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.
Burn
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm a tyrant sentencing
You said that you believed in me
And would burn for your beliefs
I watched you burn
Burn for me
I watched you burn
Burn for me
An inquisition's questioning
You said that you believed in me
And to take you on sometime
You said that you believed in me
And would burn for your beliefs
I watched you burn
I watched you burn for me
I watched you burn
Burn for me
But now I wonder how
I stood by
I let you down
Maybe I couldn't see
That you would burn for me
You were strong and clever
And I didn't know any better
I didn't know any better
I could have set you free
But I watched you burn
I could have set you free
But I watched you burn
The lyrics of Rainer Maria's song Burn depict a relationship that's built on the premise of love which seems to resemble tyranny. The singer is portrayed as a tyrant who's forcing their partner to burn for them, in other words, making them suffer for the sake of their love. The singer speaks of the partner's unwavering faith in them and how they've been burning in their belief towards the relationship. The act of burning could be interpreted as a metaphor for either their passion or their hurt, as the emotions get mixed up in the relationship.
Though the singer says they were standing by watching as their partner burned for them, they now admit that they didn't know any better. They wonder if they could have set their partner free instead of letting them burn. The contradiction here is that the singer feels guilty now that their partner has been hurt, but in the beginning, they were the one who desired the burning love. The lyrics showcase how complicated love and relationships can be and how easy it is to manipulate emotions for the sake of feeling something powerful.
Overall, the lyrics of Burn are a reflection on the destructive nature of love and relationships. It portrays how easy it is to hurt someone we love by not treating them with sympathy and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is like a tyranny
Love can be like a form of oppression, where one person holds all the power and control over the other.
And I'm a tyrant sentencing
The singer sees themselves as the one in control, making decisions and choices for the other person.
You said that you believed in me
The other person had faith and trust in the singer.
And would burn for your beliefs
The other person was willing to go to great lengths and make sacrifices for their beliefs and for the artist.
I watched you burn
The artist witnessed the other person's suffering and pain as they sacrificed for the artist's sake.
Burn for me
The other person's sacrifice and suffering was specifically for the sake of their love for the singer.
Love's some kind of sorcery
Love can have a mysterious and powerful hold over people, affecting their thoughts and actions in unexpected ways.
An inquisition's questioning
The intense feelings and emotions associated with love can feel like an interrogation or investigation into one's feelings and intentions.
And to take you on sometime
The other person was willing to face challenges and difficulties for the sake of their love for the artist.
But now I wonder how
The artist is reflecting back on their past actions and questioning their own choices and behaviors.
I stood by
The singer allowed things to happen without intervening or taking action.
I let you down
The artist failed to support or protect the other person, causing them harm or pain.
Maybe I couldn't see
The singer was blinded by their own desires, and failed to see the other person's suffering.
That you would burn for me
The other person's love and sacrifice for the singer was so strong that they were willing to endure great pain and suffering.
You were strong and clever
The other person was capable and intelligent, and deserved better treatment from the singer.
And I didn't know any better
The artist lacked the wisdom and understanding to treat the other person with the respect and care they deserved.
I could have set you free
The artist had the power to release the other person from their love and devotion, but failed to do so.
But I watched you burn
The singer continued to allow the other person to suffer, even when they had the ability to help them.
I could have set you free
The singer reflects back on missed opportunities to do right by the other person, and take actions to better their situation.
But I watched you burn
The artist ultimately failed to act in the other person's best interest, continuing to allow them to suffer.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bora Colak
This one gets under my skin.
Dana Peterson
Thank you, finally a really good quality upload. Hugs and stuff.
Angelo
Listening to this because of a meme page
Brian Hogan
Thank you Pinkofif, for posting this.
1thess523
Is this an album or an ep because i can't find it anywhere
1thess523
Thanks i'll look it up
Pincofif
@1thess523 Its an LP "Catastrophe Keeps Us Together", if you can´t find on google, maybe download a program named "Soulseek" its only for searching music
Rune Goon
Burds ARE Real sent me here.
Lewis Heinrich
Me too brotha
Tennessee Tim
This is like if Coldplay didn’t suck.