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.
Thought I Was
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i thought i was
it was starting to feel like the worst of times
i've got to choose sides
am i wicked? am i right?
or am i just reacting all the time?
i'm not the way
i thought i was.
i've got to lose sight
of their pompous, boring lies
i was starting to think i couldn't fight
i've got to fight!
just not in the way i once thought right.
The lyrics to Rainer Maria's song "Thought I Was" explore the concept of self-discovery and questioning one's own beliefs and values. The singer acknowledges that they do not fit the mould they thought they did and the implication can be drawn that this is a result of a change in perspective. They had previously seen life in a certain way but are starting to see all the bad in it now. The line "i've got to choose sides, am i wicked? am i right?" could be interpreted as a struggle to understand what is right and wrong in the world around us.
The song reflects on the pressure to conform and question the status quo, and in doing so raises existential questions about the individual's role in society. The singer recognizes that they must lose sight of the "pompous, boring lies" fed to them by others and take back control of their own truth. The line "i've got to fight! just not in the way i once thought right." suggests an evolution in the singer's thinking and their realization that they must find their own unique path to self-discovery and personal fulfillment.
Overall, the song encourages individual growth through self-awareness and critical thinking. It highlights the importance of being true to oneself, even if it means going against the norm, and the potential rewards that can be found in taking risks and exploring new ways of thinking.
Line by Line Meaning
i'm not the way
I am not who I believed myself to be.
i thought i was
I had a misconceived perception of myself.
it was starting to feel like the worst of times
Life had become difficult and unpleasant.
i've got to choose sides
I must make a decision about my beliefs and values.
am i wicked? am i right?
I am questioning whether my actions are moral or not.
or am i just reacting all the time?
I am questioning whether I am just acting impulsively or if my actions are based on reason and logic.
i was starting to see all the worst in life
I was becoming more pessimistic and negative about life.
i've got to lose sight
I need to stop listening to and ignoring the lies that I have been told.
of their pompous, boring lies
I must let go of the arrogant and uninteresting falsehoods that have been fed to me.
i was starting to think i couldn't fight
I was beginning to believe that I was incapable of standing up for myself.
i've got to fight!
I must be courageous and stand up for what I believe in.
just not in the way i once thought right.
I need to change my approach to fighting and find a new way forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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