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.
Tin Foil
Rainer Maria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i'm not talking about my heart
like it's something you could break.
there's no convincing you
i'm not sick.
when i say "heart",
drug stores make me feel good.
think of silver around my wrist,
i'm not well.
your chest is a cage for my letters,
and your handwriting's better than mine.
god damn it,
i'm not talking about my heart
like it's a tinfoil valentine.
call an ambulance.
i don't want to walk home alone.
The lyrics of "Tin Foil" by Rainer Maria reflect the inner turmoil and struggles of the singer. The opening line showcases a frustration with someone who might have broken their heart, yet the singer is quick to clarify that they are not talking about their literal heart. Instead, they might be referring to their emotional state, which they feel the other person cannot comprehend or empathize with. The singer seems to have some physical ailment or mental health issues, which they think the other person might not understand, as they dismiss the singer's plea for help.
The three following lines "When I say "heart", Nothing comes to mind. Drug stores make me feel good." suggest a sense of detachment from their own emotions, perhaps due to a possible addiction, depression or anxiety. The singer might be using drugs as a coping mechanism, but it does not seem to alleviate their condition entirely. The line "Think of silver around my wrist, I'm not well." alludes to the singer's possible suicidal ideation or self-harm tendencies. The singer then shifts to describing the other person's chest as a cage for their letters, indicating that they have been trying to communicate their innermost feelings to the other person but feel trapped and unheard. The line "And your handwriting's better than mine." suggests that the other person can express their thoughts better in writing than the singer, which could signify a power dynamic imbalance between them.
Finally, the song ends with the plea for help, "Call an ambulance. I don't want to walk home alone." The singer acknowledges their vulnerability and dependence on other people for support. They acknowledge that they need medical assistance and cannot manage things by themselves. The repetition of "God damn it, I'm not talking about my heart" emphasizes the hopelessness and frustration the singer feels in trying to convey their condition to someone who cannot understand them.
Line by Line Meaning
god damn it,
Expression of frustration and intensity.
i'm not talking about my heart
The singer is not being literal about their heart, but rather something else.
like it's something you could break.
The singer is making it clear that this thing is not fragile enough to break.
there's no convincing you
The listener is being stubborn and unwilling to believe the artist.
i'm not sick.
The artist is trying to deny a reality of their situation that is difficult to accept.
when i say 'heart',
nothing comes to mind.
The singer is struggling to articulate their own feelings and emotions.
drug stores make me feel good.
The singer is using drugs to deal with their problems, even though it's not a long-term solution.
think of silver around my wrist,
i'm not well.
The artist is using a metaphor - tin foil like metal wristbands - to illustrate their own state of mind.
your chest is a cage for my letters,
and your handwriting's better than mine.
The person the artist is addressing is someone they've written to before and the artist is acknowledging how much they admire their penmanship.
god damn it,
i'm not talking about my heart
like it's a tinfoil valentine.
The artist is reiterating that they are speaking figuratively and that the thing they are referencing to is not as flimsy as a tinfoil valentine.
call an ambulance.
i don't want to walk home alone.
The singer is potentially in danger and wants help to get home safely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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