1 London based duo
2 A m… Read Full Bio ↴Rainer is a name of at least three acts:
1 London based duo
2 A mononym of Rainer Ptacek
3 Fictional game developer/composer from YouTube horror series Petscop
1 A London-based duo of Rebekah Raa and Casually Here, which débuted in 2013.
2 Rainer Ptacek: Born on June 7, 1951, in East Germany, Rainer Jaromir Ptacek grew up in Chicago after his family fled the Communist country in 1953. Musically inclined from childhood, in the mid '60s Rainer swapped violin for guitar. (He once quipped, "None of the Beatles, it seemed, were interested in violin.") A decade later he'd become a fixture on the Tucson music scene, ultimately garnering an international reputation as a song stylist and slide virtuoso that had critics speaking of him, Ry Cooder and John Fahey in the same breath, while pondering the intricacies of an elaborate tape loop and delay pedal strategy he'd developed during his later years that allowed him to sound like three guitarists at once. In addition to four albums ("Barefoot Rock", "Worried Spirits", "Texas Tapes" and "Nocturnes" - all still available via Glitterhouse Records) released between 1986 and 1994, he collaborated with everyone from Giant Sand and Germany's F.S.K. to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Led Zep's Robert Plant.
On Groundhog's Day of '96, while Rainer was riding his bike to work at the Chicago Store (where he repaired string instruments), his brain faded out and he fell over. He wound up at the University Medical Center where they scanned him and imaged him and concluded that Rainer Ptácek had brain cancer. They said it appeared like a cloud throughout his head - no lump of malignancy that could be excised and let the man live in peace. So Rainer had to commence the exhausting ordeal of radiation and chemo treatments. "It took some time to relearn everything he'd known before the seizure," says Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand fame and Rainer´s best friend) of Rainer's initial recovery period. "The most amazing part of his trek - which was unbearably frustrating, given how his brain wouldn't work with him for the longest time to remember so many things, let alone the coordination it takes for his hands to carry out his brain's ideas - was that he not only was able to teach himself all over again; his stunning achievement was then to surpass his ability before he got sick!" Howe Gelb also was the moving force behind "The Inner Flame", a Rainer-tribute that featured the likes of Emmylou Harris, Evan Dando, Page & Plant, P.J. Harvey etc., but also showcased Ptacek and his trademark National Steel guitar on several cuts. The record which was just finished before his seizure - "Alpaca Lips" - was released in the fall of 2000 on Glitterhouse Records.
Another triumph occurred at a Tucson concert on June 6, 1997, prior to Rainer's relapse. Recorded professionally and released in late 2001 (on Glitterhouse) as the second installment in the trilogy, "Live at the Performance Center" is, by Gelb's description, "the best live recording I have ever heard from anyone, anywhere, from any time. And if you listen with a critical ear - which is hard to do, given the emotional status - he keeps getting better and better as the set goes on. He's on a plane I have never heard anyone ever get to."
The brain tumor that was thought to be in remission returned. "That came about after his final seizure [in '97]. I raced home from a European tour to find him talking in numbers. Again, he slowly began to relearn his guitar, but this time the end was imminent. We all knew it. And we had to tell him, as well. Anyway, I mentioned to him that he was coming up with all kinds of ideas on the guitar; would he like to record again? To focus on that for the healing it can do, and the relief of the art he gave himself to his whole life. A day or so later, he was up for it. He put in 4 days of recording spread over a couple of weeks, until his brain could not make sense enough to go on." (Howe Gelb)
The result is "The Farm", Rainer´s last recordings. Rainer Ptacek passed away on November 12, 1997.
"What a great struggle for him at times to even read and make sense of the notes he'd made. The spine tingle is the delivery from a man who is perched on the precipice and able to look over into the void and deliver still, in this world, what he sees on both sides. What can I say? You can hear it." (Howe Gelb)
Skin
Rainer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that precious way it holds me in
reminds you of holy days you once believed in
please don't stop
there's something new
stirring up the elements under the surface
the first thing i want to do
is to overcome my temperament
there is the eloquence
and there is the difference
between what is said
and what is never said
the first thing i want to do
is to champion the tenderness i once believed in
please don't stop
tried to be a materialist
'til i was treated like simple flesh
tried to mention all my sins
but i didn't know where to begin
should i forget them?
or should i let them begin again?
The lyrics to Rainer's song "Skin" delve into the idea of self-preservation and the various ways one can accomplish it. The opening lines, "I'll find a way to save my skin, that precious way it holds me in" showcase the importance of one's own body and the need to protect it. They also suggest that the body is a vessel, carrying us through life and providing us with a sense of identity.
The second line, "reminds you of holy days you once believed in" can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could refer to religious practices as a means of finding inner peace, or it could allude to memories of a simpler time in life when things were more innocent and pure.
The following lines, "please don't stop, there's something new stirring up the elements under the surface" suggest that change is on the horizon, and perhaps the singer is excited to see what's in store. The line "let the arrow find its purpose" further emphasizes this idea of change and the need to let things unfold naturally.
The stanza, "there is the eloquence and there is the difference between what is said and what is never said" conveys the idea that sometimes the most important things are left unsaid. It could be interpreted as a plea for communication and honesty in relationships.
The final lines, "tried to be a materialist 'til I was treated like simple flesh, tried to mention all my sins but I didn't know where to begin, should I forget them? or should I let them begin again?" explore the idea of self-reflection and personal growth. The singer seems to be grappling with past mistakes and the difficulty of moving on. The line "should I forget them, or should I let them begin again?" suggests that the singer is considering whether to bury the past or confront it head-on.
Overall, the song "Skin" explores themes of self-preservation, change, communication, and personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
i'll find a way to save my skin
I will find a way to protect and preserve myself.
that precious way it holds me in
My skin is a precious and important part of me that encases and protects.
reminds you of holy days you once believed in
Skin can remind someone of their past beliefs and spirituality.
please don't stop
Asking someone not to stop doing something that is important.
there's something new
Something fresh and undiscovered is stirring.
stirring up the elements under the surface
Something is causing a disturbance or change beneath the surface.
the first thing i want to do
Expressing the primary desire or goal.
is to overcome my temperament
The artist wants to control or conquer their emotional nature or tendencies.
let the arrow find its purpose
Allowing something to find its intended path or direction.
there is the eloquence
Referring to the beauty or persuasiveness of speech.
and there is the difference
There is a contrast or distinction between different things.
between what is said
The words that are spoken aloud.
and what is never said
Things that are not verbalized or kept hidden.
is to champion the tenderness i once believed in
The singer wants to promote and defend the gentle and caring qualities they once valued.
tried to be a materialist
Attempting to prioritize material goods and physical possessions.
'til i was treated like simple flesh
The artist realized they were being treated as a physical being without regard to their emotions or inner self.
tried to mention all my sins
Making an effort to confess or acknowledge past wrongdoings.
but i didn't know where to begin
The singer was unsure of how to articulate their many transgressions.
should i forget them?
Wondering if it would be better to suppress or disregard past mistakes.
or should i let them begin again?
Questioning if it would be more beneficial to confront and try to correct past faults.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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