to this 13 years ago. I had never the song; it held everyone spellbound as did my beautiful daughter as she held her future husbands gaze as she slowly walked towards him to the strains of this beautiful live song.
janknuckey
I remember hearing this song drifting across a crowded summer festival in England back in '92... it was like a lightning bolt, a "where-were-you-when-Kennedy-got-shot" moment...I stumbled into the tent and there was Karin, like a grounded angel, with this song pouring out of her... After the set I bought their 2 albums, which she and Linford signed, and they disappeared from my life...and have been with me ever since! With each new album my love for them only increases.... Thank you, guys x