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.

The Imperatives
Rainer Maria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

when we can't begin
unless it's with an argument
we're losing out on
love for the sake of it

I was thinking we can go and live
in a monastery
throw away the imperatives

make our pockets empty

'cause I'm feeling bankrupt
and I'm losing speed
and I don't want to hold on
to anything

when I misbehaved
to get what I wanted
was that wrong when what I wanted was
love and affection

let's get out
let's get out
let's get out
let's get out

I was thinking we can go and live
in a monastery

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rainer Maria's song "The Imperatives" are a reflection on how conflicts, arguments, and the constant need for material things rob people of the love that they crave for, pushing them towards a spiritual emptiness. The opening lines "when we can't begin unless it's with an argument, we're losing out on love for the sake of it" highlights the unproductive nature of arguments that eventually lead to the loss of feelings, emotions, and love. The chorus, "I was thinking we can go and live in a monastery, throw away the imperatives, make our pockets empty" expresses the desire to shed materialism and live a simple life in order to find true love and inner peace. The persona feels bankrupt, losing speed, and doesn't want to hold on to anything, indicating an internal conflict that they face in balancing their faith and materialism.

The second verse begins with a reflection on the persona's deeds that they did to gain what they wanted, mostly love and affection. It raises a question if it is wrong to resort to misbehaviour to gain love and affection. The song then ends with the repeated chorus, "let's get out, let's get out, let's get out, let's get out," emphasizing the persona’s urgency to leave the cycle of materialism and conflicts to find true love.

Overall, "The Imperatives" tells a tale of a person torn between the modern world's complexities and the need for a simpler, more meaningful life. The lyrics show how materialism, arguments, and conflicts have taken over people's lives, leaving them search for a solution to find that desired inner peace and happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

when we can't begin
When we can't start something without an argument or disagreement

unless it's with an argument
Except if we are arguing with each other when starting something

we're losing out on
We're missing out on something important

love for the sake of it
The love that exists for no other reason but to exist

I was thinking we can go and live
I had an idea of us living somewhere else

in a monastery
In a secluded and simple place with a specific purpose and lifestyle

throw away the imperatives
Get rid of all the things that we must do or should do

make our pockets empty
Get rid of all our material possessions

'cause I'm feeling bankrupt
Because I feel like I have nothing left

and I'm losing speed
I'm slowing down and losing momentum

and I don't want to hold on
And I don't want to cling onto anything