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.
AUTOMATIC
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you have inspiration
truly
you're such a lucky girl
i can see
you're have automatic beauty
it takes
your sense of humor
is light years
is light years
is light years
beyond your age
oh oh
oh oh
oo oo
oo oo
i can see
you're an automatic beauty
just by the things you say
your sense of humor
is light years
is light years
is light years
beyond your age
take it down
and dust it off
and open up the pages
(you got it 4x)
standing on the
shoulders of the
greatest of the ages
i can tell
you're an inspiration
truly you're such a lovely girl
you're such a beauty
you take our breath away
The lyrics to Rainer Maria's song "Automatic" appear to be about a young girl who possesses both physical and personality traits that are beyond her years. The singer compliments the young girl on her inspiration, automatic beauty, and sense of humor that is "light years beyond [her] age." The repetition of "is light years" emphasizes the incredible and advanced nature of her humor. Furthermore, the singer notes that the girl's words alone demonstrate her automatic beauty. The advice to "take it down and dust it off and open up the pages" perhaps alludes to the girl's potential as she grows up and develops her skills and personality further. The song's message seems to be one of admiration towards the girl and her potential to make a positive impact on the world.
Overall, the song seems to celebrate the beauty and potential in a young girl, complimenting her on her intelligence and creativity. Moreover, the song encourages her to build on her strengths and continue developing her talents.
Line by Line Meaning
i can tell
The singer perceives something about the person they are addressing.
you have inspiration
The person being addressed has inspiration, possibly in their art.
truly
The singer emphasizes the truth of their statement.
you're such a lucky girl
The person being addressed is fortunate to have inspiration.
i can see
The artist perceives something about the person they are addressing.
you're have automatic beauty
The person being addressed possesses beauty that comes naturally to them.
it takes
The beauty of the person being addressed is striking and impressive.
our breath away
The person being addressed is so beautiful, it takes the artist's breath away.
your sense of humor
The person being addressed has a sense of humor that the artist wants to highlight.
is light years
The person being addressed's sense of humor is far beyond their years.
beyond your age
The person being addressed's sense of humor is advanced for their age.
oh oh
A musical exclamation, indicating excitement or emphasis
oh oh
A musical exclamation, indicating excitement or emphasis
oo oo
A musical interlude with no discernible meaning.
oo oo
A musical interlude with no discernible meaning.
i can see
The artist perceives something about the person they are addressing.
you're an automatic beauty
The person being addressed's beauty is inherent and comes naturally to them.
just by the things you say
The singer is impressed by the person being addressed's speech and behavior.
take it down
A call to action to start a project or work on something.
and dust it off
An instruction to clean up or revive something neglected.
and open up the pages
An instruction to uncover something that was hidden or forgotten.
(you got it 4x)
A repeated phrase that emphasizes the message of the previous three lines.
standing on the
The singer is making a comparison to something historical or established.
shoulders of the
The person being addressed is standing on the accomplishments of those who came before them.
greatest of the ages
The people who came before the person being addressed accomplished great things.
i can tell
The singer perceives something about the person they are addressing.
you're an inspiration
The person being addressed inspires the singer with their art or creativity.
truly you're such a lovely girl
The artist emphasizes the positive qualities of the person being addressed.
you're such a beauty
The person being addressed is beautiful, both inside and out.
you take our breath away
The person being addressed's beauty is so striking, it takes the singer's breath away.
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.