In its earlier days, the band had duel vocals performed by De Marrais and Fischer; later, De Marrais would become the lead vocalist in the majority of their songs. The band's many tours and intimate live shows at venues such as Brooklyn's Northsix (now Music Hall of Williamsburg), Washington, D.C.'s The Black Cat, Bowery Ballroom in NYC, and Chapel Hill's Cat's Cradle helped to grow its fan base and fuel album sales.
On November 6, 2006, the band announced, through Pitchfork Media, that the December 16th show at New York City's Bowery Ballroom would be their last. They played one more show on December 17th at Northsix, which De Marrais referred to as "home" because it also served as the band's rehearsal space.
The band reformed in 2014 with a reunion show at Bowery Ballroom on December 31. Additional shows were added for February 14 and April 18, 2015 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago and Union Transfer in Philadelphia, respectively.
In 2017 the band released S/T, their first album in 11 years.
02 Long Knives
Rainer Maria Lyrics
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did our sky fall down
and no one wants no one wants no one wants
to rebuild it now
we once drew a crowd
with my evil eye
and your crazy mouth
let's get over each other
well baby
did our time run out
and no one wants no one wants no one wants
to rebuild it now
i liked it best how
we took the whole world on
back to back
long knives drawn
let's get over each other
let's get over each other
so that we can fall in love again
so that we can fall in love again
won't you ho-ho-hold me
ho-ho-hold me
make believe that
you don't loathe me
am I mistaken
when I woke up this morning
without you there I'm shaken
to the very foundation
once there was something
and now there's just a piece of atmosphere
am I mistaken
when I woke up this morning
without you there
I'm shaken to the very foundation
The song "Long Knives" by Rainer Maria, is a reflective song about a relationship that has ended. The lyrics speak to the pain of losing someone who was once a huge part of your life. The verses provoke questions about what went wrong, whether time or something else caused the downfall of the relationship. The chorus, “let’s get over each other, so that we can fall in love again,” could be interpreted as a plea to move on from the pain of the past, let go of resentment and begin anew.
The lyrics alternately express anger and longing for the past relationship. The line “we once drew a crowd with my evil eye and your crazy mouth,” hints towards the passion that existed between the two, but goes on to say “now no one wants to rebuild it.” The chorus’ lyrics are almost pleading to ‘get over each other,’ so that there is hope to start fresh.
In conclusion, the song “Long Knives” by Rainer Maria is a bittersweet reminder of the pain of losing someone you love. The lyrics tell of the emotions felt after someone has left, the resentment, pain and nostalgia. It is about wanting to move on, but getting caught with memories of the past. It speaks to the complexity of human relationships, especially in their demise.
Line by Line Meaning
well baby
The singer addresses someone with an affectionate pet term.
did our sky fall down
Did our relationship crumble?
and no one wants no one wants no one wants
It seems no one is interested in repairing our relationship.
to rebuild it now
It's time to fix what's broken in our relationship.
we once drew a crowd
We used to be the center of attention when we were together.
with my evil eye
The singer may have had a tendency to be overly critical or sharp-tongued.
and your crazy mouth
The other person may have been unpredictable or erratic in their behavior.
let's get over each other
It's time to move on and end our relationship.
did our time run out
Our time together has come to an end.
i liked it best how
The singer reflects on a time in the past when things were good.
we took the whole world on
Together, we were a powerful team capable of anything.
back to back
We faced challenges with each other's support.
long knives drawn
We were ready to fight for each other.
so that we can fall in love again
Ending the relationship will clear the space for a new, healthy start.
won't you ho-ho-hold me
The singer asks for physical comfort from the other person.
ho-ho-hold me
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
make believe that
For just a moment, pretend that we still feel the same way about each other.
you don't loathe me
The singer fears the other person may have negative feelings towards them.
am I mistaken
The singer questions their own perception of reality.
when I woke up this morning
Something has recently changed in the singer's life or mind.
without you there I'm shaken
The singer is deeply affected by the absence of the other person.
to the very foundation
The impact is powerful and all-encompassing.
once there was something
The relationship held meaning and substance at one point.
and now there's just a piece of atmosphere
Now the relationship is nothing more than a vague, indistinct memory or feeling.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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