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 Reason The Night Is Long
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
is very simple.
oh i miss you when i'm at work.
oh and i miss you when we fight, and you leave.
honey, i confess, i stole your heart.
and honey, i confess that it was criminal.
but i've been captured, i'm paralyzed.
and i've been disarmed by your charm.
oh the reason the night is long is very simple.
i imagine, tonight, that we can get along.
that nothing i can do with you is wrong, tonight.
but if i'm careful at sunset, if i'm mindful at dawn,
(clouded minds up north could
sometimes produce rain and lightning. )
if it's ok to touch you,
it's alright to think "electricity".
oh the reason the night is long is very simple
maybe it hasn't been so long.
maybe this dim time is just twilight.
The opening line of Rainer Maria's song "The Reason the Night is Long" alludes to the universal experience of longing for someone when they're not around, especially during the night. The singer focuses on missing their significant other at work and during fights, indicating that their love is strong and all-encompassing. They then confess to stealing their partner's heart, acknowledging that it was a crime, but they've been "captured" and "disarmed" by their partner's charm. This line suggests that the singer is vulnerable and powerless in the face of their overwhelming feelings.
The singer's longing for their partner becomes more potent as the night wears on. They imagine that, despite previous disagreements, the current evening will be different, and they will "get along" without complications. They emphasize that "nothing [they] can do with [their partner] is wrong, tonight," implying that other nights were more challenging or fraught with tension. The lyrics take a poetic turn as, in the third verse, the singer becomes more philosophical. They suggest that, if they're careful and mindful enough, they can detect the signs of approaching turbulence in their relationship, signified by "clouded minds up north producing rain and lightning." However, they also acknowledge that, if it's "ok to touch" their partner, it's "alright to think 'electricity.'" This line suggests a recognition of their powerful attraction to their significant other and the passion that accompanies it.
The final verse emphasizes the passing of time, indicating that the reasons for the long night may be more complex or less dire than originally thought. The singer suggests that the "dim time" that they're experiencing may just be "twilight," indicating that there's still hope for a brighter future, even if things seem dark at the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
oh the reason the night is long is very simple.
The reason behind my sleepless nights is because I miss you terribly and wish you were here with me, but it's not that complicated.
oh i miss you when i'm at work.
I long for you even during the day when I'm at work, and I can't wait to come home to you.
oh and i miss you when we fight, and you leave.
Even when we fight and you walk out, I miss you fiercely and wish you were still here with me.
honey, i confess, i stole your heart.
I admit that I took your heart, but I did it because I love you so much.
and honey, i confess that it was criminal.
I admit that it was wrong to take your heart without your permission, but I couldn't resist.
but i've been captured, i'm paralyzed.
You have caught me, and I am powerless against your love.
and i've been disarmed by your charm.
Your charm has won me over and left me completely defenseless.
i imagine, tonight, that we can get along.
Tonight, I envision us being able to reconcile and get along without any issues.
that nothing i can do with you is wrong, tonight.
I feel like everything I do with you tonight will be right, and we won't encounter any problems.
if i'm careful at sunset, if i'm mindful at dawn,
If I'm cautious during the evening and reflective in the morning,
(clouded minds up north could sometimes produce rain and lightning. )
(Sometimes, cloudy minds from the North can cause disturbances and conflicts.)
if it's ok to touch you,
If you're okay with me touching you,
it's alright to think "electricity".
Then it's okay for me to think about the sparks and chemistry between us.
maybe it hasn't been so long.
Perhaps it hasn't been as long as it seems.
maybe this dim time is just twilight.
Maybe this bleak period isn't as bad as we think, and it's just a transitional phase, like twilight.
Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.