Rainer Maria is an emo band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1995. Bassist C… Read Full Bio ↴Rainer Maria is an emo band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1995. Bassist Caithlin De Marrais, guitarist Kaia Fischer, and drummer William Kuehn formed the band in the late summer of 1995 and named the band after the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. They're known for their poetic lyrics and resounding metaphors. The lineup never changed during their eleven-year career.

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.

Half Past April
Rainer Maria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i thought
the ice is melting.
we could talk
on the lake.

not far from our house,
the park is wetter than yesterday.

i won't swallow my pride.
i know
i've been unbearable.
these past four weeks
have been wrong.

i can give you space.
i know what i want.
i can think of plans for us.

ruin, ruining our relay,
relationship.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rainer Maria's song Half Past April likely indicate a struggling relationship. The singer expresses hope for communication and reconciliation, symbolized by the melting ice on the lake where they could go to talk. However, the park nearby is wetter than yesterday, suggesting that things are not going as planned. The singer is aware of their own shortcomings and feels they have been difficult to deal with. Despite this, they know what they want and are willing to make plans for the future. The final line, "ruin, ruining our relay, relationship" suggests that the problems in the relationship are hindering their ability to move forward and connect.

One interesting fact about Half Past April is that it was included on the soundtrack for the 2005 indie film, "The Puffy Chair." Additionally, the album it appears on, "Long Knives Drawn," was produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox, who also co-produced Against Me!'s "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" in 2014. Rainer Maria formed in Wisconsin in the late 1990s and released several albums before going on hiatus in 2006. They reunited in 2014 and released a new album, "S/T," in 2017. The band's name comes from the German-language poet Rainer Maria Rilke.

Other interesting facts about the song Half Past April include that it was released as a single and has a music video with footage of the band and their travels. The song has been described as "a mellow rock ballad that highlights the band's ability to contrast fragility with force" and features the band's signature dual vocals from Caitlin Boyle and Kyle Fischer. The chords for the song are not available online, as the band has not officially released them. However, it appears to be in standard tuning and uses basic chord progressions such as G, C, D and Am.

Overall, the lyrics to Half Past April suggest a desire for communication and understanding in a troubled relationship. The song is notable for its emotional depth and the band's ability to convey complex emotions through their music. The song's inclusion in a popular indie film and its continued relevance today demonstrate Rainer Maria's lasting impact on the indie rock scene.

Chords:
G, C, D, Am

Line by Line Meaning

i thought
I had an expectation about something

the ice is melting.
But that expectation is changing

we could talk
Despite the change, we can still communicate

on the lake.
In a peaceful and natural environment

not far from our house,
A nearby location

the park is wetter than yesterday.
Which has undergone some environmental change

i won't swallow my pride.
I refuse to sacrifice my self-respect

i know
I am aware

i've been unbearable.
That I have behaved in an unpleasant manner

these past four weeks
Over a recently elapsed period