Once upon a time, Melora Creager found an old photograph with yellowing, cu… Read Full Bio ↴Once upon a time, Melora Creager found an old photograph with yellowing, curled corners. This photograph was from the late 19th century, and was of a man. A society man. A well-dressed man. The back of this photo has some almost-illegible script on it, saying: Mr E. Leon Rauis. Melora began to wonder. "What was this man like? What did he do?" She then wrote this song about him.
However, it was later discovered that it was a photograph of Mr E. Leon Rains, the opera singer.

Mr. E. Leon Rauis
Rasputina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I keep pictures of him in my mind yeah you know the
kind they curl up on the edges, the corners are bended
into a trickpulled from behind.

Physically he is serene he looks good he looks
clean yeah I know he's dead but I know what he
said and I think I might know what he mean.

With many thanks for your well, well wishes he says
believe me, sincerely yours
Mr. E Leon Rauis would say
it's sentiment which he abhors.

Seventeen Union Square North did he walk back and
forth in the glass at the shop did he smile did he
stop for awhile did he question his worth?

Seventeen Union Square West dressed up looking his best
Mr. E. Leon Rauis could never know
how this would seem his one small request.

With many thanks for your well, well wishes he says
believe me, sincerely yours
Mr. E Leon Rauis would say
it's sentiment which he abhors.

Regretfully so he still wants you to know of the
things in his heart he can't say.

His penmenship does a disservice,
It's illegible to this day.

Oh, Mr. E. Leon Rauis believe me
I hope it all turned out O.K.

Picking a shop for the shoot did he buy a new
suit? was he tall, was he kind, did he finally
find it that day, was his end absolute?

He got old like everyone, was he somebody's

son? did he fall, did he try to succeed or deny
what he knew or things he had done?

Overall Meaning

The song "Mr. E. Leon Rauis" by Rasputina is a nostalgic tribute to a man who is no longer present, but is remembered fondly by the singer who keeps pictures of him in her mind. She describes his physical appearance as serene and clean, and although he is no longer alive, she says she knows what he said and what he meant. The singer wonders about his activities on Union Square, picturing him walking back and forth, looking his best, and perhaps questioning his worth. Despite his aversion towards sentimental things, Mr. E. Leon Rauis had things in his heart that he couldn't express in writing, perhaps due to his illegible handwriting. The singer hopes that everything turned out alright for him, and wonders about his life - his height, his kindness, his successes, and his failures.

The lyrics of the song invokes a longing for a past that is no longer there. The curly, bent photos of Mr. E. Leon Rauis that the singer keeps in her mind highlight the fragility of memory, while the questions about his life and activities call attention to the fleeting nature of existence. The singer's curiosity about Mr. E. Leon Rauis' life also reflects her own attempt to connect with the past and make sense of her own existence. Overall, the song is a poignant tribute to the human desire to understand and remember those who have left us.

Line by Line Meaning

I keep pictures of him in my mind yeah you know the kind they curl up on the edges, the corners are bended into a trickpulled from behind.
I have images of Mr. E. Leon Rauis in my head that are slightly distorted, like a cleverly done illusion.

Physically he is serene he looks good he looks clean yeah I know he's dead but I know what he said and I think I might know what he mean.
Despite Mr. Rauis being deceased, his appearance was calm and tidy in life. Furthermore, I believe I understand the meaning behind his words.

With many thanks for your well, well wishes he says believe me, sincerely yours Mr. E Leon Rauis would say it's sentiment which he abhors.
In response to gratitude and sympathy, Mr. Rauis would express his thanks but also express disdain for meaningless sentimentality.

Seventeen Union Square North did he walk back and forth in the glass at the shop did he smile did he stop for awhile did he question his worth?
Did Mr. Rauis ever feel uncertain about his value or accomplishments as he looked at his reflection in a store window at 17 Union Square North?

Seventeen Union Square West dressed up looking his best Mr. E. Leon Rauis could never know how this would seem his one small request.
Do you think that Mr. Rauis, carefully dressed and poised, recognized the significance of his tiny request that day at 17 Union Square West?

Regretfully so he still wants you to know of the things in his heart he can't say.
Despite his passing, Mr. Rauis would like you to acknowledge that there were things he felt deeply but could not express openly.

His penmenship does a disservice, It's illegible to this day.
Unfortunately, Mr. Rauis' handwriting was unreadable and much of his writing remains indecipherable.

Oh, Mr. E. Leon Rauis believe me I hope it all turned out O.K.
I sincerely hope that things went well for Mr. Rauis in the end.

Picking a shop for the shoot did he buy a new suit? was he tall, was he kind, did he finally find it that day, was his end absolute?
Did Mr. Rauis acquire a new outfit for his photoshoot? Was he a benevolent, towering figure? Was this the day when he finally found what he was seeking? Did Mr. Rauis meet an unambiguous end?

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELORA "RASPUTINA" CREAGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

FredSh9483

7y↑8

Reminds of the poem Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson.

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.