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.
The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
two pairs of spectacles, a lens polisher, a pocket knife,
a watch fob, a linen handkerchief,
a brown leather wallet containing five dollars
in confederate money and nine newspaper clippings
that there is walt whitman's pen
it sat in his hand and drank ink and whitman lay upstairs
and watched the trains, fascinated by the big engines
lincoln struck at the back of the head as if by a velvet curtain
his body lists and folds, creased at the hip,
and rolls to the floor beside his seat
the light's gone out, but even now he's radiating heat
these relics rise like steam and each disseminates, encircling
like a halo down trajectory of a common crowd, simmering
slammed to the back of your head
you've never been hit before
how can you deal with that kind of information?
slammed to your chest
like a curtain hits the floor
how can you deal with that kind of information?
The song "The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets" by Rainer Maria describes the items that were found in Abraham Lincoln's pockets at the time of his assassination. The first few lines name the objects found- two pairs of spectacles, a lens polisher, a pocket knife, a watch fob, a linen handkerchief, and a brown leather wallet containing five dollars in confederate money and nine newspaper clippings. Interestingly, one of the clippings belonged to Walt Whitman, whose pen also appears in the song. The second stanza describes Lincoln being shot and his body falling to the floor. The singer of the song expresses their anxiousness in dealing with the aftermath of such a tragic event.
The song uses powerful imagery and metaphors to explore the impact of Lincoln's assassination. The relics found in his pockets are described as rising like steam and encircling like a halo around a common crowd. This can be interpreted as symbolizing the widespread impact of Lincoln's death on the American people. The shots that hit Lincoln are compared to a curtain slamming down- a sudden and jarring collapse. The singer questions how one can deal with such devastating information.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the assassination of a beloved American leader and the ensuing confusion and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
at the time of his assassination:
When Abraham Lincoln was killed,
two pairs of spectacles, a lens polisher, a pocket knife,
a watch fob, a linen handkerchief,
a brown leather wallet containing five dollars
in confederate money and nine newspaper clippings
On Lincoln's person, there were two pairs of glasses, a tool to clean them, a small knife, a piece of jewelry, a cloth for his nose, a wallet with some southern money, and clippings that he'd collected.
that there is walt whitman's pen
it sat in his hand and drank ink and whitman lay upstairs
and watched the trains, fascinated by the big engines
Also in the room was a pen belonging to Walt Whitman, the poet, who was upstairs watching trains go by, but now was held in Lincoln's hand, signing important documents.
me, i'm just anxious.
The person speaking is feeling very worried and nervous.
lincoln struck at the back of the head as if by a velvet curtain
his body lists and folds, creased at the hip,
and rolls to the floor beside his seat
Lincoln was hit on the back of his head as if struck by something soft like a curtain, and then he fell onto the floor next to his chair.
the light's gone out, but even now he's radiating heat
Lincoln's body is no longer alive, but it still feels warm to the touch.
these relics rise like steam and each disseminates, encircling
like a halo down trajectory of a common crowd, simmering
Objects like the ones Lincoln carried can seem to become more significant after someone has died, like their importance is spreading out and being felt by everyone around, like a faint glow.
slammed to the back of your head
you've never been hit before
how can you deal with that kind of information?
Being hit on the back of the head is a new experience for the artist, and they're unsure how to cope with it emotionally.
slammed to your chest
like a curtain hits the floor
how can you deal with that kind of information?
Feeling intense emotions in one's chest, like a falling curtain, can be overwhelming and difficult to handle.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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