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 Double Life
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just pick me up
on A and 9th
save me some time
the streets are slow
can we go
for a ride?
you want me completely
and I'm ready
and so I began
the double life
I began the double life
save me some time
just take me out
on A and 9th
save me some time
I always wanted to wake up
on the Lower East Side
you want me completely
and I'm ready
and it's fine
and so I began
the double life
i began the double life
I wasn't paying attention
and you quietly reeled me in again
I wasn't paying attention
and you quietly reeled me in again
and after all the games
it's business as usual again
it's just business as usual
save me some time
I looked out into
the eager night
save me some time
I can't tell any more
what's yours and what's mine
In Rainer Maria's song The Double Life, the lyrics depict an individual in search of a release from their everyday mundane routine. The lyrics "save me some time just pick me up on A and 9th" suggest that the individual is looking for someone to come and rescue them from their current situation. The idea of being saved is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the desire for the singer to be taken away from their current state of being. The mention of the Lower East Side also adds to the feeling of wanting to escape from reality as the area is known for its vibrant artistic community and downtown nightlife.
The singer seems to be torn between two worlds, leading them to live "the double life." They are ready and willing to embrace something new and different, but also seem unsure about what exactly they want. They say "you want me completely, and I'm ready and it's fine," which suggests that they are willing to give in to whoever is leading them down this path of self-discovery but also implies that they may not fully understand what they are getting themselves into. The singer is also unable to tell what is theirs and what is someone else's, perhaps indicating a sense of confusion and loss of identity.
The repetition of the phrase "I wasn't paying attention, and you quietly reeled me in again" implies a sense of surrender on the singer's part, as if they have given themselves over to some sort of alluring force that they cannot resist. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics "it's just business as usual" suggest that despite the singer's desire for change, nothing ever really changes. They are still stuck in the same rut, going through the motions and unable to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
save me some time
The singer requests the other person to save them some time
just pick me up
The singer wants the other person to pick them up from somewhere
on A and 9th
The singer specifies the location where they want to be picked up
the streets are slow
The artist is implying that they don't want to waste time waiting around on the streets
can we go
The artist asks if they can leave the current location and go somewhere else
for a ride?
The singer wants to go on a drive with the other person
you want me completely
The other person desires the singer entirely
and I'm ready
The artist is ready to fulfill the other person's desires
and so I began
The artist started doing something
the double life
The artist is living a double life, possibly hiding something from the outside world
just take me out
The singer wants the other person to take them out somewhere
I always wanted to wake up
The artist had a long-standing desire to wake up in a particular location
on the Lower East Side
The specific location the singer wants to wake up in
and it's fine
The singer is content with the situation
I wasn't paying attention
The singer was not paying attention to the other person's actions
and you quietly reeled me in again
The other person manipulatively drew the artist back in, possibly to the double life they were living
and after all the games
After all the manipulation and schemes the other person has played
it's business as usual again
Everything has gone back to the way it was before, with no significant changes
I looked out into
The singer is gazing out into
the eager night
The night that feels almost impatient or anxious
I can't tell any more
The artist is unsure of what they own in their double life
what's yours and what's mine
The artist is unsure of what belongs to them, and what belongs to the other person
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANGELO BADALAMENTI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind