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.
Always More Often
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has kept me clothed.
Apologize to me politely.
My only wish is that revenge
Could blast me clean.
Sometimes it's easy to imagine
That I've killed you,
So you'll have to forgive me
Firing squads and land mines,
I want to feed you bad things.
Rigged elections and force feeding
Are too terrible to think of,
But it still won't be enough.
For all of you.
The lyrics to Rainer Maria's song 'Always More Often' convey a sense of violence and revenge, expressed in a poetic and somewhat abstract way. The first few lines mention tragedy and censure, suggesting that the singer has experienced some kind of trauma or oppression. They seem to be asking for an apology, but only so that they can have the satisfaction of revenge. The idea that revenge could 'blast me clean' suggests that the singer sees this act of violence as a way of purging themselves of negative feelings.
The next lines mention killing someone, but it's not clear whether this is a literal or metaphorical act. The singer seems to want forgiveness for their thoughts or actions, suggesting that their desire for revenge is not something they're proud of. The final stanza introduces a range of violent images, from firing squads and land mines to rigged elections and force feeding. The singer seems to want to inflict pain on their enemies, but acknowledges that even these acts won't be enough to satisfy their desire for revenge.
Overall, the lyrics to 'Always More Often' suggest a complex mix of emotions, from anger and resentment to a kind of self-awareness and self-reproach. The violent images and abstract language create a sense of turmoil and confusion, adding to the emotional intensity of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tragedy, censure
The singer has experienced misfortune and criticism.
Has kept me clothed.
These experiences have shaped the singer's identity and behavior.
Apologize to me politely.
The singer desires respect and recognition in order to heal their wounds.
My only wish is that revenge
The artist desires retribution for their suffering.
Could blast me clean.
The artist believes revenge will help them feel pure or vindicated.
Sometimes it's easy to imagine
The singer frequently fantasizes about violent revenge.
That I've killed you,
The singer's revenge fantasy involves murdering their enemy.
So you'll have to forgive me
The artist is aware that their thoughts and desires are morally wrong.
When I send you through.
The artist still wants to harm their enemy, regardless of the consequences.
Firing squads and land mines,
The artist wants to use violent methods to harm their enemy.
I want to feed you bad things.
The singer wants their enemy to suffer and be punished for their actions.
Rigged elections and force feeding
The artist thinks of terrible ways to harm their enemy, even if they are unrealistic or imaginary.
Are too terrible to think of,
The singer acknowledges the horror of these thoughts, but still finds them enticing.
But it still won't be enough.
The singer believes that even extreme revenge tactics won't satisfy their desire for justice.
For all of you.
The singer holds contempt or anger towards a group of people, not just one individual.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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